The Cruyff Turn

1.
2.
3.

Facing your opponent with the ball, position your body to

feign a cross or shot.
Then drag the ball with your foot behind your standing leg.
Turn and be on your way while the opponent is left flatfooted.

The Zidane Roulette/Maradonas 360 Spin Move

1.
2.
3.

While dribbling with the ball close to your body, turn to

shield the ball as you reach an opponent face-to-face.
With your back to the player, in the same movement, put
your foot on the ball and delicately bring it around with
you.
Leave the opponent trailing as you turn around his body.

The Shoulder Feint

1.
2.

Feign to go one way by dropping one shoulder as if

moving in that direction.
Then quickly go the other way and wrong-foot your
marker. This is best achieved with your back to the
opponent.

Stepover

Popularised initially by Pel, this move is extremely

popular in modern football and expertly utilised by
individuals like Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho:
1.
2.

Feign to move on way by flicking your foot fully over the

ball in that direction, but without actually touching the ball
at any point.
Then push the ball in the opposite direction and skip past
your marker.

The Matthews Move

Named after one of the most influential wingers in
football, Stanley Matthews, who was pivotal in establishing
wing play as a vital part of attacking. The Matthews move
is today a fundamental weapon in any wingers arsenal:
1.
2.

When facing a defender, push the ball slightly forward to

his standing foot.
Then instantly flick it horizontally down the wing and, as
hes wrong-footed, use your speed to waltz past him.

The Nutmeg
The nutmeg is the ultimate insult to an opponent and a
great, easy trick for beginners to learn:
1.
2.

When facing your opponent, allow him to set himself to

cover your attack.
Then take advantage of the gap between his legs, pass
the ball through them and skip around his body.

Nutmegged

The Pusks Move/The V-Move

Associated with the famous Hungarian forward Ferenc
Pusks, the v-move is perfect for improving your dribbling
and close control, as well as a great way for evading
tackles:
1.
2.

While in possession of the ball, drag the ball back with

your foot.
In the same movement, flick it forward at a 45 degree
angle (works particularly well if your opponent dives in for
a tackle).

The Elastico/Flip-Flap

Actually invented in the 1970s by the Brazilian Rivelino,

the move today is popularly associated with his
countryman Ronaldinho. The trick requires incredible
speed and flexibility, so dont expect to pick it up quickly!
1.
2.

Facing an opponent, flick the ball up to one side.

In mid-air, cushion the ball with the inside of your ball,
taking it the other way past your marker.

Because Carlos kicked the ball with spin on its right side,
after it had lost a certain amount of speed it began to drift
in the direction it was spinning. Physicists still do not
completely understand how such motion works, although
there are a lot of very complicated theories.
The principle remains true that to bend a ball like Roberto
Carlos did, you need to strike it off-centre and give it the
exact amount of power and spin required. Too much power
will result in too slow a bend; too little spin and therell be
no bend to speak of.
The direction of bend depends on the rotation of the ball.
A ball spinning clockwise will bend to the right; a ball
spinning anticlockwise will go left.

To spin a ball it is necessary to maintain contact with it for

longer than a straight punch. Practice is needed to
develop the right combination of power and friction from
the boot. Remember that the follow through will point
away from the target because the ball is struck at an
angle.
Bending can be less useful for passing because
teammates might be surprised by where the ball ends up!
Although hardly a necessary skill, bending shots provide a
potent finish to any offensive campaign. When theyre
executed with panache, they can quite demoralise the
opposition.