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| Free Kick Guidelines |
Take into account the following guidelines when planning and executing free kick plays.
* Be organized
Each player involved in the play should understand his or her role.
* Act fast
Set up quickly to take advantage of a slowly reacting defense. If the defending team is slow to organize or is not positioned properly, the chances of scoring directly off of the kick are increased.
* Keep it simple
The more complicated the play, the greater the likelihood of a screw-up. Limit the number of passes prior to the strike at goal. If the ball is not shot direct, use a maximum of two passes and preferably one to create a strike at goal.
* Take advantage of special player abilities
The simplest and surest way to score off of a free kick is to find a player who has the ability to powerfully swerve the ball over or around the defensive wall and into the goal. Free kick specialists such as David Beckham of Manchester United (England) and Brazilian star Roberto Carlos of Real Madrid can determine the outcome of a game with one lethal strike of the ball.
* Involve deception
Player movement prior to the kick, such as a dummy (decoy) run over the ball, may confuse defending players and create a shooting lane to goal.
* Take what the defense gives you
Take into consideration how the opponents set-up to defend, the field conditions, the weather, and the location on the field when selecting the most appropriate free kick play.
* Test the goalkeeper
Regardless of how well conceived the play may be in theory, a free kick that does not result in a quality shot on goal must be considered a failure. Never lose sight of the fact that most soccer games are won or lost based upon which team dominates the general run-of-play. While a well executed free kick may be the deciding factor, the team that plays better soccer will usually create more quality scoring chances, finish more of those opportunities, and at the same time pressure their opponents into mistakes and unnecessary fouls. An attacking team can make the defending team pay dearly for those mistakes by becoming adept at scoring from free kicks.
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