Playing quickly is all about allowing the ball to do the work for you.

Much has been written on these pages about playing quickly.  Playing fast actually has as much or more to do with the thought process as it does with actual physical speed. Learning to allow the ball to do the work for you is part of the maturation process youth soccer players go through.

The key is to give the ball and get the ball with efficiency limiting play to between 1 - 3 touches on the ball.

Holding onto the ball too long or taking excessive touches serves to draw defenders to you and allows others to organize their defense around you. Chances of losing possession of the ball increase expotentially with each successive touch taken. Excessive touches can also kill an attack by turning teammates into spectators. If a player is unwilling to pass the ball his teammates will become unwilling to put forth efort to prepare to receive the ball from that player. This stagnates the attack..

The key to quick play is being prepared to receive the ball at all times. Moving without the ball so as to be in the vision of the teammate about to receive the ball provides options. Having options for play leads to creativity and unpredictability in our play. Body positioning with hips open to the ball and as much of the field as possible before receiving is a king consideration. Having a plan for playing the ball before you receive it is essential. This will allow you to play the ball in one or two touches or take space if it is available.

In short, quick play in soccer is all about preparation to get and give the ball.  Purposeful off the ball movement allows for the ball to be moved quickly. It is all about allowing the ball to do as much work as possible for you.  A simple tried and true demonstration can be used to illustrate this.  Have two of your fastest players, each with a soccer ball stand at the center line.  On command have one pass the ball to the top of the 18 and the other run with the ball at his feet to the top of the 18. The pass wins every time. 

If before you receive the ball you know you will have space to advance into, by all means take that space.  However, it is important to recognize the purpose of taking space is not only to advance the ball but also to engage defenders or the goalkeeper - that ultimately we take space to give up the ball via pass or shot. We should seek to purposefully engage a defender drawing him in and then release the ball via pass or shot just as they are about to close you down and attempt a tackle.

Just as excessive touches on the ball by an individual player can slow play and break the rhythm of the attack and even that of the game, a team that shares the ball utilizing a minimum of quick touches will play hard for one another and establish a tempo and flow that can frustrate opposing defenders.  When the ball is doing a lot of the work it is not necessary to have great physical speed to play soccer quickly. As Johan Cruyff said, "Soccer is a game that's played with the brain."  Preparation, the speed of thought, the decision-making process and quick skillful execution utilizing the least amount of touches possible are the keys to fast play.