I did the 20 WORST things a Footballer can do

Using this item, a shooting technique that is banned, and one mistake that got this footballer fined $300,000 are just a few of the worst things that a footballer can do. Right, so quick disclaimer, this is a list comprised of research that I've done online. So they start off not too bad, but each one gets worse and worse until we reach the number one worst thing a footballer can do. Right, so I've tried to put all these things in the correct order, but if you don't agree with the order of this list, please feel free to let me know in the comments below. Let's get into it. So starting off the list at number 20 of the worst things that a footballer can do, and I'm not even on the pitch for this one because it's wearing football boots on concrete. So a lot of us are guilty of wearing our football boots on concrete, but apparently this is something that you should be avoiding as it can wear down your studs, meaning that your football boots won't last as long. Sometimes it can even sharpen the studs, making them a lot more dangerous. Instead of putting your boots on in the car park and walking to the pitch, wait until you get on the grass to put them on feet. This will make them last a lot longer and keep them in much better condition. Showboating means doing too many unnecessary skills, and some people consider showboating to be disrespectful to opponents. That's why it's made it onto the list. Neymar's even received a yellow card for doing too many skills. I'd love to know your thoughts on this one in the comments below. Right, so my opinions on showboating, I actually don't think it deserves to be so high on the list because I don't think it's that bad. So next up is always aiming for the top corner. Now, I know everyone wants to score a top corner shot. There's no better feeling than watching the ball sail into the top bins, but most of the time, it's probably not the best option. It's a much more difficult shot to make, and overall, you'll probably have much more success aiming for the bottom corners. This isn't the worst thing you can do, but if you want to make it to the top level, sometimes the Hollywood shot isn't always the best one to make. So number 18 is letting the ball bounce. Let me explain. So if the ball's coming towards you in the air, letting the ball bounce gives the opposition players more time to intercept. It's not the worst thing you can do, but if you want to play at a higher level, you need to come and meet the ball and control it before it hits the floor. Now, as you can see, I'm in the boot room, and this is the perfect place to talk about our next football mistake, and that is buying boots based off your position. Just because you're a winger, that doesn't mean you've got to wear mercurials. Try on loads of different types of boots, even if they don't match your position, and wear what's comfortable for you. Next up on the list is the stutter penalty. This means stopping during your run-up or fainting to kick the ball. This is a banned move, and it's one that goalkeepers and referees absolutely hate. But does it actually give you an advantage? I got pro keeper Conor O'Keefe in goal and took 10 normal penalties and 10 stutter penalties. With normal pens, I scored seven out of 10, and stutter penalties scored me six out of 10, so not a huge difference. Definitely one I would avoid. So should it still be illegal in your book? Yes. So number 14 is chasing after the football. When defending, a lot of people make the mistake of having tunnel vision on the ball. This means you end up running around, chasing the football, wasting energy, and it's easier for the opponents to play the ball around you. Instead, try jockeying the opponent and forcing them to make a mistake. So when you get back from a hard game or training session, you just want to sit down, relax, and recover. But there's one thing that a lot of us forget to do, which could save you money and also improve your performance on the pitch. Look, mistake number 13 is one that I'm guilty of myself, and that is not cleaning your football boots, and there's a few reasons why it's really important to do this. So not cleaning your football boots actually reduces their lifespan, and they'll show signs of wear and tear much quicker. They won't look as good, and the manager definitely won't be impressed if you turn up to match day wearing these things. But most importantly, it may be affecting your performance. We all like to wear light football boots, so I weighed the boot when it was clean. It was exactly 200 grams, and then I weighed it again after playing on a muddy pitch. It weighed 272 grams, which is almost one third of extra weight. So clean your football boots, and you might just feel a little lighter on your feet. Now, coming in at number 12 is focusing too much on individual achievements. Football is a team game, and although a trophy like this would be nice, the squad has to come first. So putting your own achievements first could lead to your team missing out on a goal because you're being too greedy with the football. So don't be that guy and put the team first. Now, the next mistake is actually a really common one that a lot of people don't think about, but it can be really affecting your performance, and it's to do with the football. And that is not pumping your football to the correct pressure. It seems obvious, but it's actually a big mistake that a lot of people make. Football's are designed to be pumped up, and many of us don't always make sure that it's at the correct pressure. You can see, look at that. That is just a completely different feeling, and that's not gonna help you training with a ball like this. Using a flat ball is a completely different feeling, and when you get to match day, the ball will feel very different to kick, meaning you're gonna have a hard time judging the weight of your shots and passes. So make sure you train as you play and pump your ball up properly. Now, the next big mistake a lot of footballers make is wearing the incorrect sole plate. The sole plate is the type of studs that you wear, and there's a few reasons why it's important to wear the correct ones. Firstly, if you're using something like this on a muddy pitch, you're gonna be slipping and sliding all over the place. But more importantly, number two, wearing the wrong sole plate can cause more injuries, specifically ACL knee injuries. For example, if you're wearing metal studs on AstroTurf, they're more likely to get caught and snag on the ground, and if this happens when turning, it could put you out of action for months. So make sure your studs match the surface you're playing on. Coming in at number nine is overtraining. Now, I was surprised to see this on the list, but then I saw the reasons why. Now, obviously, it's good to work hard and push yourself physically, but training too much without proper recovery can increase the risk of illness and injury, can cause fatigue, and also decrease endurance, which will impact performance on the pitch. One study found that it can take a Premier League footballer 48 hours to recover from a match. So pro clubs obviously will put a lot of time into giving their players the best recovery possible. So work hard, but make sure you give your body proper time to recover. Number eight on the list of the worst things that a footballer can do is not training your weak foot. Now, this one makes sense. A lot of us only like to practice with our strong foot, but that's only using 50% of our potential. Being able to use your weak foot is one of the simplest ways to improve your game, but it's something that many people ignore. I did a dribbling test, going around cones with just my strong foot, and also using both feet. And as you can see, using both feet allowed me to complete the course far quicker. So if this doesn't prove the advantage of training your weak foot, then I don't know what does. So number seven on the list is cheating and using banned items. And I think we all expected this on the list at some point. Cheating is considered unsportsmanlike and can undermine the spirit of competition. The punishment can mean being suspended for up to four matches, or incurring monetary fines. And to show you an example of cheating in football, I bought Stick'Em. Stick'Em is a banned grip enhancer that basically turns goalie gloves into magnets. It was used a lot by NFL players in the 1980s, but was banned because it made catching the ball too easy. I got pro keeper Connor O'Keefe to test it out and see how much of an advantage it really gives you. I mean, you'll definitely catch everything. I'm not surprised it's banned. I'll put it that way. I'm not even trying to hold it. It's just staying. And you can hear it like. So as you can see, it was crazy how sticky this stuff was, but it just gives you a good example of why cheating and using banned items is on this list, as it's really not in the spirit of the game. Shin pads are the most important bit of kit you can wear when it comes to lowering the risk of injuries on the pitch. They can reduce the force of an impact by up to 93%. And it's against the rules of the game to play without them. So they are there for a reason. And when you get a stud to the shin, you'll be glad you put them on. So number six is diving. And I'm sure most of you expected this to be on the list. It's becoming more and more prevalent in the modern game. And it's just something that every football fan hates to see. Let's be honest, diving makes you look like an idiot and it's very unsportsmanlike. And you can now get a one-match suspension for it. So don't be that guy and stay on your feet. This is one that I think every football fan will agree with. Right, so next up, we've got a mistake that could potentially put you out of action for months. And that is not warming up. I've just got to the pitch. Let's get straight to playing. Now, a lot of us are guilty of putting our boots on and instantly smashing balls about and doing sprints without a proper warmup. But not warming up properly will greatly increase the risk of injury. And you'll also not be as sharp on your toes. I tried pinging a few balls about without warming up and I could see why this was on the list. And something that you should definitely be avoiding. All right, I'm going to pull a hammy if I'm not careful here. So make sure you get a good warm-up in by doing proper dynamic stretches like this. Next up is eating an unhealthy diet. Now, of course, having one doughnut here and there isn't going to hurt. But if you're constantly fuelling your body with unhealthy foods, that's going to affect performance on the pitch and more importantly, your overall health. This one's obvious. What you put into your body is what you get out of it. So number five is something that could give you a three-match ban or maybe even worse. And that is dangerous tackles. Not respecting the safety of your opponents is something that no one wants to see and could potentially end a career of an opposition player. Obviously, sometimes you can't help accidentally making a poor challenge, but excessively dangerous play is something that should be avoided and it'll get you an instant red card. Now moving on to number two, which is being lazy and missing training sessions. In 2012, Mario Balotelli got a £340,000 fine when he missed training sessions because he was out partying. Not being disciplined and no showing to training sessions is something that no football club will stand for. So clubs will often hand out heavy fines for this. And number one, it should be obvious, but it's being disrespectful on the pitch. Being respectful to your opponents when you step on the pitch is the bare minimum. Of all the research I did, being disrespectful and more specifically spitting seemed to come out on top. Not shaking hands and verbal abuse were also included in this. And that is why it topped the list. I hope this video was informative and let me know in the comments if you think there was anything that I missed off.