Tuesday at NOGA covers two vital aspects of the game.

First, we look at each players "first touch" and how they prepare to use the ball.

Next we develop the most often used skill in the game of soccer. How to make an accurate pass over different distances and heights with solid technique.

As you learned today juggling is a very good tool to help you develop great control over the soccer ball. One very cool skill that shows excellent touch is the ability to catch the ball on the back of your neck. This is in fact far easier than it looks.

1. Before you start catching the ball, you need to find the "scoop" point behind your neck by placing the ball there with your hands. Once you have found the point where it stays on your neck, try to remember exactly where that point is. Your head should be up looking straight ahead, back bent at 90 degrees and shoulders "hunched" up. Place the ball there with your hands and try to hold it for 10 seconds.

2. Now throw a ball straight up in front of you with two hands, from the centre of your body. Don't throw forwards or behind you, just straight up. Don't throw too high for now either, throw the ball higher & it will come down with more force & will be harder to catch.

3. Look straight up at the ball & watch it until the last possible second. As it falls to about an inch above your head, quickly duck your head forward & down, at the same time start leaning forward to absorb the force of the descending ball. Aim for the ball to hit the back of your neck at the soft part just above the shoulders rather than the bony part of the skull, which would cause the ball to bounce away. As you feel the ball touch the back of your head, tilt your head backwards & hunch your shoulders up.

4. "Cushioning" the ball as it hits your neck is the key to this skill.

Be warned this is a highly addictive soccer juggling game.

Not of course that the hardest working staff in soccer could ever be distracted from their work, but, if you want to test yourself out against the skill of the NOGA coaching staff the person to beat is Simon Noakes in the Connecticut region who has recorded the best score of 47.

Kick Here To Try It Yourself . . .

Passing is the invisible thread that binds your team together. This short video is a compilation of some outstanding team passing. The important thins to watch are how each player keeps their head up and adjusts the angle of their body to make the pass as simple and effective as possible.

There are many different types of pass shown here but by far the most often used is the inside of the foot pass using that big flat area to accurately direct the ball to its destination.

None of these players delay their pass and it is this quick, connected pattern that causes the defenses so much trouble. The secret to this is seeing the next pass before the ball arrives to you.

Virtual Experience
The Internet has opened up a whole new interactive world for helping young players to develop their soccer skills. At NOGA, one of our coaches favorite devices is the virtual replay system used by the English Premier League.

We have found that these virtual clips can be a tremendous tool for aspiring young players. It allows them to take the place of any player on the field in top class games. You simply select the player you wish to be from the list. Then you can see exactly how that player saw those moments in the game. You can even change the camera angle and even the speed of play. So, if you are a defender you can see first hand what it is like to try to mark soccer greats like Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard or Wayne Rooney or test to see if you can find the killer pass out of midfield.

You can try this virtual learning experience for yourself and select a large number of goals at the Premier League Website