Soccer is a thinking man’s game. I have heard this saying over and over again and when thinking about it I find that it is really true.

I have been playing soccer my entire life and I have always been slow. My first step is quick but it goes down hill from there. Because of that I have had to find ways to level the playing field.

I have found that the most successful way is to physically level the playing field. An elbow placed correctly to the head will at least make the opposing player avoid you at all cost. This might seem incredibly dirty but I don’t think so.

A referee’s job is to call the game. If he catches me being to physical then he will punish me and I am sure I will deserve it. If he does not catch me then he is not doing his job. A ref is part of the game and players need to play him just as much as they need to play the ball.

Getting away with fouls requires a few different skills. The first is awareness. As a player you need to know where the ref is in relationship to the foul you are about to commit. If his line of sight is right there then chances are you will get caught.

The next step is the actual foul. How hard and where are the two key questions. The answer to those depends on what ones goal is. If it is to hurt the opposing player (which I strongly oppose) then one should aim for what ever soccer player needs, their legs. A stomp on the foot will cause a lot of pain without putting a player out of the game.

My whole goal in intentional fouling is to put the opposing player off of his game. Soccer is a game that requires full mental awareness and having a severe pain or the fear of pain can throw a player off.

The best situation to foul is one in which the chances of getting punished are small. I cannot remember the last corner kick I defended that I was not grabbing an opponents jersey. I can be almost certain that a ref will not call a penalty for a shirt tug but the grabbing of the shirt is a huge advantage for a defender.

The third step is the follow through. If the opponent goes down after you fouling him then just keep walking away as if nothing happened. If you are quick to react the ref will be very suspicious. Even though refs aren’t supposed to make calls based on something they didn’t see, I know from experience that they will. Make the other player look crazy, like they are writhing on the ground for no reason.

This all might seem like it is dirty and un-sportsman like. I have been told more times than I can count that fouling is bad. But to win sometimes you have to do it, and its all about what you are willing to give to win.

If you want to see how its done (mostly quite poorly) watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J40V4QWemII&feature=fvst

In the modern game of soccer there are many fouls. As a player you have to evolve with the game and fouling is part of that evolution. The trick is getting away with it. It is not easy but once you perfect it you are at a huge advantage.