Here’s the difference between average and great footballers: Average footballers chase fancy tricks that never work in real matches. Great footballers focus on the basics. Sounds simple? It is. But simple things often get overlooked for their simplicity. Hence, the simple fundamental skills of football are often overlooked by most footballers.

Anyways, today we’re going back to the basics.

We will talk about the fundamental skills that every great player builds their game on. Plus, to keep things practical, we also share the best drills our coaches teach young players at BFC Soccer Schools. Now, without further ado, let’s see what are the fundamental skills of football.

fundamental skills of football

1. Touch & Dribbling Skills

Touch and dribbling come right at the top. They’re the base of almost everything a footballer does on the ground. Like receiving the ball, keeping possession, getting past defenders, setting up a pass or shot, and so on. This means a player whose first ball touch is lazy or whose dribbling isn’t smooth will lose the ball to the opponent. While on the other hand, players like Sunil Chhetri or Lallianzuala Chhangte stand out from most players and are a constant threat to opponents because of their dribbling ability.

Best Drills to Improve Touch & Dribbling Skills in Football

• Juggling

At our football academy,the go-to drill for building ball touch is juggling. It helps players feel more comfortable with the ball and builds balance, focus, and control – all at the same time.

Now, here’s how to get good at juggling:

If you’re a beginner, start with basic juggling on your feet, thighs, and instep (i.e. the top of the foot). Once you feel confident, you can try challenges like alternating feet, using both your thighs, or going for personal juggling records like 30, 50, or 100 juggles.

• Cone Dribbling Drill

Place some cones in a straight line on the ground. Then, try to dribble the ball in and out of the cones. While doing that, use the inside and outside of your feet to move the ball. At first, start slow so you can stay in control. Now, when you feel comfortable, try to pace up without losing the ball. This drill is simple, but doing it repeatedly will teach you what good dribblers do. That is, keep the ball close, cut directions swiftly, and stay balanced on your feet.

2. Accuracy & Precision

A perfect pass and an opponent interception often boil down to a few inches and split-second decisions. And it’s true at every level of the game – from playing in front of thousands to playing at your grassroots football academy.

Best Drills to Practice Accuracy & Precision in Football

• Strike Zone Shooting

This is one of our go-to finishing drills at BFC Soccer Schools. In this drill, players aim for specific zones, like the far post or top corner, marked with numbered cones. It helps them learn to stay calm, choose their spot, and shoot with control. So when it’s time to shoot in a real match, they know exactly where to place the ball and how to score.

3. Change of Speed, Agility & Stamina

Yes, running fast is great, but football isn’t sprinting. The proof: in a typical professional game, players do about 1,000-1,400 intense actions (like accelerations, decelerations, and quick direction changes) in every 4-6 seconds. Plus, players also log about 9 to 12 km by walking, jogging, and running. For this reason, our coaches at our football school don’t just train for speed… they focus equally on agility and stamina, too.

One Simple Drill to Improve Your Speed, Agility, & Stamina in Football

• The Yo-Yo Drill

In this drill, players run 20 metres, turn, and run back in time with a series of beeps. After every few runs, the beeps get faster, and players pick up the pace. Plus in each round, there’s a short 10-second break to recover. The goal is simple. Keep going as long as possible without missing the beep.

Recommended Reading:

If you want to learn more about stamina, read our blog on 5 Best Exercises to Increase Football Stamina for simple and effective tips to build lasting endurance while playing football

4. Defending & Tackling

When we think of big moments in football, most of us imagine a dramatic goal. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that. Goals are exciting, hence they deserve the spotlight.

But if you ask any experienced coach or player, they’ll tell you… the most important moment is a perfect tackle or a surprise block that stops a ‘sure’ goal. That’s what great defenders do. They read the game, stop dangerous plays, and give their team the confidence to attack without fear.

Best Drills to Improve Defending & Tackling in Football

1v1 Defending

This drill is simple, yet packed with lessons. Here, one player attacks and the other defends. The defender’s job is to stop the attacker without rushing in too soon. This means, the defender has to stay low, bend their knees, and be ready to move in any direction. Over time, practising this drill will teach you how to stay balanced and make a tackle at the right second.

5. Positioning & Spacing

As much as a single player might get the limelight, we all can agree on one thing: no player wins a match alone. Even the best goal scorers and strikers need teammates to pass and defend. Now, what’s behind such great team coordination? It’s smart positioning, good spacing, and strong spatial awareness.

The Best Way to Learn Positioning & Spacing in Football

• 3v1 Rondo (Positional Awareness Game)

A favourite drill among our athletes at BFC Soccer School.

In 3v1 Rondo, three players make a triangle and keep the ball while a defender tries to take it back. Once in a while, the roles are switched so everyone learns both attacking and defending. Now, to make it harder, coaches limit only one or two ball touches. Overall, it helps players know how to position themselves, find space to pass, and move the ball quickly.

Conclusion

Yes, flashy tricks might look cool, but now we all can agree that it’s the basics that win matches. The best players in the world? They all started by getting good at the simple fundamental stuff. And if you’ve read this far, you’re already ahead. Even more so if you’re just starting out in football, like many young athletes joining BFC Soccer football coaching in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, and other cities across India, because now you understand how important the fundamental skills of football are… so keep practising these skills until they become second nature.

If that sounds like the path you want for yourself (or for your child, if you’re a parent reading this) get in touch with us to learn more about BFC Soccer School programs and how we can help your child grow in football.