THE FOUNDATION
There Is No Single Receiving Surface
Football arrives from different angles, speeds and heights.
Because of this, good players need more than one way to receive the ball.
The inside, outside, sole, laces, thigh and chest can all be useful depending on the situation.
INSIDE OF THE FOOT
The Most Reliable Starting Surface
The inside of the foot gives you a large and relatively flat surface for controlling ground passes.
It is especially useful when you want a controlled touch before passing, turning or changing direction.
Reliable Control
Receiving ordinary ground passes with a predictable surface.
Redirect The Ball
Guide the first touch across your body or into nearby space.
OUTSIDE OF THE FOOT
Redirect The Ball Quickly
The outside of the foot can help you move the football away from pressure without making a large body adjustment.
It is particularly useful when the ball arrives toward your preferred foot and you want to continue moving in the same direction.
SOLE
Control In Tight Spaces
The sole allows you to stop, drag or reposition the football underneath your body.
It can be especially useful in tight spaces when the ball is moving slowly enough to control safely.
After receiving with the sole, you can quickly roll or pull the ball into a new position.
Secure The Ball
Place the sole on top when you need immediate control.
Roll Into Space
Use the sole to reposition the ball before your next action.
LACES
Control A Ball Dropping In Front Of You
The top of the foot can be useful when controlling a ball that is dropping from the air.
Instead of allowing the ball to strike a rigid foot and bounce away, move the foot slightly downward with the ball.
This cushioning action helps remove some of the ball's speed.
Meet the ball, then soften the contact instead of fighting against it.
THIGH
Bring Aerial Passes Down
When the football arrives around waist height, the thigh can provide a useful receiving surface.
Raise the thigh toward the ball and then lower it slightly as contact occurs.
The objective is not simply to stop the ball. Try to guide it into a useful area for the next action.
CHEST
Control Higher Aerial Balls
The chest gives you a broad surface for controlling balls arriving above the waist.
Stay balanced and track the flight of the ball carefully.
Depending on the situation, you can cushion the ball downward or direct it slightly toward one side.
CHOOSING THE SURFACE
Let The Situation Decide
Do not choose a receiving surface simply because it is your favorite technique.
Read the ball, the pressure and the space around you.
Inside Foot
A reliable option for controlling and redirecting many passes.
Outside Foot
Useful when you want the touch to continue quickly into another angle.
Sole
Useful for stopping or repositioning the ball close to the body.
Foot, Thigh Or Chest
Select the surface based on the height and flight of the ball.
BODY POSITION
Move Your Body To The Ball
A receiving technique becomes much harder when your body is poorly positioned.
Adjust your feet while the ball travels so you can meet it with the intended surface.
Whenever possible, stay balanced enough to move immediately after the touch.
BOTH SIDES
Train More Than Your Preferred Foot
A player who can only receive comfortably on one side has fewer options.
Practice inside and outside touches with both feet.
This makes it easier to respond naturally when passes arrive from different directions.
THE NEXT ACTION
The Surface Should Serve A Purpose
The best receiving technique is the one that helps you perform what comes next.
Control Then Decide
The player receives without knowing what the touch is supposed to achieve.
Receive For The Next Action
The player chooses a surface that prepares the pass, dribble or turn.
PRACTICE
Build Your Receiving Toolbox
Inside Foot
Begin with controlled ground passes using both feet.
Add Outside Touches
Redirect the return into space using the outside of either foot.
Add The Sole
Stop, pull and reposition slower passes in tight areas.
Add Aerial Control
Practice cushioning manageable aerial balls with the foot and thigh.
Add The Next Action
Follow the control with a pass, dribble or turn.
COMMON MISTAKES
Receiving Mistakes
Using One Surface For Everything
Different passes and situations require different solutions.
Rigid Contact
Hard contact can cause faster passes to rebound too far away.
Poor Body Position
The player reaches awkwardly instead of adjusting before the ball arrives.
Ignoring The Next Action
The ball is controlled but ends up in an unhelpful position.
Strong Side Only
The player avoids receiving naturally on the weaker side.
GUIDE SUMMARY
Remember These Seven Ideas
Learn several receiving surfaces.
Use the inside foot for reliable control and redirection.
Use the outside foot when it helps you move quickly into a new angle.
Use the sole when tight-space control makes sense.
Cushion aerial balls with an appropriate surface.
Develop receiving ability on both sides of the body.
Choose the surface that best prepares your next action.
Directional First Touch
Learn how to use your first touch to move the football toward space and prepare your next action.