Side Volley

The side volley is a soccer skill in which players kick a ball in mid-air but off to the side, with the leg almost parallel to the ground.

The key to the technique is lifting the hip while pivoting so both the laces of the shoe and the knee are parallel with the ground when contact is made. The leg then follows through in a forward direction.

It's an effective technique because it gives defenders little time to prepare for the ball's change in direction.

Here's a drill progression that will teach your students how to side volley the ball.

Cone Drill
The Cone Drill is the first step in the progression. It involves a cone, some balls, a Kicker and a coach.

The coach puts a ball on top of a high pylon so that it looks like it's resting on a baseball batting tee. The Kicker runs to the tee, sets the feet in a wide stance with the shoulders facing sideways, then kicks the ball off the tee, getting the knee and hip high so the foot can sweep the foot sideways at the ball instead of upward. An upward swing should be avoided because it will result in a high kick.

The Kicker then retrieves the ball and puts it behind the coach. The coach, meanwhile, places another ball on the cone for the next kicker.

Active Toss Side-Volley Drill
Once your players have mastered this skill, they can move on to the next step in the progression - a drill in which they perform side volleys from a passed ball.

The setup is the same as in the cone drill, except there is no cone and the coach tosses a pass to the kicker. The kicker must half-volley the ball into the net.

To see a video of these drills, watch the following Mia Hamm video on the internet:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid687242749/bctid909894353

References:
1. Mia Hamm & Ian Sawyers, Side Volleying, SportSkool website, 2005.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid687242749/bctid909894353
2. Soccer Glossary, Terminology, and Abbreviations, Version 6.5, 2008.
http://www.sayso.org/glossary.htm

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© 2008, Physical Education Update, www.peUpdate.com

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