Challenge 1 : Absolute Footwork Fundamentals

Challenge 1
1 touch only ; No Changes of direction

Absolute Fundamental Footwork Patterns

The answers to challenge 1 gives you this table

Position #0	Position #2-5	Position #6	Position #7-8	Position #9-11
Outside Push	Outside Push	Outside Push	Outside Push	Outside push
		Outside Chop	Outside Chop
		Outside Hook
Inside Push		Inside push		Inside push
		Cruyff turn	Inside push behind
Inside Chop		Ronaldo chop turn	Inside chop behind	Inside chop

			Roll Across Behind	Roll Across
Roll forward
		Drag Turn
		Back heel

Looking at all the different one touch techniques stats to give us a glimpse into what basic techniques are need to move the ball in any direction.

All the techniques are listed below, but when ignoring the exact details of the step before the touch, but distinguishing between a push, chop and roll touch repeated patterns start to emerge.

An Outside push touch is an option to use in every direction (and the outside hook - done when the feet are perfectly aligned is also a footwork option)
A basic inside push touch is used in 3 categories, but note that a Cruyff turn can also be an inside push touch behind
A basic Inside chop touch is used in 2 categories, but note that a Cruyff turn and the Ronaldo chop is an inside chop (behind ) touch
The roll across pops up in 2 categories
The forward roll, drag turn and back heal are only used in one

Its not a surprise to see the Outside push touch being the most versatile. It is not called the million dollar touch for nothing. And similarly the inside push touch would come in hand fairly regularly too. Obviously everyone can execute these techniques. The question though is to what degree of touch. (Dexterity determining weight and precision).

The ones popping less become increasingly neiche techniques, suited to particular moments. A forward roll is used very very rarely in outfield play (but a lot in futsal), where as a drag turn, a cruyff turn, a ronaldo chop, are used to great effect at the highest level on a relatively regular basis.

So if we were to simplify the table above into just footwork patterns it would be come this :

Absolute Fundamental	Tweaked absolute Fundamentals
Outside Push	Outside Hook
Outside Chop
Inside Push	Inside push behind	aka : Cruyff turn
Inside Chop	Inside chop behind	aka : Ronaldo chop
Roll Across	Roll Across Behind
Drag Turn	Back heel	use more likely as a pass
Roll forward

This gives us 6 absolute fundamentals, and 6 tweaks of the absolute fundamentals.

So when developing you ball moving ability becoming very comfortable with the 6 absolute fundamentals would be very wise, as well as developing the slightly tweaked versions of these.

To take a look at some simple ball mastery exercises practicing the AFFPs with a shuffle click here

To take a look at some simple ball mastery exercises practicing the Tweaked AFFPs with a shuffle click here

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