How to Train to Be a Professional Football Player

Understanding the Rules and Tactics

Learn the rules. The rules of football are fairly simple. The only one that is difficult to grasp is the offside rule. Otherwise, the rules are very basic. Here's a quick list of them: You can't touch the ball with your hands. That's a handball.Train to Be a Professional Football Player Step 2Bullet1.jpg If you commit a handball in your own penalty box, you will give away a penalty to the other team. If the handball was on purpose, you can even get sent off. No reckless tackles. That's a foul.Train to Be a Professional Football Player Step 2Bullet2.jpg If you commit a foul outside of your own penalty box, you will give away a free kick. If you commit a foul inside of your own penalty box, you will give away a penalty kick. If the foul wasn't too bad but was notable, you may receive a yellow card. Think of it as a strict warning. Two yellow cards means you get a red card. If the foul was very dangerous, you may receive a red card. Even with just one red card, you will be sent off of the pitch and not be allowed back on until the end of the game. The same rule applies if you get two yellow cards. You must take a throw in with both feet on the ground and both hands above your head.Train to Be a Professional Football Player Step 2Bullet3.jpg Click the link to learn the offside rule.

Watch a lot of games. If you have a channel like ESPN or Sky Sports on your television, take full advantage of it. Don't only watch your favourite team play, watch lower and higher leagues play too. This will allow you to notice what the better team did that the lower team didn't do and how it affected the game. For example, one team might have passed really well, leading to a lot of scoring opportunities, leading to a lot of goals. Try to incorporate these kind of tactics into your games. Make sure you take note of every position, but especially the one you hope to become proficient in.

Training

Train daily. You will need to be very dedicated if you've set your sights on turning professional. This means keeping fit, eating the right foods and always getting enough sleep. You must train daily but be sure not to train too hard and tear a muscle as this can set you back far. When you feel your muscles starting to burn, do some stretches and take a break. Whatever position you play, you need to stretch your muscles, arms and legs a lot. Here are some stretches.

Run. Find a route in your local area. This could be a park that you can run through/around or just a few streets/blocks near your house. Where you go doesn't quite matter but be sure to run everyday and try to run faster and further each day. The key to football is small bursts of speed. To practice this, jog for a few meters and then sprint for the same amount of time. Go back to jogging and then sprinting, etc. Try not to stop.

Becoming Part of a Team

Join a club. This will give you a sense of what being part of a team is like and how to play a real game. It will also give you a chance to interact with other footballers, coaches and teams. Sharing your tips to playing better or running faster never hurts, and someone might even share theirs with you. When you play in a club or team, your chances of getting noticed and scouted by a team are much higher.

Be fearless. In football you have to take risks, so go for it! You will make silly mistakes sometimes, you will get injured, but that's all part of the learning process. See you on the pitch...