Learn the key steps involved in putting a great cross into the penalty box.
This is a great way to step up a goal-scoring situation. A handy video for any budding midfielders and wingbacks
Benjamin Tordjmann
In this video, you'll learn how to centre the ball, also known as crossing the ball
Crossing the ball allows you to make a pass to a teammate in front of the goal when you're far away near the sidelines
It can be executed low along the ground, or higher up through the air
The teammate that receives the centre can then shoot the ball with their feet or head it
In this video, we'll show you how to cross the ball through the air
Before you cross the ball, it's important to know where exactly to aim it
Check that one of your teammates is in the penalty box
The penalty box is the large rectangle with a width of sixteen and a half metres
If it's almost empty, aim about three metres in front of your teammate so that they can runn towards the goal as they make contact with the ball
If the penalty box is full of players, aim for the penalty spot instead of a particular teammate
The penalty spot is a good marker because it's close enough to the goal to pose a threat. At the same time, it's far enough away to stop the goalkeeper catching the ball
You can centre the ball whilst moving or stationary
When you're stationary, the technique is the same as for a curling shot
Feel free to watch our video on how to do a curling shot
crossing the ball whilst moving is often necessary in order to put distance between yourself and your opponent
The main difficulty is crossing the ball in a different direction to the one that you're running in
To succeed in crossing the ball despite a sudden change of direction, keep your standing foot firmly on the ground
Your standing foot is the one that you don't kick the ball with
Hold your arms out to keep your balance
Now you know how to cross the ball!
This video was created in partnership with
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