Juggling

It may be really cool to juggle when there is not a game going on or if it is just for fun. Juggling the ball does not have that many practical applications when a game is actually playing, but it is a great way for a player to increase their handling of the ball. It also works on that player’s control of the ball when it is in the air, which is a great asset when the ball is passes off of the ground. This generally occurs in the long pass across the pitch because there are just too many players on the pitch between you and the player across the field to play the ball on the ground. That first touch on the ball when it is played through the air is very important. Most of these balls will require the players to fight for the header, but if it was a good enough pass to the player, then the control of the ball is critical. It is an easy pick for the opposition off of a player because the ball just bounces too far off the player’s foot on the long pass. For the most part, the ball is the safest on the ground where the player can easily change the direction of the ball, as opposed in the air where it usually has a set path that the opposition can easily pick up on and intercept. Another application that juggling does have on the pitch is that one can generally get the ball up in the air, under control, in a very short amount of time. Other than that, most of juggling is for show.

Ouch...

I have been playing soccer for a while now, and I remembered a time when I was playing a game in little league. It was just before the game was about to start and the referee came over to all the players. He did this every game to ensure that none of the players had any jewelry on that might hurt the other players or might get lost on the field. He would also check to see if we all had our shin guards on. I have always worn shin guards and it wasn’t until recently that I have stopped wearing them. I did not realize how vital they were for the legs until I got kicked in the shins just a few weeks ago and I was not wearing any protective gear on my shins. It was the worst feeling not just if anything hit the area but even just by walking the shock of each foot step sent pain right to the area that was hit. It only took one time for that to happen so it is important to wear shin guards. There are two types of shin guards. One type is a full guard that usually has a band that attaches to the ankle and a strap that goes around the back of the leg. The other type is what is known as a small guard. This type usually just rests on the shin and is supported by the player’s socks. Either one is fine, but whichever one is more comfortable for the user is the one to choose. Whatever you do, just be sure to wear them when playing, that’s the reason you purchased them!

Concave PT+ Soccer Cleat

I wrote a blog not too long ago about the F50 Tunit cleats because I have been looking at them for some time now and I am in the looking in the market for a new pair of soccer cleats. I was looking around the internet today when I stumbled across an unusual soccer cleat unlike any that I have seen before. The soccer cleat is called the Concave PT+. One complaint, that seemed a useless one, was that the logo of the brand came off somewhat quickly because it did not have the glossy protective finish that most soccer cleats have over the logos to protect them from rubbing off to fast. I am really curious to see what these cleats feel like and how they perform. One can see from the picture that the name obviously speaks for itself. The sweet spot on this cleat is HUGE! Not to mention that it is concave in shape. This part of the cleat covers the lacing of the shoe completely which is very important for the shoe to be uniform in its shape. The makers claim that the cleat adds an additional 15% power boost when kicking the ball. It does make sense that this could be true because of the enlarged sweet spot on the cleat. Other reviewers suggested that this was accurate when they did make contact with the enlarged sweet spot. I hope that there is a pair at the local sporting goods store so that I may try a pair of these cleats out. Have a great day and try to play some soccer!

Futsal

As I have stated before, soccer has many variations that can make it a very unique sport. There are variations in games that focus on shooting skills, teamwork skills and ball handling skills just to name a few. The last one, ball handling, is very important to the game of soccer. The first touch is a crucial part of becoming a great soccer player. The first touch is exactly what it sounds like; it is the moment in time when a player first comes into contact with the ball after something like a pass or shot. I know that I sometimes have problems with the first touch on the ball, usually because of a sense of urgency to get the soccer ball out of, or into, a scoring area. There is a soccer ball that is referred to as a futsal ball. It is a very heavy soccer ball and a little bit smaller than a typical soccer ball played with by adults. This ball can also be referred to as a low-bounce ball or a reduced bounce ball. This requires the player to make a more accurate pass to his or her teammates. Just like indoor, the number of players allowed on the pitch is reduced. This version of soccer requires a lot of physical activity on the player’s part, because the number of players is only 5. Control and technique will favor the player in this game because the room for error is much higher in the game of futsal. Go ahead and check out futsal if you are serious about increasing your skills as a soccer player. It’s getting close to 5:30 so I’m going to go play some soccer out on the quad. Get out there and play some soccer everyone!!!

F50 Soccer Cleat

I have always been amazed at the volume of different soccer cleats that are in the market today. I have bought multiple brands of soccer cleats and I am looking into purchasing another set soon because mine are definitely past their prime. I ran into a soccer cleat that has actually been around for some time now, but I will have just started to do research into the product. The soccer cleat is made by Adidas and it is called the F50 Tunit. This soccer cleat is different from most cleats because it is so customizable. What the player is actually purchasing is a kit to build a soccer cleat custom to that player’s preference and field condition. This is like the build a bear for soccer cleats. The standard kit comes with three parts: the upper, the chassis and the studs.


The Uppers.

The upper is the boot part of the shoe. There are many different types of uppers that a player can buy to customize his or her set. They also range from synthetic leathers to standard leather.

The Chassis

This goes into the bottom of the upper and then connects to the studs. There are two chassis that I am aware of that comes with the set. There is the standard chassis and one that is designed for extra comfort and support.

The Studs

These are the really unique feature of these soccer cleats (and a real selling point for me). The set comes with soft, firm and hard studs. These can be changed with the Adidas stud wrench that comes with the starter kit. When the conditions of the field changes, so can the players studs to keep playing at a superior level.

Adidas Jabulani FIFA World Cup 2010 Official Match Ball Review

Since the world cup is now over, and has been for some time now, I have decided to do a review about the Adidas Jabulani FIFA world cup 2010 official match ball. The ball is priced similarly to all other world cup balls, around 100-150 dollars. Sometime one can get lucky off an eBay listing like I have done. I have purchased two world cup soccer balls thus far (one from 2006 and this most recent one from 2010) and I must say that they are both incredible soccer products. I have not played with better quality soccer balls in my life. There were major differences between this world cup soccer ball that with the previous version.


The Design

The Jabulani match ball had a revolutionary panel design unlike any ball I have seen before. A standard soccer ball has 32 octagon panels that are stitched together. This ball has 8 panels that are thermally bonded together so the ball is virtually seamless. The other Teamgeist match ball from the previous world cup had 14 thermally bonded panels. The other difference with the Jabulani world cup ball was the texture of the outer casing of the ball. There are multiple raised groves on the surface of the soccer ball. This is what Adidas called “Grip ‘n Groove.” It is suppose to enhance the contact made with the product and assist the balls flow through the air.

The Controversy

There was controversy with the ball from multiple players, from goalkeepers to strikers; the ball was unpredictable in the air. Here is a link to a youtube video of some players kicking the soccer ball. As you can see the ball dips and dives in a manner that is very uncommon to traditional soccer balls.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEaQCHBIyFs&feature=related

Outdoor or Indoor?

Soccer is a very versatile sport. There are many different versions that can be played with many unique rules that can be incorporated into the game to make it more interesting. I would say that the two main versions of soccer would be to section them into indoor and outdoor soccer. Each of these sections has a different set of rules and guidelines that the players must abide by.


The Field of Play and Players

The typical outdoor field is 70-80 yards wide and 100-120 yard long. The outdoor field generally accommodates 11 players per side of the field. The younger the player, the smaller the field and player count will be. In my post yesterday about ball sizes, the lager fields will use the size 5 soccer ball and then the smaller sizes would go down accordingly. Indoor fields are generally 80 feet wide by 200 feet long. This is a much shorter field, but there are usually 5 players per side in an indoor soccer game. The out of bounds area is not existent in an indoor game, with the exception that some leagues count that off of the ceiling will result in a change of possession. This makes playing the soccer ball off the wall a fun ability for indoor soccer. The goals are usually built into the walls of an indoor soccer field.

The Pace of the Game

Indoor soccer is generally a more fast paced game than its outdoor counterpart. That is partially due to the fact that there are no out of bounds areas in an indoor field. Thus, there is a less likely chance of the game play being halted at any given time.

Hope that explanation will clear up any differences if outdoor vs. indoor soccer. Have a great day!

Soccer Ball Sizes

I was playing a quick soccer game the other day with a few friends when I noticed that the soccer ball was not performing the way a traditional soccer ball would perform. It seemed smaller than a standard size soccer ball that adults would play with, so I took a closer look at it when we switched sides after the half way mark in the game. The ball was different because it was a size 4 ball rather than a traditional size 5 ball which is a little bit bigger in diameter and weight. The individual did not notice the difference because a size 4 and a size 5 are actually pretty close to each other. If he did not notice that the ball was different then there are others who might not be able to tell the difference either. The size of the soccer ball ranges from a 1 to a 5. The first two sizes (1 and 2) are generally used for promotional type events. There are even collectable versions of most major premium match soccer balls that someone could buy online that are in these small sizes. The other three sizes (3, 4, and 5) are for regular soccer play. Adults play with the size 5 soccer ball and it generally goes to the smaller soccer balls with the younger aged players. Generally the size 4 soccer ball is targeted towards the 8 to 12 age group. Finally the size 3 soccer ball is to be used for children up to 8 years in age. I hope that can clarify any predicaments that others might come across in the future. Have a great day and play some soccer!

A soccer ball that will light up your day!

I was reading a Reader’s Digest a while ago when I stumbled on this cool new soccer ball. A company called Soccket designed this one of a kind soccer ball that can be used for electricity. Some people have seen the flashlight that requires no batteries to run. That product just needs a few shakes to charge the coils to produce energy. This soccer ball derives its energy in the same manner. When the soccer ball is kicked or passed, there is an internal coil that stores that energy for later use at home. This inductive coil produces and stores electricity from the metal slug moving back and forth from repeated kicks and passes. This product was designed to satisfy the need for electricity in countries where the general population does not have access to electricity, like Africa where 95% of the population is living with no access to electricity. The user can play with this soccer ball and then use its electricity for a light to illuminate his or her house. The product claims to offer lighting for 3 hours for a LED light with only 15 minutes of actual soccer play. The current plug-in is for DC objects (direct current) only. The team who is designing the soccer ball has future goals of making it available in AC (alternating current) objects as well. The product is currently still in beta testing so there is still some time before the product will be available for the general public. The company also claims that the ball will cost around the price of a higher end ball, but with help from select organizations, they will be able to deliver the product to less privileged individuals for the cost price. For more information about the Soccket soccer ball, you can visit their website at http://www.soccket.com/

Getting Started

This is my first blog post ever. My name is Brandon and I love to play the great game of soccer. I am from Tinley Park, IL. I have been playing soccer for about 15 years now and I do not plan on stopping any time soon. I am currently attending Illinois State University and I'm trying to promote more soccer play in the area with local pick-up games. Most of those who play in the pick-up games are enrolled in the college, but it is open to anyone who is willing to play. I am always happy to see new faces out their on the pitch (field). Hopefully some of these posts will help others become more aware of the game of soccer. There are many different aspects to the game and I would be glad to help anyone who has any questions about soccer. I really want anyone who is interested in soccer to just urge them to get out and play with their friends in a little scrimmage or a quick pick-up game. There are many local fields in the Bloomington/Normal area that have open soccer fields. Even local park districts have leagues and tournament for all ages and skill levels for individuals to partake. I have tried many different products, some that were great and some that were not too good. If I am unable to answer your question, I should be able to lead you to another site that might have more expertise in the area that the question is directed towards. I am looking forward to future posts. It’s always a great day for soccer. In fact, I’m going to go play a pick-up game in a few hours with some buddies of mine.