5 Common Mistakes Newbie Football Players Make

-October 22, 2019

Football is a challenging sport that demands both physical and mental abilities. Learning the game can be overwhelming for newbie football players, and it’s easy to fall into habits that keep you from improving. Below are five common mistakes newbie football players make that can prevent them from reaching their full potential and how to avoid them.

1. Looking Down at the Ball Constantly

One of the most frequent mistakes newbie football players make is constantly looking down at the ball. While this is understandable when you’re learning to dribble, it becomes a significant problem as you progress. Looking down limits your awareness of the game, making it harder to spot open teammates or opponents approaching from different angles.

How to Fix It: To overcome this, practice dribbling while focusing on keeping your head up. Develop your peripheral vision to monitor the ball without constantly looking down. This way, you’ll be more aware of your surroundings, making smarter passes and being more effective on the field. This common mistake among football players is easily corrected with consistent practice.

2. Fear of Making Mistakes

One of football players’ biggest mistakes, especially newbies, is being too afraid to fail. Whether it’s hesitating to shoot or not challenging an opponent in a one-on-one situation, fear can hold you back. This often stems from a lack of confidence or worrying too much about how others perceive you.

How to Fix It: Understand that mistakes are part of the game, and learning from them is how you grow as a player. Push yourself to take risks in training and matches, even if you don’t always succeed. Every great player has faced failure but learned from their mistakes. The more you embrace making mistakes, the more confident and skilful you’ll become. If you’re afraid to make mistakes, you limit your potential to improve as a football player.

3. Poor Decision-Making

Many newbie football players find it challenging to make quick and effective decisions on the field. Poor decision-making often results from panicking under pressure, which can lead to giving away possession, making bad passes, or missing scoring opportunities.

How to Fix It: Improve your decision-making by staying calm in high-pressure situations. Small-sided games are perfect for helping newbie players develop quick thinking and adaptability. Another great way to boost your football IQ is watching professional matches and observing top players make decisions. Over time, you’ll recognize patterns and make better decisions yourself. Many mistakes football players make come from poor decision-making, but this can be fixed with practice and experience.

4. Being Selfish with the Ball

Many newbie football players make the mistake of focusing too much on individual performance rather than team play. Trying to dribble through several defenders or taking risky shots instead of passing to open teammates can harm the team’s overall performance.

How to Fix It: Football is a team sport, and being selfish with the ball can hurt your team’s chances of winning. Instead, focus on passing and team collaboration. Learn to recognize when passing is the better option. Even the best players pass when it’s the right decision. This mistake is common among football players, but improving your awareness of your teammates will make you a more valuable player.

5. Failing to Give Teammates Options

Another mistake newbie football players make is not positioning themselves well enough to provide passing options for their teammates. Failing to move into open space or communicate your availability can stall your team’s attack and make it harder to build momentum.

How to Fix It: Always look to provide your teammates with passing options. Movement off the ball is as important as what you do when you have possession. By positioning yourself smartly and communicating with your teammates, you make it easier for them to find you, improving the game’s overall flow. This is one of the most overlooked mistakes football players make, but fixing it can significantly boost your team’s performance.

Conclusion

These five mistakes are common among newbie football players but are also easily correctable. By focusing on awareness, decision-making, teamwork, and overcoming fear, you can improve your performance on the field and rise above the average. Remember that football is about constant learning and growth, whether just starting or looking to refine your skills. Avoid these mistakes, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a better, more effective player.

Pablo Matamoros

I am a software engineer with 25+ years of experience across diverse industries. I've climbed the corporate leader over the years, which has some benefits but means I moved away from my love for tinkering with technology. So, I build the odd website or application to keep learning and stay in touch with technology. FootballTechniques allows me to combine my programming knowledge with my passion for football.

To find out more about my professional experience, visit PabloMatamoros.com