Guest Article: The Art Of First Touch & Collecting Information In Football
- Gary Curneen
- Jul 9
- 6 min read
The article below was written by coach and analyst Slawomir Morawski and Takuma Yamanaka. Please share with your coaching community if you enjoy it!
In football, every action on the ball begins with a first touch. While it has always been a fundamental aspect of the game, the pace and intensity of modern football have increased its importance, as players today are afforded less time and space when in possession.
Traditionally, a good first touch was often associated with stopping the ball’s momentum. However, this is not always the most effective way to play. One of the most iconic first touches in football history, by Dennis Bergkamp against Newcastle United, demonstrated that redirecting the ball with intention, rather than halting it, can be more advantageous.
Completely stopping the ball can sometimes be effective in some situations, but in others, moving the ball into space with the first touch may open new possibilities. This leads to a key question: What defines a good first touch?
1st Half: Before Making a Good Touch
There is no universally "good" first touch in football. Its effectiveness depends on context.
For instance, if a player aims to deliver a line-breaking pass forward, the first touch should position the ball optimally for that purpose. In a crowded area close to their own box, a player may want to place the ball very close to their body so that they can safely return it to the goalkeeper.
If open space is available during build-up, the ideal first touch might be to move the ball into that space immediately.
The quality of a first touch must be evaluated in relation to the player’s intended next action and the exact situation.
On the picture above on the left, moving the ball forward with their dynamic first touch will lead to a great opportunity while on the right, such a first touch would get him/her into trouble.
Collecting Information Before First Touch
It may sound somewhat paradoxical but the process of executing a good first touch begins before first touch.
Although there are many types of effective first touches suited to different scenarios, they all share one common trait: Intention.
Intention is a prerequisite for a high-quality first touch. Players need to know what they intend to do before the ball arrives. This requires players to collect adequate information beforehand.
The first touch should be an integrated part of a player’s flow of play. Without sufficient awareness of the surroundings or a clear idea of what they want to do next, a good purposeful first touch becomes impossible.
In this situation above, the player who is receiving the ball may decide to play a safe pass backwards, or may turn and carry the ball towards the left half space. But with limited information, it is impossible to make a decision about how he should control the ball.
Four Pillars of Information
While countless elements affect a football match, most on-field decisions revolve around four core references: the Ball, Space, Teammates, and Opponents.
These serve as the primary information sources that players must constantly pay attention to.
In possession, the ball becomes a useful tool of creation, because player movements and attention are dictated by the location and movement of the ball. This control of attention gives the attacking team a key advantage.
Teammates act as reference points for support, and opponents, while they try to take the ball away it also shows where ball progression is possible
Locations of the opponents primarily define where spaces are.
In contrast, when out of possession, space becomes the primary concern for defending players: it must be closed, protected, and controlled.
Defensive organization must adapt in coordination with teammates, depending on the ball’s position and proximity to goal. Opposition players must be viewed as potential threats.
Different Phases Different Priorities
Ideally, players would collect all relevant information during every phase of play, but in practice, that is rarely possible. Instead, they must prioritize certain types of information depending on the phase of the play.
For example, when receiving the ball under pressure inside their own penalty area, a player’s primary concern is to avoid losing possession. If a player wants to make a run in behind the opposition defence, players should probably focus more on identifying available space and potential teammates to combine with.
Priority also changes depending on the player’s body position and how they receive the ball. If a player is about to receive the ball in a tight midfield area but is slightly off-balance, they might need to assess which opponents pose immediate danger. If the player is facing forward with a good body orientation, they may still be able to look for possibilities of a switch or a vertical long pass.
Examples of priorities. Can we switch the order? I think it would be slightly more intuitive if higher priorities come at the top, rather than at the bottom.
Halftime: Scanning
Collecting information prior to receiving the ball is essential for executing a good first touch. To achieve this, scanning plays a very important role and top players at elite levels exhibit very high scanning frequency.
Among the four core references, the ball remains the constant focal point. Whenever it moves, the situation evolves. Thus, the most important time to scan is when the ball moves.
A pass always changes situations: player movements shift, opponents reposition, and new spaces emerge. Information collected a few seconds earlier may no longer be valid after a pass is made.
It is important to note that the situation starts to change as soon as the ball starts travelling, not when it arrives. Defending players may react and adjust their pressing structure without waiting for the ball to reach the receiver. That is one reason why players who delay their scanning until after receiving the ball often struggle under pressure. In addition to frequency, the direction and depth of each scan are equally important.
Some players unconsciously favor scanning in one direction. For example, a player who has spent much of their career as a right-back may develop such a habit and they may have a tendency to scan to their left but not so much to the right. This can potentially present a problem when receiving the ball in central areas.
Furthermore, collecting information about areas further away from the player is naturally more difficult than understanding what is happening around them. But often in these areas lie great opportunities for both the player and the team.
Second Half: What Makes a Good First Touch?
Initiate play
The fundamental principle of a good first touch is simple: do not wait until the second or third touch to execute a decision.
Stopping the ball in order to draw an opponent can be a smart piece of play but often static first touches are made without a clear purpose or as a result of being unable to make a decision before receiving the ball, and it signals a lack of preparation. Such first touches tend to disrupt the team’s rhythm.
In contrast, elite players with high game intelligence often express their intent with their very first touch. Whether it’s a dynamic touch to attack space, a secure touch to shield and recycle possession, or a deliberate, static touch used to bait pressure and release it behind, the effectiveness lies not just in the technical quality of the first touch but also in the speed of decision making.
Continue to collect information
Although collecting information before receiving the ball is very important, there are many situations where players simply need more information after receiving the ball because a pass alters the field’s dynamics.
Players should keep updating their understanding of the situation and try to make it as easy as possible to keep collecting information after their first touch.
This requires careful consideration. When the ball is controlled too closely to their body, a player would not be able to see the ball and what is surrounding the player at the same time. Ideally, players should control the ball in a position that grants them a good vision and allows them to scan while still ensuring ball control.
Here, his first touch made it very difficult for the player to keep the ball in his vision and look for potential options at the same time.
Avoid predictability & keep options open
Another key consideration when executing a first touch is to try to keep as many options open as possible. A poor first touch can restrict passing angles or delay decisions, which also gives the opposition more time to predict and react.
When a first touch leaves the player with just one option and what they are going to next is obvious, it becomes easier for the opposition to defend against.
By keeping multiple options open with their first touch, a player becomes less predictable, and unpredictability will almost always work as an advantage for the player with the ball.
Full-Time Whistle: Concluding Remarks
Arsène Wenger once said, “Football is an art, like dancing is an art but only when it's well done does it become an art.”
The same can be applied to the first touch. To execute it well, players need sufficient information. A first touch should be part of a player’s creative expression with the ball, not merely a preparatory step.
What enables the first touch to be a naturally flowing part of creative play is information. When players are well-informed, receiving the ball should never feel like a risk or an unwanted guest; instead, the ball is a player’s friend, helping to open up new opportunities.
