I read two articles on action and motion. Here’s what I got from it:

If you want to freeze the action in a photo, you need a fast shutter speed. On the other hand, if you want to add motion, slow down the shutter speed. Moving with your subject in focus gives directional blur that emphasizes movement. If the sport is being held outside during overcast conditions or indoors with consistent light, consider using manual exposure mode for more reliable and consistent images. The location you’re at is important as well. You would typically want the players coming towards you instead of away.

For motion blur, you want to use a slow shutter speed. The slower the subject, the slower the shutter speed needs to be. How much light there is in the scene matters as well. A longer shutter speed lets more light into your camera. You should try to stabilize your camera as well because if not the entire picture will be blurry, not just the subject. Use a smaller aperture, decrease your ISO, and try a neutral density filer if there is too much light.