Curl a Free Kick Like David Beckham

HOW TO TAKE A DIRECT CURLING FREE KICK

Free kicks are an exciting and important element to the game of soccer. Beckham, Ronaldo, and Pirlo are incredible masters of this skill and with a bit of practice you will enhance your ability to put the ball in the back of the net with the deadly combination of pace and spin.

Preparation

Place the ball down on the spot where the free kick is to be taken from. Start in a stationary position with the ball up to two meters ahead of you. You may want a longer run-up if the free kick is further out. Beckham would start his run up from a wider position, but generally players approach the ball at an angle of around 45 degrees.

A good tip to get more power is to make sure the valve is facing the player and strike the valve when taking the free kick as it is the hardest area of the ball. Cristiano Ronaldo is known to employ this tactic. This will make for a more vicious kick, meaning the goalkeeper will find it harder to deal with.

Make sure that your run-up to a free kick is pre-measured, taking three, four or five paces back (run-ups can vary). This will ensure that you do not wrong-foot yourself.

Getting Ready to Strike the Ball

Keep your head steady, eyes on the ball before striking it and start a measured run up from side on. The more you swing your leg back and the quicker you move your foot forward, the harder the ball will go.

It is also possible to inject more curl into the shot by using the movement of your hips - move the hip on your non-kicking side forward as you go to strike and the other hip will automatically withdraw. Remember to use your arms to keep balance.

Approaching the ball from side on will mean more curl is applied to the ball.

Japan international Shunsuke Nakamura, scorer of two free kicks for Celtic against Manchester United in the Champions League, believes psychology is also an important factor. It is helpful to be calm when preparing to shoot and not too eager.

Making Contact

Striking the ball with the inside of your foot will ensure that more curl and spin is applied. It is also important to strike the outside of the ball as this will create even more curl. Placing the plant foot near to, and slightly behind, the ball (make sure this area of the ground is secure, as some pitches are softer than others) should also result in more accuracy, although do not put it too close as this will make it more difficult to lift the ball.

The closer you are to goal, the less force you need, so try to cut through the side of the ball more in this instance.

The foot on contact comes across the ball from inside to outside, and finally makes contact with the right side of the ball (the left side if you are left footed). This enables the ball to swerve from right to left.

Direction of Free Kick

If you are aiming for the far post, the ball should swing out and then come back in. A player has to get enough height on the ball to lift it over the wall by getting his foot underneath it on contact, and enough curl to keep it away from the goalkeeper.

In order to get the ball to curl and drop down at the right moment, it is good to turn your ankle upwards on connection. If you can get the ball to go just above the wall, it is harder for the goalkeeper to determine where it is heading.

Placement

An ideal free-kick will finish up in the corner of the goal. The more you lean back, the higher the ball will go, so if you are aiming to keep a free-kick low, reduce the amount you lean back.Practice is the key to perfecting free kicks, although many professionals will tell you not to spend too long, perhaps limiting this to 10 minutes, hitting 20 or 30 balls.

Lightning Safety for Toronto Rush FC Games

The safety of players, spectators, and staff is the primary concern in
any weather event that occurs during all matches of Toronto Rush FC.

By understanding and following the below information, the safety of everyone shall be
greatly increased. Ultimately the referee has the final say over delaying or restarting a
match due to weather.

Waiting to stop play or not waiting to start play may result in a
serious injury or loss of life. Referees are expected to act responsibly when dealing with
such events during matches they are controlling.

When lightning is detected, you can determine the distance of lightning in your area by
counting the number of seconds between the flash and the first sound of the thunder and
dividing by five(5). This will give you the distance in miles from your location. Remember,
if you are in a higher elevation, the lightning can come upon you much quicker and your
reaction time is greatly hindered.

30/30 RULE

When you see lightning, count the time until you hear thunder. If this time is thirty (30)
seconds or less, seek proper shelter. Wait thirty (30) minutes or more after hearing the
last thunder before leaving the shelter. If you can not see the lightning, just hearing the
thunder is good back up rule.

Additional Information:

Please note the following recommendations from Environment Canada:

The existence of blue sky and absence of rain are not protection from lightning. Lightning
can and does strike as far as ten (10) miles away from the rain shaft. It does not have to
be raining for lightning to strike. Many lightning casualties occur in the beginning, as the
storm approaches, because many people ignore initial precursors of high winds, some
rainfall and cloud cover. Generally, the lightning threat diminishes with time after the last
sound of thunder, but may persist for more than thirty (30) minutes.

Lightning can strike ahead of the parent cloud – take action even if the thunderstorm is
not overhead.

Be aware of how close lightning is occurring. The flash-to-bang method is the easiest
and most convenient way to estimate how far away lightning is occurring. Thunder
always accompanies lightning, even though its audible range can be diminished due to
background noise in the immediate environment and its distance from the observer.
Lightning awareness should be increased with the first flash of lightning or the first clap
of thunder, no matter how far away. This activity must be treated as a wake-up call to all.

The most important aspect to monitor is how far away the lightning is occurring, and how
fast the storm is approaching, relative to the distance of a safe shelter.
Recognize that personal observation of lightning may not be sufficient. Additional
weather information may be required to ensure consistency, accuracy and adequate
advance warning.

The Canadian Soccer Association / l’Association canadienne de soccer
Lightning Safety

Severe Weather Policy

When larger groups are involved, the time needed to properly evacuate an area
increases. As time requirements change, the distance at which lightning is noted and
considered a threat to move into the area must be increased. Extending the range used
to determine threat potential also increases the chance that a localized cell or
thunderstorm may not reach the area giving the impression of a “false alarm”.
Know where the closest “safe structure or location” is to the field or playing area and
know how long it takes to get to that safe structure or location.

Safe structure or location is defined as:
Any building normally occupied or frequently used by people, i.e., a building with
plumbing and / or electrical wiring that acts to electrically ground the structure. Avoid
using shower facilities for safe shelter and do not use the showers or plumbing facilities
during a thunderstorm.

In the absence of a sturdy, frequently inhabited building, any vehicle with a hard metal
roof (not a convertible or golf cart) and rolled-up windows can provide a measure of
safety. A vehicle is certainly better than remaining outdoors. It is not the rubber tires that
make a vehicle a safe shelter, but the hard metal roof which dissipates the lightning
strike around the vehicle. Do not touch the sides of any vehicle!

If no safe structure or location is within a reasonable distance, find a thick grove of small
trees surrounded by taller trees or a dry ditch. Assume a crouched position on the
ground with only the balls of the feet touching the ground, wrap your arms around your
knees and lower your head.

Minimize contact with the ground because lightning current often enters a victim through the ground rather than by a direct overhead strike. Minimize your body’s surface area and the ground! Do not lie flat! If unable to reach safe shelter, stay away from the tallest trees or objects such as light poles or flag poles), metal objects (such as fences or bleachers), individual trees, standing pools of water, and open fields. Avoid being the highest object in a field. Do not take shelter under a single, tall tree.

Avoid using the telephone, except in emergency situations. People have been struck by
lightning while using a land-line telephone. A cellular phone or a portable remote phone
is a safe alternative to land-line phones, if the person and the antenna are located within
a safe structure or location, and if all other precautions are followed.

When considering resumption of any athletics activity, it is recommended that everyone
should ideally wait at least thirty (30) minutes after the last flash of lightning or sound of
thunder before returning to the field.

People who have been struck by lightning do not carry an electrical charge. Therefore,
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is safe for the responder. If possible, an injured
person should be moved to a safer location before starting CPR. Lightning-strike victims
who show signs of cardiac or respiratory arrest need emergency help quickly. Prompt,
aggressive CPR has been highly effective for the survival of victims of lightning strikes.

The Role of the Defender | Active.com

The Role of the Defender | Active.com

Injury Prevention - Importance of Warming Up

Injury Prevention

Probably 75% of Football injuries are preventable. The best protection from injury is correct warm up and conditioning which can help you avoid unnecessary injury that can ruin the season.

Warm Up

Warming Up is often overlooked but should be part of your injury prevention routine. A good warm up will:

• Increase the temperature of muscles - they work better at a temperature of 40 degrees.
• Increase blood flow and oxygen to muscles.
• Increase the speed of nerve impulses - making you faster.
• Increase range of motion at joints reducing the risk of tearing muscles and ligaments.

Warm up will not only help avoid injury but will also improve performance.

A warm up should consist of:

• Gentle jog to circulate blood and oxygen supplying the muscles with more energy to work with.
• Stretching to increase the range of motion at joints (see below).
• Sports specific exercises and drills.
  
  

The warm up should last between 15 and 30 minutes. Do not warm up too early. The benefits are lost after about 30 minutes of inactivity.

FIFA Injury Prevention Programme

Prevention of injuries

The 11 – injury prevention programme

You have probably already made this painful experience yourself: Playing football carries a risk of injury. But the good news is: Scientific studies have shown that the incidence of football injuries can be reduced by targeted prevention programmes.

"The 11" is a simple, catchy and time-efficient preventive programme that comprises ten evidence-based or best-practice exercises and - as number 11 - the promotion of Fair Play. It requires no equipment other than a ball, and can be completed in 10 to 15 minutes. The programme is efficient as most of the exercises simultaneously train different aspects and can replace other exercises.

The exercises focus on specific training methods coaches might be familiar with: core stabilisation, eccentric training of thigh muscles, proprioceptive training, dynamic stabilisation and plyometrics with straight leg alignment. Proprioception is the ability to sense the position of your body, your limbs and their movements. Plyometrics is a type of exercise that uses explosive movements to develop muscular power.

You should perform "The 11" in every training session after warm-up and stretching of all the important muscle groups. To ensure their effect, you should perform the exercises as precisely as possible and follow their sequence on the poster. Before each match, you should go for a shortened version: exercises 4, 5, 8.

"The 11" was developed by FIFA's Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC) in cooperation with a group of international experts. What are your benefits when following the programme? You may improve your performance and suffer less injuries!

FIFA Prevention Programme website page

Train like a World Cup Player

To train like a top soccer player, you have to prepare for the unique demands of the game. Players at the World Cup cover 10 to 12 kilometres per match and burn about 1,400 calories – but it’s very different from simply running 10 kilometres at a steady pace. Click on the PDF below to see how you can boost your skills in the sprints, kicks and sudden turns that separate victory from defeat.

The science of kicking and other soccer secrets

Download this file (.pdf)

World Cup 2006 Review

ZINEDINE ZIDANE signed off from football in the most dramatic fashion — but without the World Cup in his hands. The France legend had enjoyed one of the finest Indian summers to a career, singlehandedly leading his side to the final against Italy.

But just when his country were looking for their hero to produce one last star showing, he lost his head — or rather smashed it into the chest of Marco Materazzi.

Zidane's red card in extra-time was the prelude to Italy's 5-3 win on penalties, with Fabio Cannavaro the man to lift the trophy in Berlin.

It marked the fourth time the Azzuri have tasted World Cup glory and came on the back of a season which had seen their domestic game marred by a match-fixing scandal.

England went into the tournament expecting big things from their 'Golden Generation' — but typically had to sweat on the fitness of a star player in the build-up.

This time it was Wayne Rooney, who returned from a broken metatarsal to help Sven Goran Eriksson's men top their group.

A 1-0 victory over Ecuador sealed a quarter-final place, only for Portugal to break their hearts with a win on penalties — after Rooney had seen red for a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho.

Italy's campaign, unlike their previous triumph in 1982, had started brightly with wins over Ghana and the Czech Republic and a draw with USA seeing them top Group A.

They needed a dodgy penalty to overcome Australia in the knockout stages before a 3-0 win over Ukraine set up their semi-final with Germany.

The hosts, who were widely praised for their staging of the tournament, were in terrific form and took the Italians to extra time.

But dramatic late goals from Fabio Grosso and Alessandro Del Piero meant there was to be no reward for their hospitality.

France awaited them in the final, having started the tournament slowly before a switch in formation gave Zidane the license to roam.

The move proved devastating, with the old warhorse pulling the strings in wins over three fancied teams — Spain, Brazil and Portugal.

Zidane's penalty in the Berlin final but Les Blues 1-0 up, only for Materazzi's header to level things up.

But the duo were not done there, clashing late in the game to see the French reduced to 10 men.

Zidane was eventually named the player of the tournament — and there can be no doubting the impact he had.