Tips and Drills for How to Improve Awareness in Soccer

Awareness in soccer is the ability to understand the game environment, anticipate plays, and make informed decisions by constantly scanning the field and gathering information. A player with good situational awareness stays one step ahead of the game by keeping their head on a swivel, finding space, and aligning with the team’s game plan.

If you are looking to improve your awareness and make better decisions as a soccer player then it is important to train at a high level and play games regularly, watch and analyze professional games, and master the basic skills of the game. With hard work, consistency, and focus, players can develop the awareness needed to control the game, exploit opportunities, and support their team effectively during a match.

So if you are looking for soccer tips and drills to improve your situational awareness continue reading.

What are the 3 types of vision we have?

When talking about awareness it is first important to understand vision and the different types of vision.

Central Vision / Foveal Vision

Central Vision, also known as foveal vision, is what a soccer player uses to focus their eyesight on specific targets, like the soccer ball, a teammate, or one defender directly in front of them. The central portion of your visual field is handled by the fovea in the retina which helps with tasks requiring precision, such as a controlled first touch, a sharp pass, or beating the press.

Peripheral Vision

Peripheral Vision, on the other hand, allows players to be aware of the broader game environment without focusing directly on objects in your central visual field. This type of vision helps players anticipate movements, spot open space, and identify the positions of teammates and opponents, all while maintaining control, and central vision, on the ball or other targets.

By utilizing peripheral vision, players can gather valuable information, stay situationally aware, and make smart decisions, even when their central attention is elsewhere. Developing strong peripheral vision is key to staying one step ahead and avoiding pressure from opponents.

Dorsal Vision

Dorsal vision is the type of vision that a player gets from proprioceptive, body awareness, feedback via the feet, fascia system, and central nervous system. This increased body awareness helps players maintain a broader perception of their surroundings, allowing them to react quicker and make better decisions without needing to directly refocus their central vision.

Benefits of having Strong Situational Awareness

• Game-Changing Impact:
  • Players with strong situational awareness can dictate the pace of the game, create scoring opportunities, and make critical defensive saves.
• Better Decision-Making:
  • A player with strong situational awareness will have a better ability of making the best decisions during a game because of the amount of information they are able to take in and actually process.
• Enhanced Focus:
  • By keeping their head on a swivel, players with elite awareness can absorb crucial details, adjust to unexpected changes, and improve their focus.
• Effective Communication:
  • Having strong situational awareness will not only help you make better decisions, but it can also help you communicate more effectively with the rest of your teammates.
• Increased Confidence and Composure Under Pressure:
  • Finally, another one of the main benefits of having strong situational awareness is by processing information quickly which will players stay calm, execute plays, and make impactful moves even in high-pressure situations.

Tips and Drills to Improve Situational Awareness

• Learn to Live in the Present Moment:
  • Stay fully engaged in the game by focusing on what’s happening now, rather than thinking about past mistakes or events. This allows you to make informed decisions and stay situationally aware.
• Put yourself in a lot of real-game situations:
  • The best way to improve any skill of the game, including awareness, is by playing a lot and making a conscious effort to improve that skill. This can be done by playing the game a lot through team trainings, pick up games, and small sided games. Training awareness is a bit hard when training individually so you have to make sure you are playing against live players a lot and consistently.
• Prioritize Mental and Physical Recovery:
  • Off the field you want to prioritize your mental and physical recovery by improving your  sleep, nutrition, hydration, EMF Exposure, and mitochondrial function. to maintain sharp focus and awareness on the soccer field. A healthy body and mind improve your ability to read the game environment effectively.
• Perform Mental Training Before Games:
  • If you need a bit of help to calm down or focus before a match you can perform some sports psychology techniques such as visualizing, meditating, positive self-talk , and more.
• Constantly Scan the Field:
  • One the field, no matter what position you play, it is very important to keep your head on a swivel to gather information about your teammates, opponents, and open space. This habit helps you stay one step ahead and adjust quickly to changes in the game, but remember that scanning is not just about how many times you can turn your head for the sake of scanning, but how much information you actually pickup while scanning the field.
• Position Your Body Strategically:
  • Next, it is important to always align your body to face both the ball and the most critical areas of the field by positioning your body strategically. This allows you to better exploit opportunities and anticipate your next move.
• Communicate and Ask Yourself Questions During the Game:
  • During a game it is also very important to continuously evaluate what’s happening—Where is the space? Who is open? What’s my next move? This keeps your mind active and focused on the game plan, but besides talking to yourself and asking yourself questions, it is also an important skill to communicate with your teammates. Use clear, concise communication to guide teammates and direct play because effective teamwork depends on your ability to convey important information clearly.
• Limit Unnecessary Touches:
  • Having a good first touch is a key part of developing good situational awareness and limiting your touches, when necessary, is just as important. Avoid taking too many touches that will lead to you losing the ball, especially during stressful situations, which is why it is so important to scan, and know what to do with the information you have gathered.
• Analyze Past Games and Watch Professional Soccer Games:
  • Finally, review your performances, by using a soccer camera to record your games, to identify areas where you lacked situational awareness or made poor decisions. This self-reflection helps you develop a better understanding of the game. Along the same topic, it is also very important to study top players and how they scan the field, anticipate plays, and position themselves. This gives you practical examples of situational awareness in action and teaches you how to improve awareness in soccer like the elite players.

Summary

To summarize, knowing how to improve awareness in soccer is crucial for staying situationally aware and making informed decisions on the field. By mastering both central and peripheral vision, players can anticipate plays, exploit space, and maintain focus on the ball and game environment.

In this blog post, I provided you with tips and drills to improve your awareness in soccer or football to find more success no matter what position or formation your team plays.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to improve scanning and awareness in soccer?

Knowing how to improve scanning and awareness in soccer go hand in hand because both of these skills are crucial for becoming a better player. If you are looking to improve your awareness make sure to finish reading this entire blog post and if you are wondering how to improve your scanning, check out this blog post, which will have similar tips and drills as this blog post you are currently reading.

How can I begin improving my soccer skills right now?

To begin improving your soccer skills right now, check out our post on the best soccer training drills. If you are looking to accelerate your progress, contact us or sign an interest form for our private training program.

How can I learn more about the game?

To learn more about soccer the most important thing is to join a team and play the game as much as possible. If possible, analyze high level games as much as you can and your own games as well by recording them with a soccer camera. Also read soccer books, listen to podcasts and interviews watch soccer documentaries, as well as some movies, tv shows, and anime.