Skill

Getting under the ball with a short backswing to lift it over someone, usually a goalkeeper who's come off their line. You need a soft touch and good judgment of distance. When it works, you look brilliant. When it doesn't, you look like you should have just passed.

A pass that puts your teammate in danger of getting clattered. Usually a slow ball that arrives right as a defender's closing in at full speed. Called a hospital ball because the recipient might end up there. Careless passing under pressure creates them. Good teammates don't play hospital balls; bad ones get their midfielders injured.

A pass played between or behind defenders for a teammate to run onto. The weight has to be perfect - too soft and the keeper gets there, too hard and it runs away. The runner and passer need to read each other's minds. Xavi, Iniesta, and De Bruyne are famous for finding gaps that don't seem to exist.

The foot that stays planted while you kick with the other. Where you place your standing foot affects the direction and power of your shot or pass. Too far from the ball and you lean back, skying it. Too close and you can't get a clean swing. Coaches drill standing foot placement into youth players because it's the foundation of good technique.

A player's less dominant foot. Most players have a strong foot they prefer and a weak foot they avoid. Truly two-footed players are rare - they can shoot, pass, and control with either foot equally well. Defenders exploit players with weak weak-foots by forcing them onto it. Coaches rate weak foot ability on a scale; players work on it but some never get comfortable.