How to Improve Awareness in Soccer: 5 Keys to Better Vision
Picture this: The ball comes to your feet, you take your first touch, and immediately, you’re pressured by opponents. You lose track of the ball, your teammates, you can’t find space, and end up losing the ball. Does this sound familiar to you?
This same scenario can happen to any player, but it happens more to those who lack situational awareness, one of the most important skills of the game, along with ball control, first touch, passing, dribbling, shooting, defending, decision making, composure, and creativity. Awareness in soccer refers to the ability to understand the game environment, anticipate plays, and make informed decisions by constantly scanning the field and gathering information.
Awareness, combined with all of the skills above, is what helps players improve their talent and become better players, but it is also important to improve your passion, discipline, game IQ, mindset, athleticism, fitness, and recovery. Throughout my journey as a player, coach, and sports coordinator, I’ve seen a clear pattern: players who master situational awareness consistently outperform those who rely solely on athletic ability or technical skills.
I’ve seen technically gifted players get lost during crucial moments because they couldn’t process the game environment fast enough, while players with less technical abilities make a bigger impact due to better field vision and decision-making abilities. So, if you’re interested in learning how to improve your awareness in soccer, continue reading this post.
How do You Improve Situational Awareness as a Soccer Player?
Key #1: Master the Art of Scanning the Field
The foundation of strong vision and situational awareness in soccer starts with keeping your head on a swivel to constantly gather information about teammates, opponents, and empty space created or being created. Many players lose track of what’s happening around them because they focus too much on the ball, which gets a lot of attention, but it makes them lose track of what’s happening away from the ball.
When scanning the field, focus on quality over quantity. It’s not about how many times you turn your head, but more about how much information you actually pick up to help you make better decisions.
Key #2: Develop Your Peripheral Vision and Body Positioning
Soccer vision isn’t just about what you see directly, which is your central vision; it’s about using your peripheral vision and dorsal vision streams to stay aware of the broader game environment while your central vision tracks the ball. As a rule of thumb, it’s usually always best to position your body strategically to face both the ball and the most important areas of the soccer field, but remember that there are no complete absolutes in soccer.
When you control the ball, align your body to see the maximum amount of the field while maintaining good first-touch technique.
Key #3: Maximize Real-Game Experience and Live Practice
The best way to improve awareness is by putting yourself in real-game situations through team training sessions, pick-up games, small-sided games, futsal, beach soccer, or any other soccer variation where you can practice against live opponents. You can’t develop good situational awareness by training alone because you need opponents who will pressure you and force quick decisions.
During these sessions, make a conscious effort to limit unnecessary touches and scan effectively as much as possible before receiving the ball.
Key #4: Study Professional Games and Analyze Performance
One way to see elite situational awareness in real-time is by watching professional games with a focused eye on how top players move their heads, position their bodies, and make decisions before they even touch the ball. Notice how the central players constantly scan the field and rarely get surprised by pressure, while wingers check over their shoulders to track overlapping runs.
Combine analyzing professional games and players with analyzing your own recorded games to identify moments where you could have scanned earlier, positioned better, or made smarter decisions under pressure.
Key #5: Enhance Mental Focus and Game Communication
Situational awareness breaks down when your mind wanders to past mistakes or future outcomes, so developing the ability to stay in the present moment is one of the most important parts of elite awareness. Practice asking yourself rapid-fire questions during play such as: Where are my teammates moving? Which opponents are closing down space? What’s the best passing option?
Over time, you will be able to answer these questions instinctively without having to force yourself to ask them.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, developing situational awareness is an important skill that separates good players from great players in soccer. Many players lose track of teammates, opponents, and space because they lack situational awareness, but by keeping your head on a swivel and using the tips in this post consistently, you can stay one step ahead of the game environment.
Remember that developing awareness is a journey that demands dedication, but once you develop this ability, you’ll find yourself making better decisions and controlling matches in ways that seemed impossible before.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 3 types of vision related to awareness in soccer?
- Central Vision / Foveal Vision:
- This is what players use to focus on specific targets like the ball, teammates, or defenders directly in front of them. It handles precision tasks like controlled first touches, sharp passes, and technical skills.
- Peripheral Vision:
- Allows players to stay aware of the broader game environment without directly focusing on it. This helps anticipate movements, spot open space, and track teammate/opponent positions while maintaining control of the ball.
- Dorsal Vision:
- Body awareness gained through proprioceptive feedback from your feet, fascia system, and nervous system. This increased body awareness helps players maintain broader perception and react quicker without refocusing their central vision. A good way to develop this is by spending a lot of time training barefoot.
What are the benefits of having strong situational awareness?
There are many benefits to improving your situational awareness as a footballer such as:
- Game-Changing Impact
- Better Decision-Making
- Improved Focus
- Better Composure
- Effective Communication
What gear and equipment are needed to improve my soccer skills?
The best thing about soccer is that you don’t need a lot of equipment and accessories to start playing and improving. All you really need is a soccer ball, but the more serious you want to play, the more gear you will need, such as soccer cleats, shin guards, grip socks, shorts, and shirts, and soccer equipment, such as cones, rebounders, ball pumps, soccer bags, etc.
