Catching a soccer ball is not that difficult; however, correctly catching a soccer ball requires hours and hours of practice. You will see many youth soccer receivers get in front of the ball and catch it with their body and end up piling up on the field with the ball saved. There isn’t much of a chance for them to run the ball off the catch when they’re lying down the field. Here are some tips for wide receivers to catch the ball the right way and set yourself up for extra yardage.

Catching Strategies for Wide Receivers

1. Catch with your hands and not your body for a couple of reasons. If you catch it with your body, you can bounce it off your team for an incompletion. Watch replays of Terrell Owens, Randy Moss, or your favorite NFL receiver and you’ll notice they always catch with their hands.
2. Keep your eyes on the football. Focus on the tip of the soccer ball as it comes toward you and “watch” it in your hands. Never take your eyes off football. There are a variety of receiver concentration exercises.
3. Create a pocket with your hands by placing your thumbs and index fingers together. Similar to making a diamond shape with your hands.
4. Try to catch the ball on your front end. If you aim for the center of the ball, it will likely sail through your hands.
5. Practice your routes and then practice them some more. That way your quarterback knows where you’re going to be and he can throw the ball there.
6. Make sure you catch and control the ball before running with it. Once you’re in control, tuck the ball under your arm away from defenders.
7. Develop good imitations such as “head nods” and “shoulder fakes.” Leaving your defender in the dust will allow you more time to focus on receiving.
8. Take care of your mental thoughts. If you think about dropping the ball, chances are you will. Believe that you can catch every ball thrown at you. If you drop it, forget about it and focus on the next one.
9. Don’t get discouraged when you can’t catch a ball. Analyze what you did right and what you did wrong. Did you follow your route correctly? Did you keep your eye on football? Please answer these questions honestly and make any necessary corrections.
10. Protect the ball because you are going to get hit quite often. Focus on catching and dunking the ball. If you feel free to run, do so once you are in control.

You can also find many youth soccer receiving drills on the internet, some drills are free and some require a subscription or ordering a DVD. Free soccer drills allow you more flexibility to try a variety and see what works best for you and/or your youth soccer team. Always remember that the exercises should be age appropriate. The correct passing drill for a 14 year old will not follow an 8 year old and vice versa.

There are plenty of soccer resources and communities like Weplay.com available to help you with any questions you may have. Don’t underestimate the passion of the community around you.