
A German player named Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (rhymes with “rutabaga”) is famous for this move. It’s similar to the scissors, but you fake behind the ball rather than around the front of the ball. This is a 2-foot move you’ll fake a kick with one foot, and then finish the move with the other foot. If you have a dog, let her be the defender! Can you fool the defender and get behind her?

(The “ snow cones” game has multiple goals, which gives the attacker a slight advantage and a chance to gain confidence.) The defender could be a sister, brother, parent or friend. When you’re ready for the next step, add a real defender and play 1v1.Give them a try - there are plenty more if you master all of them!) (We go into detail about each of these moves below. Two players dribble at each other, so this helps the players learn to judge when to start the move to avoid a collision with the other player. Here are some links to girls playing “ dribbling chicken” while practicing different moves to beat defenders: group demo #1 / group demo #2.This step allows you to figure out how much space you need to do the move without running into the defender. Once you understand the move, add an imaginary defender (this could be a tree, or your soccer bag, or a Christmas pineapple use your imagination.) Dribble toward the imaginary defender, do your move, and then explode past the imaginary defender.Start slowly, and as you start to get better at a move, try to go faster and faster until you can do the move at game speed. Just practice the move, trying to master the body motion and footwork. As you learn these moves, start in open space.And the reward is low - if your move is successful, you still have a long way to go before you can create a scoring chance for your own team. The risk is high - if you mess up, the other team can get a quick scoring chance. We don’t recommend trying these moves near your own goal. Reward: If you beat the defender, you create a good scoring chance.Risk: If you mess up and lose the ball, it’s not an emergency situation, because the other team has to go a long way to create a scoring chance of their own.Coaches call this “ the attacking third” of the field. (You don’t use your body to shield the ball like you do with dribbling turns and stop and go moves.) These moves are best used near the opponent’s goal. These moves are risky, because you “show the ball” to the defender and could easily lose it. Take a getaway touch in the other direction, pushing the ball at an angle behind the defender, and then change speed (“explode”) to beat the defender.Really exaggerate the fake! Done properly, this will cause the defender to freeze or get off balance. You want to trick the defender and make her think you’re going one way. Pretend to go one direction by either faking a kick or using a body turn.This will force her to move away from her current position, which creates open space on the other side of the defender. If you’re confident you have a move that will work in a specific direction, you may decide to dribble toward one side of the defender. This gives you options to beat her on either side. You’ll usually want to dribble toward the defender.


These are the players who make spectacular plays and either score goals or setup goals for teammates. The very best dribblers learn tricks (called fakes or feints) to get behind (beat) defenders who are blocking their path to goal. You also need moves to beat and get behind a defender so you can dribble toward goal, not just dribble away from a defender. If you’ve gotten good at dribbling turns and stop and go moves, you’re ready for the next step - moves to get behind a defender.ĭribbling turns and stop and go moves help you get away from a defender. Dribbling moves to get behind a defender:
