SIDELINE SCHOOL
Action: keep the ball in the frame
The strike, the dribble, the tackle, the save, the header. Burst, get low, and never lose the ball.
How to shoot it
- Step 1
Anticipate the plant, don’t chase the sprint
The interesting frame is the moment before contact — the last step, the swing, the dive. Pre-focus on the spot they are running into (the top of the box, the six-yard line) and hold burst as they arrive.
- Step 2
If you can’t see the ball, it isn’t an action shot
A kid running with the ball somewhere out of frame is a mid-distance sideline photo — the default, the one everyone already has forty of. Wait until the ball and the face are in the same rectangle.
- Step 3
Get low for the strike and the save
A shot from the turf makes a U-12 volley look like a Champions League still. Same for a keeper stretching. The header: be level with the box, not at halfway.
Pro tip
Burst mode, get low, keep the ball in frame.
The strikeThe dribbleThe tackleThe saveThe header