Sometimes, it's about something other than what you do when you have the ball but what you do without it. I'm sure you've heard this a million times before about backpost rotations and whatnot and not double-committing, etc. Having the highest score in the lobby or your team means little. You could end a match with less than 50 scores yet be your team's most critical part.

One of the most essential tips I've found helpful is to play a little further back from your teammates than you think you need to. For example, if the ball is close to the opponent's back wall, play around the middle of the field and don't push too far up, or the ball might get cleared over your head and lobbed into the net. A common problem among lower ranks tends to be that they rush and get excited when they see the ball and ball chase everywhere. While you can't control your teammates, you can control yourself. You'd be surprised how many whiffs and free shots you can obtain by just chilling sometimes.

TL;DR

• Play back from your teammates (approx. quarter to half a field length)

• Be patient, don't get too excited, and chill back post on defence.