[dfwgator]

— In soccer, skill with the ball (dribbling, passing, etc.) takes a long time to master. Only a few NFL players ever get to touch the ball and even those whose livelihood depends on it need a helmet to aid them every now and then. And yes, handling an egg shaped “ball” is not easy, particularly when inflated to the proper pressure

Actually the skill is knowing what to do when you don't have the ball. A lot of very skilled players never make it, because they aren't good when they don't have the ball.

[Sine_Pari]

You are correct, I forgot to mention the importance of a player’s self awareness away from the ball.