Lofted pass

The lofted pass in soccer is ideally a long, powerful, kick intended to send the ball in the air over the heads of defenders to a teammate. Also known as the lofted kick, the lofted drive, or the lofted ball, the lofted pass is a multi-purpose skill used for deep attack, defensive clearances, corner kicks, crosses, goal kicks, and free kicks. The techniques for the lofted kick involve some of the first modifications for skills derived from the instep drive.

After players have mastered the instep drive, demonstrating that they can use proper form to kick the ball effectively with the top of the foot covered by the shoe laces, they may be introduced to the lofted kick. Young players may not have the leg strength to initially get the desired flight to the ball, but they should be continually challenged to attempt the lofted kick until it can be performed.

In order to perform the lofted kick, modifications to the instep drive are introduced to include changes to the angle of approach to the ball, placement of the non-kicking (or “plant”) foot, and the location on the ball to be struck. The run up to the ball needs to be at approximately 15-degrees from straight-on, the non-kicking foot still needs to be pointed in the direction of the kick but needs to be approximately six inches behind and approximately nine inches outside of the ball, and the ball needs to be struck in the center below the midpoint (bottom-half).

The player should lean his body slightly away and back from the ball, ensuring that the ball is struck with the leg on the upswing from the hip. As with the rest of the instep drive, the ankle of the kicking foot remains down and locked, and the toes curled under, throughout the backswing, contact with the ball, and follow-through.

As with any pass, emphasis should always be placed on the importance of accuracy, ensuring that the ball makes it to the intended recipient. When improvement is seen, coaches may then introduce the arm swing associated with the lofted kick that adds additional power. If the kicker is striking the ball with the right foot, for example, to maintain balance the right arm should be out to the side and slightly behind the body. The left arm should start out in front of the chest and then be swung left as the kick is made. The opposite is true for a left-footed kick.

Again, as with the basic instep drive, the weight is centered over the non-kicking foot so that the kicking foot swings freely and permits a full follow-through without stabbing at the ball or having to put the foot down to the ground prematurely. Similarly, coaches are reminded that both legs must be training equally.