The most important and most frequently used pass. Made with the inside-of-foot & called a push pass because of the long follow-through which sometimes looks like pushing the ball. The ball is struck with the part of the foot under the anklebone. This is the most accurate pass but best for short passes that stay on the ground.

Use a push pass for a short, direct pass. The push pass is the easiest one to kick, so start by learning this one. The push pass is also the easiest to intercept. Make sure that your teammate doesn’t have someone hovering nearby ready to steal the ball. The push pass is also known as the direct pass or the forward pass.

To do a push pass, you use the inside of the foot (along the arch) to push the ball forward. As a result, the hip and leg/knee must rotate outwards to allow contact with the ball. Taking these elements in sequence, you will: Turn the pass foot outward, locking the ankle so that the foot will not wobble.

The push pass, however, still represents more than half the passes used in games, even at the highest levels. Because the ball is kicked with the inside of the foot, the foot must be turned at the ankle and the leg rotated at the hip so that the toes are pointed 90 degrees to the outside from the way the body is facing.

The inside of the foot or “push” pass and its corresponding receive (“trap”), represent the most basic pass and receive in soccer. (“Trapping” is generally no longer a term that is used because it implies bringing the ball to a dead stop instead of setting it up for the next move.)