Phase 2 - Scientific

During this phase you will run toward the field. Running occurs in the saggital plane. Saggital plane movements occur around the mediolateral axis of rotation.

During each step there are many things that occur one leg at a time. The hip flexors help to raise the upper portion of the leg. Flexion also occurs at the knee joint. The leg then straightens out or extends through the hip and knee joint. When placing the foot on the ground the heel touches the ground first which is dorsiflexion. It then rolls forward until the foot is in plantar flexion and pushes off the ground. The other leg will then go through all of these steps and the process repeats. You can take as many steps as you want but it shouldn't be less than 2.

As you get closer to the touch line you will begin to flex your shoulders to raise your arms. At this beginning phase of shoulder flexion slight rotation of the scapula also occurs.

Phase 3 - Scientific

As you approach the sideline you will come to an abrupt stop. As you do this you will contract your abdominal muscles and hyperextend your spine You will continue raising the ball until you bring it back as far as you can behind your head by flexing your arms at the joints of the shoulders and the elbow as far as your range of motion allows. Clavicular rotation allows humeral elevation. Radial deviation occurs at the wrists to bring the ball as far back as possible. This occurs in the frontal plane.

Phase 4 - Scientific

While keeping the ball centered, you will extend your arms at the shoulders to bring the ball forward over your head. When your arms get to about ear level you will fully extend your arms at the elbow 180 degrees. As you get to the end of your reach ulnar deviation will occur. Your fingers will remain abducted but will change from flexion to extension as you release the ball. It is important to remember that you cannot step over the touch line and both feet need to be on the ground when releasing the ball. Be careful to bring both arms down at the same time and keep hands level so you don't put any twist on the ball.

Medicine Ball Sit-ups

Medicine ball sit-ups are a good way to develop strength for your mid section. You will also use your hip flexors. These medicine ball sit-ups are a great way to work your chest, arms and shoulders while you work your abs. The throwing element helps to increase your strength and also adds a cardio element to this exercise.

To do a Medicine Ball Sit-up you will sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. You will start without the medicine ball and do a sit up. When in the upper most position you will catch the ball. As you go back down to the floor you will lower the medicine ball to your chest. As your back touches the floor you will sit back up and push the medicine ball up towards the ceiling and throw it to your workout partner. You will then do another sit-up without the ball and repeat.

It is possible to perform this exercise without a partner by thowing the ball up in the air and then catching it. You will have to eliminate the sit-up without the medicine ball.

Medicine Ball Pull-Overs on Stability Ball

Medicine ball pull-overs are a great exercise to help improve your strength and range of motion in the muscles and joints used during a soccer throw-in.

To get into proper position you should sit on the exercise ball with your feet shoulder with apart. Slowly walk out so you are rolling down the ball until the ball is positioned between your shoulder blades. You want to be in a bridge position with your spine parallel to the ground. Your knees should be bent 90 degrees. Once you are in this position you are ready to add in the medicine ball. The ball should be held on it's sides so your arms are facing one another. Your arms should bent at about 120 degrees throught out the entire motion. Once you are in the proper position you are ready to begin.

When doing this exercise you will take a deep breath and slowly lower the ball behind your head. During the downward movement you will feel the stretch in your chest and in your triceps which will help to improve your range of motion. When bringing the ball back up to its original position you will exhale. During the upward movement you will use your triceps, lats and chest.

It is also possible to do this exercise on a weight bench. By adding the exercise ball to Medicine Ball Pul-Overs your core is used to stabilize your position on the ball. This exercise works many of the muscles used during a soccer throw-in and over time will help to improve onces strength which will allow for longer throw-ins.

Aim for the Feet - Throw-in Drill

There are two important parts to a soccer throw-in. The first is proper technique. If a player doesn't use proper technique while doing a throw in they could very well forfeit the ball over to the other team. Once a player has mastered proper form, there isn't much else they can do to improve their throw-in's but to practice. Practice will help them improve in areas like speed and gaining distance.

The second part to a throw-in is delivery. Many times in a game, you will see a person deliver a perfect throw-in right to a member of the other team or to their teammate in a way that makes it impossible for them to trap the ball. The spot the ball gets thrown to plays a huge part in throw-in success.

Throwing the ball accurately is much easier said than done. It isn't as complicated to throw the ball to a player that is just standing there but when a player is running up the field or coming toward the thrower, it becomes a challenge to time the throw-in.

Here is a drill that can help your players deliver more accurate throw-ins.

Team up players in pairs.
To warm-up, have the two players stand 5 yards apart. Have them throw the ball back and forth to one another using proper throw-in technique. Their goal is to have the ball land in front of the player or at the feet of their partner.

When they seem to master this skill you will have them move 10 yards apart. The receiver will run toward the thrower. Over time the thrower will learn how to time the speed of the runner and will figure exactly where to throw the ball so it lands at the receivers feet.

Have the receiver trap or control the ball, pass it back, and then return to the 10-yard spot. Repeat this 5 times and then switch the thrower and receiver.

When they have mastered this you can have them move further apart and try the same drill from 15 yards and then 20 yards.


In the video below I am showing the last drill covered. I throw the ball in to the 15 yard mark (which is represented by the small yellow juggler ball). This is the place the fielder would run to to trap the ball.






In the picture below I am standing at 20 yards getting ready to run in to trap the ball. The yellow juggler ball shows the 15 yard mark where the ball will be getting thrown to.





















By practicing this drill your team will be able to keep possession of the ball more often at throw-in's. The movement element adds a game-like scenario to a skill that is usually forgotten about or practiced from a stationery position at the line. By practicing the throw-in like this the same muscle groups and fibers will be targeted that would be during an actual game and by working them out they will get stronger, improving overall performance.

In the game of soccer the throw-in quite often gets forgotten about. It is important to practice this movement because it is quite different from all others taking place in a soccer game. Besides the use of the legs for the running and the arms and hands to raise the ball up over the head and then to release it, hip flexion, and hyperextension and lateral flexion of the spine occurs. This is where most of the power comes from and using these core muscles like the rectus abdominus and obliques during practice will strengthen them.

Novice Throw-in's

This is Kaleigh (6) and Ian (4).




Both have played soccer before but throw-in's have not been incorporated into games at this level in the leauge they play in. Both can do a standing throw-in from practicing at home. This was their first attempt at a moving throw-in.