Looking up before you receive the ball: an essential quality.
Do you often focus more on the ball than everything that's happening around you? You're not alone in doing that.
There are a lot of things you need to take into account, though, and they vary from position to position.
If you're a defender, you need to position yourself in relation to your goal (I'm sure your coach has already spoken to you about the need to be goalside of the ball), the ball itself, where the opposition players are and the runs they make, and where your fellow defenders are (if you're looking to play offside).
If you're a forward, the opposition goal will be your point of reference. You'll also need to assess the position of the opposition defenders and goalkeeper and what they're doing and know where your team-mates are. They might be waiting to run on to a cross, for example.
If you play midfield, you'll need to take all these things into account because you'll have all the opposition players around you. That's a lot of people. Regardless of the position you play in, the most important thing is to assimilate this information as quickly as possible so you can do the right thing at the right time and get your team on the move. After all, modern football is all about making quick transitions from defence to attack and vice versa.
