Serious Soccer - Coaches Corner

Coaches Corner

Hunter is the owner and director of Serious Soccer Youth Development. He is a former Technical Director of Soccer Nova Scotia, and has worked as a staff coach with the Canadian Soccer Associations National Training Centre. Played several years in the NSSL Premiership as a goalkeeper. Currently holds a Canadian Soccer Association National “B” Licence. Currently resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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The Art of the "Folha Seca"

Folha Seca - Brazilian Portuguese. When translated means "Falling Leaf". A type of shot that when hit properly flies through the air sporadically and then drops towards the ground quickly and unexpectedly. Similar to a leaf falling out of a tree. Perfected and popularized by the brazilian player "Didi" in the mid 1950's.
Folha Seca

'DIDI'

Real Name: Waldyr Pereira
Born: Oct. 8, 1928
Country: Brazil
World Cup Appearances: 3 tournaments ('54, '58, '62)
Clubs: Rio Branco, Lencoes, Madureiro, Fluminese, Botafogo, Real Madrid, Valencia, Botafogo

Introduction:Two-time World Cup player and one of the world's greatest playmakers. Didi was the orchestrator of Brazil's two World Cup winning teams.
Career International Goals: 20 in 68 games

"The myth of the toe punt"

The dreaded "toe punt". This is always a hot topic amongst coaches. In most cases you either come from the school where it is thought "you should never kick with the toe", or you are at the other extreme where all you know how to do is "kick it with the toe". The former, most often than not is labelled as 'uneducated' and typically a volunteer parent who has never played the game at any competitive level. This person I can forgive, they have no way of knowing any better. It is the first school of thought that annoys me. First of all, to tell a player to 'never' do something is wrong in it's own right. There are many ways to accomplish similar things and who are we as 'trained' coaches to discourage players from doing things that they are having success with. There is a reason why kids kick it with their toes. It is easy and the ball goes really hard and far. What more reason do they need. Don't get me wrong, in most cases I understand that the best and most accurate way to kick the ball is with the laces or instep. There are cases however when the toe punt is the best way and in some situations the only way. To tell a player to never do it could be limiting their full repetoire of technical skills.

I will now try to explain the "Folha Seca" step by step. Keep in mind that I am no expert at this particular kick. I have tried it probably 100 times before in practice with limited success (I am a former goalkeeper so why would I spend too much time on this). I can tell you the few times were I did hit it properly, it was amazing to watch the movement on the ball. I am a firm believer that this kick, if practiced enough could become a deadly weapon in anyones arsenal.
Step-by-Step

Contact is made just below the circumference (equator) of the ball with the toe of the cleat. I personally like to contact the ball with the bottom of my cleat just below the toe as this seems to hurt a little less and still does the job.	You need to hit the ball with a very hard part of your foot (toe). You have to hit the ball hard enough that you temporarily crush the side of the ball changing it's shape.	When the toe of the cleat contacts the ball it needs to be travelling in an upwards direction.

When done properly, the deformed ball will rise into the air quickly and have little, or ideally, no spin on the ball. You should be able to read the panels as it flies through the air. This is how you know you have hit the "sweet spot".	Because the ball travels up into the air quickly, it should have no problem clearing any defensive players (the wall) that have been put into place.	The defenders can only watch helplessly as the ball flies over their heads.

The ball continues to rise.	Still rising, ideally the ball should travel above the height of the crossbar. This can fool the goalkeeper into thinking the ball with travel over the net.	At some point during it's flight, the ball will "POP" back into it's natural shape. At what point this occurs depends on how hard you have kicked the ball. The harder you kick it, the later in it's flight path it will regain it's shape.

At this point the ball should start to spin slightly (top spin!)	Still spinning...	If you have timed your kick with the proper weight and speed it should be out of the reach of the desperate goalkeeper.

Once it has travelled over the goalkeeper, it will continue to drastically drop towards the ground with an increased top spin to help.	Still dropping...	When hit perfectly (yeah right!), the ball will drop just under the crossbar and into the goal. Even if you don't manage to put it right under the crossbar it will still be difficult for the goalkeeper to save it because it changes direction so quickly and deceptively.

The Plant Foot

If you observe the diagram at left, you will notice that the kicking leg works in a circular motion. If the kicking foot contacts the ball before the plant foot it will be travelling in a downward direction (figure 1). If the kicking foot makes contact with the ball when it is next to the plant leg it will be travelling in a straight direction (figure 2). If the kicking foot makes contact with the ball in front of the plant foot it will be travelling in an upwards direction (figure 3). To execute the "Folha Seca" properly you will want the kicking foot travelling in an upwards direction and therefore you would want to place your plant foot slightly behind the ball (figure 3).


Figure 1	Figure 2	Figure 3 Ideal for the "Folha Seca"

Contact Points

Center of Ball	If contact is made at the center of the ball or just slightly above center, the ball will travel low, usually below head height depending on how hard it was kicked and will have a lot of top spin. This will cause the ball to dip drastically. This is not a bad thing if you are shooting on goal during the regular course of a game, but will be ineffective during a free kick situation as it will most likely slam into the wall, or when shooting from a distance as it will contact the ground very early in it's flight path and lose a significant amount of speed.

Slightly Below Center of Ball	If contact is made slighty below the center of the ball with an upward motion, the ball will travel high very quickly with little or no spin (ideal) on the ball. Having no spin on the ball will cause it to move in different directions (knuckle ball) as it travels through the air. Once the ball regains it's natural shape it will dip drastically towards the end of it's flight path. This is the true "Folha Seca". This kick is ideal for free kick situations as it will travel over the wall, sometimes above the height of the crossbar and then drop suddenly into the goal. It can also be very effective when shooting from a distance, although you will have to hit the ball very hard and your timing would have to be perfect. This is a very difficult shot for the goalkeeper to predict and follow. It will often leave the goalkeeper helplessly glued on the spot.

Bottom of Ball	If contact is made at the bottom of the ball, the ball will travel upwards quickly and have lots of back spin. This will cause the ball to continue to rise along it's flight path until it loses speed and then gravity brings it back down to the ground. There are not many instances when this type of kick would be useful. You could achieve the same thing by hitting the bottom of the ball with your laces and it would in most cases a lot more accurate and effective.