Ball-sport skills
The skills that recur across ball games — control, passing, dribbling, shooting and defending.
Across football, basketball and similar games, a common set of ball skills keeps appearing: controlling the ball, moving it by passing or dribbling, finishing with a shot, and winning it back through tackling and marking. The rules differ, but the skills rhyme.
Because these games are fast and shared, the skills are best developed in game-like practice, where control, decision and execution happen together rather than in isolation.
The skills in this family
In a sensible order to learn them — open any skill for a clear, beginner-friendly guide.
- 1
Ball control
The skill of receiving and settling the ball quickly so it is ready to use.
- 2
Passing
The skill of moving the ball to a teammate accurately to keep possession and create chances.
- 3
Dribbling
The skill of moving with the ball under close control to beat opponents or keep possession.
- 4
Shooting
The skill of striking or releasing the ball toward the goal or basket to score.
- 5
Heading
The skill of directing the ball with the head to pass, clear or attempt to score.
- 6
Tackling
The skill of legally challenging an opponent to win the ball or stop their progress.
Sports that use these skills
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Basketball
A fast, dynamic team sport of running, jumping and quick decisions on court.
Volleyball
A non-contact team sport of rallies, jumps and teamwork — indoors or on the beach.
Other skill collections
How it connects
The meaning-bearing relationships that place Ball-sport skills in the wider knowledge graph — each one with the reason it exists.
Broader than
A wider grouping that contains these.
- Ball controlBall control is one of the 6 skills in the Ball-sport skills collection.
- PassingPassing is one of the 6 skills in the Ball-sport skills collection.
- DribblingDribbling is one of the 6 skills in the Ball-sport skills collection.
- ShootingShooting is one of the 6 skills in the Ball-sport skills collection.
- HeadingHeading is one of the 6 skills in the Ball-sport skills collection.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Ball-sport skills to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Knowledge Atlas
Glossary
- DribbleMoving the ball along under control using repeated touches, by bouncing it in basketball or with the feet in football.
- TravellingA basketball violation for illegally moving the feet while holding the ball without dribbling.
- Tiki-takaA possession-based football style built on short, quick passing and constant movement to keep and control the ball.
- CrossoverA dribbling move in which a ball-handler quickly switches the ball from one hand to the other to change direction and beat a defender.
- Corner KickA football (soccer) restart taken from the corner arc after the defending team last touched the ball over its own goal line.
Rules
- TravelingA basketball violation for moving illegally with the ball without dribbling it.
- Double dribbleA basketball violation for dribbling with two hands at once, or for dribbling again after picking up the ball.
- Penalty kick awardA one-on-one kick against the goalkeeper awarded when a defending player commits a direct-free-kick foul inside their own penalty area.
Tactics
Techniques
- Crossover DribbleA basketball dribbling move that switches the ball quickly from one hand to the other to change direction and get past a defender.
- Jump ShotA basketball shot released at the top of a vertical jump, letting the shooter get the ball over a defender with a soft, arcing release.
- Chest PassA two-handed pass thrown directly from chest height in a straight line to a teammate, the most basic pass in basketball and netball.
- Volleyball DigA defensive contact that keeps a hard-driven ball in play by passing it up off the forearms, usually from a low position.
Learning paths
- Learn BasketballA structured, educational learning path for basketball — from the rules to skills, techniques, tactics and training.
- Learn FootballA structured, educational learning path for football — from the rules to skills, techniques, tactics and training.
- Learn American FootballA structured, educational learning path for american football — from the rules to skills, techniques, tactics and training.
How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Skill collection
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-12
Evergreen, first-party explanation — it makes no claim that needs an external source. How we handle sources and reviews.
A way to organise, not a ranking
Learn the family, then the sport
Understand a family of skills, then follow it into the sports and learning paths that use them.