Why is passing so important in soccer? This question has been asked by people of all ages during the past decades.
First off, in every soccer academy, it’s taught that the best gameplay style is the pass. But, why is that? Why is passing the ball important in soccer?
In this article, you are going to find out why passing the ball is considered the most powerful thing on the pitch.
Let’s get started.
Why Is Passing So Important In Soccer?
Passing the ball is so important in soccer because it allows a team not only to procrastinate but also to build up play, tire the opposing team and ensure ball possession.
In the next section, let’s explore those reasons deeper so you have a better understanding.
1-Passing Allows A Team To Procrastinate
The majority of modern teams play in a compact system, making it difficult for opponents to stretch out.
So, to stretch out those blocks, one of the best strategies is to procrastinate. This involves several passes from the back and searches for space to exploit.
The best way to do it is to pass long balls from one side of the pitch to the other. (Play wide)
For example, if you are a left midfielder, you can decide to pass a long ball to the opposite side to find your right midfielder.
This strategy can easily stretch out the opposing block and give you the advantage to go through.
In this scenario, you can see how important passing the ball is.
2-Passing Allows A Team To Build Up Play
Passing the ball allows a team to build up play.
Soccer isn’t just a game where you take the ball and run to score. You have to find a way to break the opposing lines and go through.
This means you have to play several short passes from the back to the attack until you find an opportunity to score.
So, there is nothing better than passing the ball to your teammates throughout the game. Plus, the more you pass the ball, the more goal-scoring opportunities you are going to have.
3-Passing Allows You To Tire The Opposing Team
If you play soccer sometimes, you can relate that it’s tiring to run after the ball throughout the game.
The biggest teams in the world understood that. So, they are using it to their advantage.
But this requires players with the ability to hold the ball and players who are great at passing.
Also, keep in mind that it’s more tiring to chase the ball than to pass it throughout the game. This explains why the most tiring teams are those who don’t have the ball possession.
For example, Man City are very good at keeping the ball and tiring the opposing teams.
When a team is tired to chase the ball, they start fouling the opposition and get booked. So, when you realize that, you are going to start passing the ball more often.
4-Passing The Ball Ensure Ball Possession
The final and most basic reason for passing the ball is to maintain possession.
When a team has possession, it means they control the game. And controlling the game gives a team more chances to win.
But to maintain possession, a team needs great midfielders.
Midfielders are the heart of the game and the link between the defence and attack.
Although having possession doesn’t mean winning the game, most teams want to have possession because it allows them to deprive the opposition of having the ball.
If the opposition doesn’t have the ball, they can’t cause damage to the other defence. Therefore, the passing strategy is very important.
How Many Passes Are There In A Soccer Game?
There is no exact number of passes in a game of soccer. But, the average pass per game is 1000 passes for both teams combined.
However, when passing a ball in soccer what part of the foot makes contact with the ball?
What Part Of The Foot Makes Contact With The Ball?
When passing the ball in soccer, the part of the foot that makes contact with the ball is the inside of the foot.
The inside of the foot is the most basic way to pass the ball in soccer.
Where Should You Pass The Soccer Ball In Relation To Your Teammate?
You should always pass the ball to your teammate’s feet. This is the most fundamental way to pass the ball to someone and this is what is taught in a soccer academy.
Then, you can upgrade to other types like passing the ball to your teammate’s chest or head.
Wrap Up
Passing is so important and players pass so much because it allows a team to take control of the game and dominate the opponent.
As the saying goes: “The best gameplay style is the pass”. Passing is so important and this is why it’s the first thing taught in a soccer academy.
I hope you have gained value from this article.
Did you learn something new today? Do you have a personal experience to share? Let us know in the comment section below.
You can also read my entire article about passing the ball in soccer.
