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## How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Rateform Method

How To Improve Your Soccer Bets is a series of articles that describe some well known and well used statistical approaches which will help the soccer punter make more educated bets. All these techniques have its own benefits and pitfalls and using these in isolation will enhance your odds of winning. However, together they will prove invaluable in your battle with the bookies. In every article, we will describe in detail how a particular method works giving you enough information that you go ahead and make your own forecasts. We’ll also provide you with advice as to where you can already find sites using this technique in incorporating their weekly predictions.

The statistical methods described in this group of articles will allow you to arrive at a better choice about the match, or games, which you are betting on.

In this article, we will be describing the well-known Rateform method. The premise of this Rateform technique is that each of both teams getting involved in a game is given a point score that is based on their existing form. Although this seems very simplistic, and it is, its calculation is a little more involved.

Listed below are the basic principles…

1. Each team is given a point score representing their current form.

2. At the beginning of the year each team is given 1000 points.

3. The home team supplies more points into the kitty than the away team.

4. This is done in order to reflect the home teams advantage of playing at home.

5. The winning team takes the kitty unless the end result is a draw in which case both sides share the points. In the case of a draw the away side benefits points and the house side loses points.

This is how a normal calculation is made…

Home team points total = HTPOINTS
Away team points total = ATPOINTS
Home team contribution to kitty = HTKITTY = 7% of HTPOINTS
Away staff donation to kitty = ATKITTY = 5% of ATPOINTS
The kitty consequently = KITTY = HTKITTY + ATKITTY

In the event, the end result is really a HOME WIN afterward
Away team receives zero points added to ATPOINTS and looses its 5% contribution to the kitty

If outcome is an AWAY WIN then
Home team receives zero points added to HTPOINTS and looses its 7 percent donation into the kitty

In the event, the result is a DRAW afterward

Let us look at an easy example of how to apply this…

To figure the possible outcome of a match based on rateform the away rateform is subtracted in the home rateform and the distinction is contrasted against put values for home, away and draw possibilities.

For example we can make our set values as follows:

AWAY WIN  -250 DRAW 150  HOME WIN

So, in case the RATEFORM DIFFERENCE is significantly less than -250 then the match is very likely to be an off win, in case the RATEFORM DIFFERENCE is higher than 150 then the game is likely to be a home win, and if the RATEFORM DIFFERENCE lies involving then the result is the most likely to be a draw.

Of course, you may opt to use unique values to those shown above and by experimentation, you may come up with better values to use. You could also opt not to reset every group points to 1000 in the beginning of the year but rather have them carry over into another season. Another option would be to have a rolling calculation where you calculate the rateform for each team on say the last six months.

If you have the required skills you could go away and construct your own spreadsheet of data or even write a bit of software to take in fixtures and results and put on the Rateform method for your data. Or, if you are lazy like me, then you can grab some free software that already does this for you.

## How To Improve Your Soccer Bets Using The Footyforecast Method

How To Improve Your Soccer Bets is really a string of articles that describe some well known and well used statistical techniques which will help the soccer punter make more informed bets. Each of the techniques has its own benefits and pitfalls and using them in isolation will improve your odds of winning. However, together they’ll prove invaluable in your conflict with the bookies. In every article, we’ll explain in detail how a particular method works giving you enough information that you go ahead and create your own forecasts. We will also provide you with advice regarding where you can already find websites using this technique in incorporating their weekly predictions.

The statistical methods described in this group of posts should enable you to reach a better decision about the match, or games, which you are betting on.

Within this guide, we will be describing the Footyforecast technique. The Footyforecast method was originally designed for the English Football Pools and tries to remove those matches which will not be drawn, leaving you with a shorter list of games from which to choose your 8 from 11. This method was introduced to the world in 1999 on the original Footyforecast site. This method is similar to the Simple Sequence method which is described in another of our posts in this sequence.

Listed below are the basic rules…

For every team work out the following,

• 1. Work out the total number of points obtained for the previous N matches.
• 2. Work out the maximum number of possible points for the previous N games.
• 3. Divide the total amount of points obtained by the most available and multiply by 100.
• 4. Calculate the forecast value.

In (1) and (2) preceding N matches could be all of the home games to the home side and all of the away games for the off side.

HOME POINTS = number of factors for home team from last N games

AWAY POINTS = amount of points for away team from last N games

HOMEVAL = (HOMEPOINTS / (POINTSFORWIN * N)) *100

AWAYVAL = (AWAYPOINTS / (POINTSFORWIN * N)) *100

To figure the possible outcome of a match based on the Footyforecast method the value is contrasted with the following…

A value between 50 and 100 gives an increased chance of a home win the closer to 100.
A value between 50 and 0 gives an increasing likelihood of an away win the closer to 0.

There are a few factors to consider, for example, the amount of matches to utilize and whether to utilize all matches or just home for the home side and just a way for offside to name but two.

By plotting actual resulting draws contrary to the prediction it is likely to create two threshold values, one for away wins and one for home wins, any worth involving these thresholds are likely drawn. All games out these thresholds will be less inclined to be drawn. For example, a value of 40 or less for away wins and a value of 60 or more for home wins. This would mean any games falling between 41 and 59 could be drawn.

This method does, with careful tuning by the consumer is to remove many matches which will not be draws providing you with a brief list to choose from. This procedure is best used where an English Pools Plan is to be utilized.

Here’s a worked example…

The values shown are the points gained by the team for each game in a succession of four recent matches, you obviously could choose more games to base your calculations on.

DC Utd

H3 = 1
H2 = 1
H1 = 0 (most recent match)

Leeds Utd
A4 = 1 (oldest game)
A3 = 3
A2 = 0
A1 = 3 (latest game)

Using only home games for the home side and just away games for off side…

FFPHome = ((3 + 1 + 1 + 0) / 12) * 100 = 42

In case our threshold values are 40 and 60 afterward for this match the prediction lies in the anticipated draw area and at the lower end significance that if it isn’t a draw the most likely another result would be an off win. This may be interpreted as an X2 prediction, i.e. draw or away win, which some bookies will take as a wager.

Of course, you may opt to use different values to those shown above and by experimenting you may develop with greater values to use. You might also opt to utilize all home and away games played by each team in your calculations instead of just home games for the home team and away games for the away team. You might decide to have different thresholds than those shown above. You could also find it beneficial to plot real results from the Footyforecast method predictions to see how many actual draws fall in the off win, draw, and house win forecast zones.

If you have the necessary abilities you can go away and build your personal spreadsheet of data or even write a bit of software to take in results and fixtures and apply the Footyforecast method to your data. Or, if you are lazy like me, you could grab some free software that already does this for you. If this last option is for you then see 1X2Monster where you can download an FREE copy of this Footyforecast 2.0 software which implements all of the statistical methods described in this series of posts. You will also have the ability to download FREE weekly database updates to your applications, how cool is that?

## How To Find A Top Quality Soccer Ball

It’s widely thought to be the most popular game in the world. Played by millions of people from just about any walk of life, and in nearly every country, soccer — soccer or futbol as it’s often known beyond the boundaries of the United States — is a sport which can be played by almost anyone. Aside from the skills needed to maneuver the ball using your entire body, but not the palms — except for its purpose keeper — football owes much of its international appeal to the fact that all you need to play is a open area and a single ball.

The hills of equipment needed to play different sports — such as golf, tennis, baseball, American football, and so many others — are an anathema to the soccer player. It is the ball, and just the ball, which one needs to play the game. However, the soccer ball is not a generic thing; there are a number of sorts of soccer balls on the market, and each has its own attributes that distinguish it from the other balls.

At first glance it’s tough to tell 1 soccer ball from another. Normally assembled in exactly the exact same distinctive style, the signature pentagonal and hexagonal panels create a soccer ball immediately recognizable. But once you are attempting to tell the difference between one ball and yet another, the very first place to start is the cover.

Before, full grain leather has been used to make a high excellent soccer ball, but real leather tends to absorb water readily, plus a wet ball is a hefty ball which performs much differently than it had been meant to play with. Today, the first quality soccer balls are made of synthetic leather. Although there are lots of variations of synthetic leather, they’re generally all a derivative of polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride. The top chunks — these used in contest and by professionals — are nearly always made of their polyurethane construction, while cheap practice balls are more likely to be poly plastic sheeting.

The way the panels of the soccer ball are stitched together is just another indication of the quality of the ball. A premium excellent ball will be hand woven with polyester cord or Kevlar reinforced polyester. Hand stitching allows the panels to be sewn tighter, which makes for a more durable and longer lasting soccer ball. Second-tier soccer balls are often stitched too, but the sewing is done by machine, therefore, it lacks the uncompromising quality that a hand stitched ball will probably have. Cheap balls are usually not stitched in any way, and rather are held together by gluing the panels on the liner of the ball.

Soccer balls come in different sizes as well: Size 3, Size 4, 5, and Size 5. Size 4 balls are the next size up, and gamers between the ages of eight and twelve use this size of the ball. Size 5 balls would be the typical dimensions of adult play and are the typical size balls for all international play.

When shopping for a soccer ball it is important to have a watch because of the dimensions and construction. If you are unsure that the ball you’re thinking about is of good quality, look to find out if the ball is accepted by either FIFA or NFHS. FIFA, Fédération Internationale de Football Association, and NFHS, the National Federation of State High School Association, equally approve balls that satisfy the strict specifications that are outlined by every organization. If you purchase a ball that is approved by either governing body then you are almost assured of a ball that is of top quality in both construction and performance.

## How To Improve Your Soccer Dribbling Skills

Soccer is a great game to be played, but it is also a great game to be watched. Someone that’s not knowledgeable about soccer might wonder just what it is making it the most popular sport on Earth.

The same as basketball has its slam dunks and alley oops, baseball its own home boxing or runs its own knockouts, football has a lot of key components which make it a highly enjoyable game: goals passes, tackles and dribbling.

It is the last one that I value most, since I believe that a good dribble isn’t just spectacular, but it can be particularly effective in a game, so I’m going to dedicate the next article to explaining how football dribbling works, how you are able to train it, concentrate on a couple of special dribbling moves and determine what soccer abilities affect your dribbling skill.

## Soccer Dribbling — Introduction into the World of Ankle Breakers

By definition, soccer dribbling is a method utilized by the ball carrier to pass the ball beyond an immediate competitor, without devoting ownership. This might be a tight dictionary-like statement, but in fact, soccer dribbling is as easy in theory as that: do whatever you can (from the bounds of the football laws) to get past your opponent and maintain possession of the ball. However, “getting beyond your competition” requires a little explaining.

In a first glance, which may seem restricted to downhill exceeding your competitor on the pitch, even when in truth dribbling can be done sideways, or even back towards your own half (when you would like to avoid a handle like) and in many cases it’s only a way of clearing up the room to find a pass or shot at. This doesn’t necessarily have the ball on the opposing side of your competitor, but it will avoid him, letting you continue the drama to your teammates.

There are lots of sorts of dribbles which have different purposes from the game and by forms of dribbles, I do not mean specific moves, or specific tricks, but rather game mechanisms involving dribbles which have a particular end-goal.

Stress Avoiding Dribbles — This is possibly the most common type of dribble from the game and as a central midfielder almost every touch of the ball that you get will have to be followed closely by a pressure avoiding dribble. This entails a quick flick of the ball in a place with a few vacant space when being under pressure from a competition and its intention is to give you a few moments to perform a pass, or sometimes a shot.

An essential facet of pressure preventing dribbles is understanding where you are going to move the ball even before you really get to it. Take into account that you’ll likely only have a couple of moments to pass or shoot the ball after such a dribble because the defender will probably be quick to place himself in front of the ball again, or try to handle you decisively.

Great examples of players using this kind of dribble effectively include Ronaldinho, Clarence Seedorf or even Michael Ballack.

Rate Dribbles — Speed dribbles are mostly popular with wing-backs since the wings are often more open and free and they allow a fast player to virtually throw the ball forward and run to get it again, smoking one or two opponents in the process.

Speed dribbles aren’t very fancy concerning ball control, however, the dribbler should concentrate on pushing the ball forward just right so that he doesn’t lose ownership to an opposing defender or throw the ball out of the playing bonds.

Receiving Dribbles — This is probably one of the most effective tactics to dribble, but it can also be the toughest: moving about your opponent straight from getting the ball. It can throw a whole defense off balance and create havoc for the opposing group, but you really have to be a proficient player to produce great getting dribbles.

First of all, you have to have impressive vision on the pitch, knowing precisely where your competitors are and where you’ll get some open space on the field, even before the ball reaches your foot.

Second, you need to be in excellent control of the ball receiving technique, since shoving it too soft or too difficult will ruin the dribble. Last but not the least, you need to use your body to receive your direct opponent off balance, letting you turn and push the ball into open space unhindered.

You are probably tempted to state that ball management is the only skill involved with dribbling, but in truth, there are a lot more factors that have to be added up to a thriving dribble.

Ball control is the ability to maneuver with the ball, without losing possession, so it essentially requires you to understand how hard to hit the ball when moving forward with it, in addition to organizing your own body movement in this way that lets you follow up and get the ball to your feet again.

Ball control also refers to being able to snare or receive a ball without pushing it too further away from your body, and that, in our instance, is extremely useful in receiving dribbles. Ball control is important for all types of players when dribbling, regardless of their position on the pitch.

Strength — Strength is an important element in receiving dribbles and positional ones, as it allows you to utilize your own body for a wall between the ball and your opponent, repositioning him or her so you create an advantage towards the enemy target.

If you look at some of the players who are considered the best dribbles out there today, such as Ronaldinho or Zinedine Zidane, you’ll see that they very often use their body in dribbles, in order to transcend an opponent or alleviate themselves of stress and locate a pass or a shot.

In what regards soccer dribbling, power is most important for central midfielders, that is under constant pressure from the opposing group and for attackers who will have to use their bodies to shield the ball before they could unleash a dribble from the box.

Speed — Being faster than your competitor is one thing, but knowing how to find the ball past him AND gain back possession is the key to a successful rate dribble. If the rate difference is greatly in the favor of the attacker, he can simply push the ball forwards along the pitch at an empty region and run for it.

If space is limited, or when the speed difference isn’t too great between the ball carrier and the guardian, the instant you initiate the dribble is extremely important.

You will need to start increasing the pace when the guardian is off equilibrium (possibly after you throw him off-balance using a movement in the body) and be sure you have sufficient space to maneuver around him.

Weaker Foot Ability — Dribbles often involve using both feet and assorted parts of the foot (the sole, the instep, the backheel, the front, the exterior or the inside) so as to work properly and your weaker foot can often cause you difficulties.

Being unsure of your weaker foot will probably leave you quite vulnerable in front of a smart guardian because he will know there is just one direction you can dribble towards utilizing your strong foot.

You are able to train dribbling separately, with a teammate or within a group. Be sure to use both feet, so you know how to dribble in each direction and using your weaker foot also.

Pairing up with a teammate is also a wonderful way to practice your soccer dribbling. This technique has two advantages: first of all, it lets you train your dribbles against a real competitor, which affects quite some parameters in the way you train in comparison to averting ground obstacles.

Second, assuming you change functions with your teammate every now and then, permitting him to become the dribbler, you’ll also function as a defender and will find out how defenders consider when needing to deal with a competitor’s dribble.

Understanding your “enemy” will help you read your match opponents such as an open book and you’ll soon understand what to do in almost any game scenario where a dribble is demanded.

Group dribbling training sessions largely concentrate on pressure preventing dribbles rather than separately going around one competitor. Practicing at a group simulates match requirements best and it is a good way to work out your dribbling skill obviously, instead of pressure like you would have with an individual or paired training.

## Soccer Nutrition

Consider an average human anatomy as a small production shop. It does not expect a lot of prime materials, but in addition, it fails to carry out spectacularly. If a typical human’s body is a production shop, an athlete’s body is an advanced mill that can create outstanding performances, but also needs wagons of prime substance.

Your aim as a soccer player is to get that factory of yours working at max efficiency but it will also be your role to provide it with the proper (and the ideal quantity of) prime substances. This is where soccer nutrition comes into play and if you follow along to the content below, I’ll supply you with a few of the most important information regarding what you need to eat and when you need to eat it.

Proteins are the building blocks of life and they’re the ones responsible for muscular growth. As a football player, muscular growth should be of overriding importance, so your football diet might have to include plenty of proteins. Proteins normally come from animal products, like eggs, milk or meat, but they could also be found in soya, lettuce and some other specific veggies.

The carbohydrates are your body’s fuel supply and exactly like a car needs gas to function properly, so does your body need carbohydrates for each and every one of its functions.

Every motion which you just do eats up a bit of the carbohydrate fuel…move your hand to scratch your head, you lost some carbs…knock on the door…you lost some carbohydrates…even when we blink we shed a few carbs; you can imagine the amount of fuel needed in a football match then. But carbohydrates aren’t just energy boosters, they are also a part of a lot of bodily functions, such as the immune system, blood clotting, muscle growth and development.

## Soccer Nutrition — Pre Game and Post Game Soccer Diets

The problem seeing pre-game and post-game meals is quite debated, largely since the Internet is crammed with a lot of misleading advice on the subject. Generally, your operation in a game will be determined by what you eat beginning with 2-3 days before the match day and the final meal you require a few hours before the game begins. It’s a good idea to consume carbohydrate-rich food a couple of days ahead of the game and you can also receive a rich carbohydrate snack 3-4 hours prior to the match starts.

You will also need to look for foods which have a low glycemic index (low GI) prior to the match, since they are shown to expand your endurance and attempt capabilities for a short period of time. Just make sure that the very low GI food you consume pre match aren’t also high fibred, as dense fiber is absorbed harder by the human body and that food will just dangle around on your stomach as you run. Therefore a good pre-match football diet should comprise:

• Low GI foods
• High Carbohydrate foods

After the game is finished, the extensive effort will have you diminished and your muscles will be very vulnerable, because you consumed all the carbs in them. That’s the reason why a rich carbohydrate meal is vital after a game. Studies suggest that the body is better at consuming these fats and other nutrients from food 1 to 2 hours after prolonged work.

High GI foods can also help you regain your muscles faster and you will not feel tired and conquer all day long, as the carbohydrates and glycemin from the post game meal may work towards getting you back
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