How to take free kicks 

Taking free kicks is a vital part of football tactics. Free kicks offer an opportunity to control play and also offer you the chance to score goals when taken near the penalty area. The manager should plan numerous different variations such as free kicks from different angles, so that each player knows where to make their run or how to head the ball.

Football 

How to take free kicks 

Taking free kicks is a vital part of football tactics. Free kicks offer an opportunity to control play and also offer you the chance to score goals when taken near the penalty area. The manager should plan numerous different variations such as free kicks from different angles, so that each player knows where to make their run or how to head the ball.

When taking free kicks the opposing players should aim at taking a direct free kick either over the wall or around the wall, If the free kick is direct then the players should try and move the ball to either left or right to allow another player to strike the ball. This method will negate the effect of the opposing team arranging a defense and block the shot.

Here are some example plays:

• A Shot direct on goal, over the wall or curled around it. 

• Pass backwards or a combination of passes then a shot on goal. 

• The ball clipped over the wall or into the penalty area to be headed.

The are other methods that are used things like making late runs into the penalty area so that you can get a better jump on the defender if the ball is in the air. You can also make decoy runs to take defenders away from the goal thus allowing the attacker to have more space.

If the free kick is in midfield this will give you the chance to build an attack. Take the free kick quickly if there is a player with space, but otherwise allow time to pick out the right pass.

When defensive free kicks are taken either take the same options as in the midfield, these give you the chance to play the ball out of defense or to place the long ball into the opposing penalty area

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