If you’re an avid soccer player, the likelihood is that you’ve mastered some of the basic footy moves and are looking to move to the next level.
Increasing your ball skills will quickly elevate you over your friends, who might be still focussing on getting the ball in the back of the net in the crudest way possible.
But luckily for the beginner ballplayers, there are plenty of pro-moves out there that you can learn that will make you look like a master. These moves not only look cool, but they will actually help you to improve your game.
Learning new skills will also increase your general confidence on the pitch, making you perform even your most basic skills with more accuracy and speed. Wonder how the pro players got so good? It’s by expanding their soccer repertoire to include moves such as the Ronaldo Chop, the Around The World and the Cruyff Turn.
However, football moves aren’t the best when they are simply described in an article. You need to see how they work, having them broken down visually piece-by-piece so that you can start slowly and then build up until you can execute them in exactly the same manner as the pros.
But where are the best videos that will help show you with the most accuracy the moves you want to know? Which moves do you want to learn to improve your overall soccer game? What is the difference between the Ronaldo Chop and the Maradona Turn? Which moves will best suit my skillset as a player?
Well, soccer fans the world over won’t have to worry anymore, because we’ve got an answer to all of those questions and more with our list of 10 easy soccer tricks and skills, both step-by-step and video tutorials. We’ll cover some of the best-known moves in the game, as well as accompanying videos that will show you how it’s done.
Our first soccer trick is one that has been made famous by possibly one of the greatest players in the world, Christiano Ronaldo. He utilizes his signature move to get past the defense, creating enough space for himself so that he can run with the ball. If you find yourself facing down a defender, this is a great trick to use.
Here’s a step-by-step that will give you a great idea of how this is done, wowing your teammates and opponents and giving you a great striking advantage:
Get into the position that you want to be in - you’ll want to be at a running speed at the start of this move, ideally with an opposing defender either to your side or slightly behind you. This makes the trick much more effective, throwing the defender off-balance.
Chop to the left with your right foot and chop to the right with your left - You must use the opposite foot to drive the ball in the direction that you want it to go. This means that if you want the ball to go to the left, use your right foot and vice versa.
At this point, you’ll need to jump - the chop move is achieved when both feet are in the air. Running and jumping with forward momentum with both feet off the ground, you’ll need to put your ‘chopping’ foot forward, with your other foot in front of you for support.
Start chopping - when you come back down to the floor, engage with the ball in a chopping motion with your chopping foot, almost as if you’re trying to slice off one edge of the ball. The ball should shoot off in the opposite direction of where you want your foot to go.
Follow the ball using your other leg - the other leg should also be hitting the ground. As soon as it does, use it to push yourself forward and follow the ball in the direction you’ve chopped it. At this point, the defender will have followed the misdirection of your chop and have dashed in the opposite direction.
This classic switcheroo should leave the opposing defense feeling slightly confused, running after a ball that isn’t there. You will also have created space in front of you where your ball and then hopefully yourself can travel.
With enough practice, you can be sure that you’ll be making the classic misdirection move that will put you in the same league as the great Christiano Ronaldo.
Our next move is something that might be very familiar even to the casual soccer fan, although it is actually one of the more complicated moves to pull off.
You might never use the Around The World move in an actual game, but it will certainly help improve your overall skill and the control that you have over the ball.
Watching the video above and following the steps below will give you a decent starting chance of achieving one of soccer’s most complicated moves:
Balance the ball on the top of your foot - this is the best way to start the Around The World, having it teed up on your own foot and using it to hurl it up into the air. This will give you control over the throw as well as the trajectory of the ball.
Bend your free leg at the knee - with the ball still balanced on the one foot, you’re going to need to crouch down with the other, bending the knee.
As you rise up from your squat, use the momentum generated to push your ball up in the air. Try and get the ball to rise no further than your waist, as you’ll want to circle your other leg over the top of it.
When the ball is away from your leg, curve your foot around it in an ‘around the world’ motion. Most players find that doing this clockwise helps you the most, as people who are right-handed work from left to right. Remember that lifting the ball off your foot and circling your foot around it should all be done in one continuous motion.
Once you’ve completed one motion, you’ll want to bring your foot underneath the ball just as it’s dropping back down to the floor. In this sense, you’re really “catching” the ball before it hits the floor again.
An around the world is quite a common trick, but it’s a perfect way to impress people if you’re having a static game of soccer with a few friends. It also helps improve your ball chopping and accuracy.
Elastico
This next move is a sped-up version of the one that we’re going to list below. The aim of this move is much the same as the Ronaldo Chop: basically, you’ll want to confuse the defender into believing that you going in the direction that you aren’t.
The Elastico requires you to flick the ball backward in a quick motion, except that unlike the Matthews Cut, you’re flicking the ball from the outside to the inside rather than the other way around.
Here follows a step-by-step of how to perform the Elastico move:
With the ball at your feet, tap it gently on the outside so that you can get it moving ahead of you slightly.
Once the ball is in motion, bring your foot around the back of it - in one continuous motion following step 1, keep your foot moving until it is positioned on the opposite side of the ball.
Once your foot has been placed on the other side of the ball, push it back the other way - using the inside of your foot, drive the ball back towards your body.
Remember to perform all of the above moves in one fluid motion. You can watch the video to see how it’s done. You need to flick the ball expertly and carefully, the misdirection of this move is dependent on its speed.
As mentioned above, the Matthews Cut is very similar to the Elastico, except this time you’re using your foot to push the ball from the inside to the outside in order to confuse an approaching defender.
This move was invented by the England international player Sir Stanley Matthews in the 1940s, being just a little touch that you can use to evade the tackle of an oncoming defender.
By following the next few steps and watching the video above, you should be able to get a clearer idea of how this move is performed:
This move should be performed while you’re running - pushing the ball across your body with the inside of your foot, you’ll want to gently guide it to the outside. Make sure that you do this softly, as you won’t want the ball to travel too far, just enough to trick the defender into thinking you’re going that way.
Now move the same foot quickly until it’s on the other side of the ball - before the ball scoots outside your reach and your kicking foot has to hit the ground again, tap the ball in the opposite direction.
Now all you have to do is push the ball in the direction that it came from. You might have to kick the ball a lot harder than you did the first time, as you’ll be wanting to get as far away from the defender as possible.
Run into the space that you have created with the ball at your feet.
This maneuver is very simple to perform, you can master it after just a few practices. This is an invaluable asset to have when playing a full team game, as it will help you evade tackles more effectively and create goal opportunities when you’re approaching the penalty box.
Roulette
Our next trick to use in the soccer arena is probably one of the most thrilling to perform, not only is it effective, but it is also pretty cool to look at. It will be a great learning curve for you to experience, improving your skills across the board.
Following these few simple steps will help you to master maneuvering yourself out of the way of oncoming attackers trying to tackle you and get the ball out of your clutches:
Firstly, you have to be running with the ball - a lot of this trick involves misdirection and using the oncoming player’s energy to get them moving in the opposite direction. You can perform this move standing still and we have seen it used to intercept a pass, but it is most associated as a move performed when running.
Push the ball to one side with your foot - this will all depend on which foot you find the most comfortable using. If you are right-footed, we would recommend punting the ball to the left and vice versa. Try practicing this move during training and seeing which feels more natural.
Step on the ball - if you pushed the ball with your left foot, then step on it using your left foot, the same applying if you pushed the ball with your right. Then drag the ball back. At the same time, we want you to pivot your body so that it is facing the opposite direction to your oncoming player.
When you’re spinning, yank the ball backward with your other foot. That is, using your left foot to drag if you stepped on it with your right foot and vice versa.
When you complete the 360-degree turn, allow the ball to roll out of your way. If you have timed this move correctly, the ball should now be traveling in the new direction that you are now moving.
This move is one of the more complex on this list, and we would certainly recommend watching the video before performing it. However, the sense of satisfaction that you will feel from performing it will be unparalleled, especially as you leave your defender looking confused meters behind you.
Now we’re covering a move first used by the legendary Brazilian soccer player, Maradona, which can be used perfectly to evade even the best defenders.
Following the video and our step-by-step instructions, you’ll be able to wriggle your way out of a tight position, especially if you’re being attacked by two defenders at once and are finding it hard to get out.
Start by running with the ball - ideally this is the best way to perform this move, using one fluid motion. However, you can perform it from a static position.
Touching the ball with the top of your foot, turn your body 180-degrees.
Now, transition the ball using the heel of the first foot to the inside of the second foot while both are in mid-air.
Now use the opposite foot to drag the ball forward, turning your body again so it is facing the original direction.
This is another wonderful move that is very fluid and should be used against a charging defender to throw him off balance, using his momentum against him.
You should not use this move when a defender is trying to delay you, as this won’t throw him much off balance. For the best results, you’ll want to achieve this movement in one forward motion.
It is worth practicing this difficult move as it will give you an advantage over most defenders that are prone to running attacks.
Next up we have quite a simple move that will work against most aggressive defenders who prefer the front-on attack. You should be able to slalom around most opponents with ease using this tactic. It is also great for cutting through multiple players one after the other.
Following this step-by-step guide and watching the video we’ve provided above should give you all you need to know to perform this simple but deadly move:
This move works best when you’re running with the ball - you should perform this move when the defender is about a few feet in front of you, giving you the ability to wheel out of the way at the last minute, leaving the opponent in a state of confusion.
Touch the ball slightly ahead of you - don’t boot it too far out of your reach though.
Scissor the ball using the same foot, before cutting it using the outside touch of your opposite foot.
This move works well because it is quick and seamless, almost making the opposite player believe they have taken the ball from you when they haven’t. This is because when you cut most players will think that you’re going to cut inside rather than outside.
Of all the moves we have on this list, we think this one is the best one for use by beginners.
Our next move is one that was utilized first by a player called Johan Cruyff, who pulled it off in the 1974 Fifa World Cup.
All he did was suddenly alter the trajectory of the ball by pulling it behind him, giving him the ability to swiftly get away from the oncoming defender.
This skill might take a bit of practice to get used to, but once you have it in your armory, your soccer playing abilities will be elevated to the next level, setting you apart from all the other players on the pitch.
You need to make it look like you’re about to kick the ball - this is the key to the misdirection that is inherent in this trick, as you’ll need to make it look like it’s going in one direction, when it is, in fact, going in another. You’ll need to arch your leg back as if you’re going in for that big kick.
When you bring your leg down, instead of kicking the ball, simply tuck it behind your other standing leg. You’ll be wanting the other player to believe you’re about to generate enough power for a big kick, but the reality is that you won’t be following through.
Using the inside of your foot, make sure to usher the ball back in the direction that it came from, tucking it behind your standing foot.
Now that the ball is rolling into a space behind you, turn your body around and follow it in the opposite direction to where you were supposed to be kicking it.
Hopefully, the result of this move will be that the defender coming towards you will start moving backward in the anticipation of the ball that is about to be launched over their heads. Instead, you will leave them momentarily destabilized as you rush in the opposite direction with the ball.
Our next move is another that is perfect for throwing off a defender, giving them a direction other than the one you plan on moving in. You can even use this one multiple times in a row, that’s if your opponent doesn’t get wise to your actions!
Start by dribbling the ball to your opponent - you’ll need to be moving forward with the ball at your feet at high speed. You can do this move when stationary, but it is far more effective in forward motion.
When you are a few feet away from the defender, place one foot around the ball - stepping over the ball, move your whole foot in the direction of the ball. This way you’ll really ‘sell’ your false movement to the defender.
Landing your foot, push back in the opposite direction - once the defender has started making a move in the first direction, it’s time to switch to the opposite direction.
Kick the ball into the space that the defender has left behind - the defender will take valuable seconds course-correcting while you move the ball behind and beyond him.
