How to Kick a Football
To kick a football, place your standing foot beside the ball and strike its middle with the inside of your kicking foot towards a clear target. For a driven shot, use the laces area with your toes pointing down and a controlled swing towards the intended destination. For contact and spin control practice alongside coaching, The Giro X sells Curl Master One, which spins a standard football at controlled speeds.
This guide explains how to kick a football properly, starting with a stationary pass before introducing different striking surfaces and a moving ball. A target gives each attempt a purpose, much as a marked parking space makes positioning easier to judge. Keep the intended destination clear and choose a movement that feels manageable. These practice cues give beginners something specific to rehearse and discuss during their next coaching session.
How Do You Kick a Football Correctly as a Beginner?
Start with a stationary ball and an inside foot pass towards a broad target. Choose a level area where football practice is permitted, with enough clear space beyond the target. Stand behind the ball, look towards the intended destination, then take a short approach. Place your standing foot beside the ball and turn your kicking foot outwards so its inside surface can meet the middle. Use a gentle swing and let the kicking leg continue towards the target.
After the pass, compare the ball's starting direction with the destination you selected. A ball that travels through the marked area gives useful information about that particular attempt, rather than proving that every part of the movement was correct. Keep the target unchanged while becoming familiar with the contact. During football coaching, ask for a demonstration of the same pass so the movement practised independently connects with the instruction received on the pitch.
Which Part of Your Foot Should Strike the Ball?
Use the inside of the foot as a starting point for a controlled ground pass, and practise laces contact separately for a driven shot. The inside surface is the broad area facing the other foot. The laces area lies across the top of the boot, where the foot meets the ball during an instep strike. Turning the foot outwards suits the passing exercise; pointing the toes down presents the intended surface for the driven shot.
Begin contact practice with a manageable swing so the striking surface is easier to recognise. For laces practice, rehearse the foot shape before approaching the ball, then try to maintain it through impact. The phrase locked ankle describes holding the intended foot position through contact, rather than allowing the foot to change shape loosely. A coach can demonstrate that position and help connect the cue with the particular pass or shot being practised.
Where Should Your Standing Foot Go?
For a straightforward ground pass, place the standing foot beside the ball with its toes directed towards the target. Leave enough room for the kicking foot to swing through without having to reach across the supporting leg. Rehearse the approach slowly before adding the strike, noticing where the supporting foot lands. The useful reference is a balanced position from which the intended kicking surface can reach the ball comfortably, rather than a fixed gap copied without context.
Let the kicking leg continue naturally after contact instead of trying to manufacture an exaggerated finish. Follow through is part of the whole movement, and its appearance varies with the intended kick. If passes repeatedly start away from the target, observe both the supporting foot and the striking surface before changing anything. Bring the passing observations into coaching rather than assuming that the standing foot explains every misplaced ball. Broader football training can then connect the strike with receiving and movement.
How Do You Keep the Ball Low, Lift It or Add Curl?
For a starting ground pass, aim to meet the ball around its middle with a controlled movement towards the target. To explore deliberate lift, practise contacting below the centre with an upward striking movement. Keep ground passing and lofted passing separate so the intended ball flight remains clear. If a ground pass rises unexpectedly, slow the movement and compare the apparent contact point with the central contact originally intended, then discuss the pattern with your coach.
Practise brushing across the ball with the inside of your foot to introduce sidespin, choosing a starting direction that leaves space for the ball to curl towards the target. The precise contact and swing need to match the intended direction of curl, so use a demonstration rather than relying on a phrase alone. The guide to how to curl a football develops that movement further. Keep the destination generous while exploring how contact changes the flight.
How Can You Kick a Football With More Power?
Explore greater pace by gradually increasing the swing while keeping the intended contact surface and target unchanged. Begin with a laces strike that feels manageable, then compare the starting direction as the movement becomes quicker. Trying to change the approach and the contact at the same time makes the result harder to interpret. If the intended contact becomes difficult to recognise, return to the earlier movement before increasing the pace again.
Accuracy practice needs a destination that can be judged consistently. Choose a marked area within the goal rather than judging every attempt simply by whether it scores. Observe where the ball starts and where it finishes, without treating a single successful shot as proof of a lasting change. For a moving ball exercise, introduce a gentle setup touch before the strike. Discuss whether the setup touch leaves enough space for the intended shot before attempting a quicker approach.
How Should Girls and Boys Practise With Both Feet?
Girls and boys can give each foot its own ground passing task towards the same broad target. Begin with the stationary exercise, adjusting its difficulty to the player's current experience and coaching instructions. The less familiar foot can use a shorter swing without having to match the other foot's pace immediately. A gap between markers provides a clear destination; a suitable wall can also provide a target where ball practice is permitted.
Parents supporting practice can ask the player to explain the intended contact and destination before starting. Discussing the passing task keeps the conversation connected to a specific movement rather than to a general instruction to kick harder. A coach can adjust the exercise when the movement needs clarification or the target no longer offers a useful challenge. For families supporting girls' and boys' teams, grassroots football coaching provides a wider context for organising practice around the player's learning.
How Does Curl Master One Support Kicking Practice?
Curl Master One supports contact and spin control practice between coaching sessions by spinning a standard football at controlled speeds. It provides immediate feedback through the feel of the strike, giving the player a specific contact to recognise and discuss with a coach. Its six speed settings allow the practice setting to change as technique develops. Curl Master One requires no app and no subscription, so practice does not depend on an additional digital programme.
A coach can guide the wider passing and shooting work while Curl Master One supports focused contact practice at home. Agree on the contact cue to rehearse, then use the device for that particular task rather than changing the objective throughout the session. Curl Master One is intended for players from around age eight through to adulthood, with an adult nearby for players aged eight to twelve. Get Curl Master One from The Giro X and use it alongside coaching for structured contact and spin control practice.
Facts
- For standard football under IFAB Law 2, the ball circumference must be between 68 and 70 centimetres.Source: IFAB, Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 2: The Ball, checked 2026-11-09
- For standard football under IFAB Law 2, the ball must weigh between 410 and 450 grams at the start of the match.Source: IFAB, Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 2: The Ball, checked 2026-11-09
- A standard full size goal measures 8 yards (7.32 metres) between the inside edges of its posts.Source: IFAB, Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 1: The Field of Play, checked 2026-11-09
- A standard full size goal measures 8 feet (2.44 metres) from the ground to the lower edge of its crossbar.Source: IFAB, Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 1: The Field of Play, checked 2026-11-09
- On a standard full size pitch, the penalty mark is 12 yards (11 metres) from the midpoint between the goalposts.Source: IFAB, Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 1: The Field of Play, checked 2026-11-09
- At a free kick, opponents must normally remain at least 10 yards (9.15 metres) from the ball until it is in play, except when standing on their own goal line between the posts.Source: IFAB, Laws of the Game 2026/27, Law 13: Free Kicks, checked 2026-11-09
FAQs
How Do You Kick a Football Properly as a Beginner?
Begin with a stationary ball and a broad target. Place your standing foot beside the ball, turn the kicking foot outwards and use its inside surface to pass towards the target with a controlled swing.
Which Part of Your Foot Should You Use to Kick a Football?
Use the inside surface as a starting point for a controlled ground pass, and practise the laces area separately for a driven shot. The intended ball flight determines which contact to rehearse.
What Does Locking Your Ankle Mean?
Locking your ankle means maintaining the intended foot shape through contact. For a laces strike, rehearse the toes down position demonstrated by your coach before increasing the swing speed.
How Do You Kick a Football Harder Without Losing Accuracy?
Gradually explore a quicker swing while keeping the target and intended contact surface unchanged. Return to a manageable movement if the contact becomes difficult to recognise, and review repeated patterns with your coach.
How Can Curl Master One Fit Alongside Coaching?
Curl Master One spins a standard football at controlled speeds for contact and spin control practice. Get Curl Master One from The Giro X and use a contact cue agreed with your coach to give practice between sessions a clear focus.
