The Most Important Thing

Throughout this 3v3 blog, I’ve discussed several skills and strategies to help coaches prepare players for 3v3 tournaments; but the most important thing coaches can do is prepare players for life.

I try to instill the value of practice by showing how all the successes on the field directly relate to the amount of hard work and effort put in. I remind players of what they were like when they first started or what happened when they first tried a fancy move they since mastered; and I explain how all these same principles, regardless of soccer, can apply to other areas of their life. To achieve dreams, set goals and work hard; but to really enjoy achievements, they should follow the path of a good person.

It’s sad to see what some coaches teach their players. Perhaps they don’t realize the influence they have. I’ve had opponents disqualified when I proved their players were overage. (The head coach of my son’s team tried to place an overage player on our team, claiming it was okay because the player wasn’t good. I removed my son from that team and started my own.) I get frustrated if coaches don’t speak up to rectify blatant rule violations. In one game, a referee reversed three blatant calls against us when I showed him the rules sheet, but instead of the other team helping, the coach remained silent while his parents yelled at me and asked the referee who was calling the game. The coach knew the rules, yet he refused to help. On the other hand, I’ve often sided with opponents. For example, I saw an opponent’s player cross midfield, shoot and score, tying the game against us, but the referee couldn’t remember if the player had crossed the line so he disallowed the goal. The other coach argued, and I spoke up on his behalf. They got their goal. We still won the game, and it showed my players we could be honest and still win. At one Nationals, one of my players got a yellow card; but the father wanted his son to switch jerseys with another player in case his son got a second yellow and would have to sit out games. I told the father, “If your son gets another yellow, he will sit out.”

If coaches allow cheating and dishonesty, their players will think it is okay to cheat in other areas of life. Always remember the influence a coach can make. Teach your players to win the right way.

[I hadn’t planned on writing another entry, but I discovered some of my old rival teams recently having players thrown out of games and their teams disqualified. They often asked my teams to join them or for me to help train their players; but I always refused, not because they were rivals, but I didn’t want my players to catch their ideology. This week my son disqualified himself from a golf tournament after he realized the scorecard he signed was three strokes better and would have placed him with the leaders. While I wasn’t happy he assumed the other boy had written the scores correctly, I was proud that he came forward, because no one would have known otherwise. I take that back. He would have known. And I can’t help to think that the way we played soccer all those years influenced his behavior.]

3v3 Soccer Tips

3v3 is a skills game, hence my focus on 1v1 skills that teach touch, because touch is key in 3v3. If players can’t receive the ball and control it quickly, they waste valuable time collecting the ball, which allows the defense to come closer and reduces the time for scanning the field for options. Controlling the ball quickly makes your team faster and more effective. I’ve attached examples of exceptional control: Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldinho and Cruyff...



Learn to perform 1v1 moves fast or on the move so the defense doesn't catch you from behind.

When in Doubt, kick it Out.

On defense, contain and wait for separation; don't stab.

Forwards shouldn’t stand behind their opponent’s back player for a cross. If the back player stops the ball, your forward is now out of the play. Instead, be ready to collect any rebound off the back player.

Let the ball go out if your momentum will take you off the field. Trying to keep the ball in while you leave the field sets up a 3v2 scenario for the other team.

For really young teams, your back player should stand offset of the goal, so a missed back pass doesn’t accidentally roll in.

Shots on goal from opponent's free kicks or kick-ins that aren't touched twice can be allowed to go directly into your goal rather than risking a missed touch that accidentally deflects into your own goal. If they kick the ball in, it's a goal kick. If your player touches it, it's an own goal.

Refrain from shots or crosses from your opponent's corner as intercepted balls mean a 3v2 scenario for your opponent.

If you see a foul, continue playing (or kick the ball out) until you hear the ref's whistle. (I've seen players stop playing and allow a score because they expected a whistle that never came because the ref didn't see the foul.)

For 2v1 backdoor plays, dribble wide to open the back door.

If a forward loses the ball, they must RUN back on defense.

Forwards don’t stand wide when the other team kicks off or your opponents can simply dribble up through the middle.

On defense, if a player is chasing a ball and coming toward you, if you can time your lunge to get to the ball first, cut to either side. Some players kick the ball into the opponent’s legs and the ball bounces behind the defender.

Recruit Fast, Focused Players. [Great players often play-up, so don't forget to search older age brackets.]

If two defenders are on you, what does that mean? A teammate is open!

On sideline restarts, your back player should not take the kick, especially sending a crossing pass. I've seen far too many balls intercepted and shot on open goals.

Don't get down if your opponents score. 3v3 Soccer is a fast-paced, high-scoring game.

Each 3v3 tour has its own set of rules with some differences. Be sure your players know the differences.

Good Luck!

Backdoor Drill

This drill teaches players to work together to perform a backdoor play while also teaching your back player to stay disciplined and force the pass.

Required: Four players (Prefer: 3 players and 1 coach), one soccer ball and one goal.

Setup: Two players are forwards and side by side, while the remaining two players (one of the coaches) are on defense, one in front of the other (the coach up front so he or she can coach).

Drill: The object is for the two forwards to work the ball between the coach and back defensive player while the back player simply stays between the ball and the goal. [Remind the back player that in a game, he or she is responsible for the player with the ball, and that teammates are responsible for running back and cutting off passing lanes; but for this drill, the top defense player will NOT be running back and the back player will REMAIN back; but in a game, the back player can run forward to stop this. In a game, the back player’s job is to force a pass and not allow a direct shot into the goal.]

When the forward with the ball approaches the first defender, he or she has two options: 1) if the defender pushes up, simply pass the ball to his or her teammate and run past the first defender; or 2) if the defender cheats to block the pass, dribble around the defender toward the goal. Once the first defender is beaten, with either a pass or a dribble, the player with the ball should dribble wide (away from his or her teammate) to force the back player to move to one side, thus opening the backdoor. From this position, the player with the ball has two options: 1) pass the ball to his or her teammate who should one touch the ball into the goal; or 2) if the defender moves to stop the pass, simply shoot straight into the goal. [While your defender is taught to stay between the goal and ball, opponents often start this way, but after scoring several backdoors, they will often try to anticipate and stop the pass. Your forwards should be ready for this and simply shoot into the open goal.]

Soccer Games

Here are some fun games that teach skills...

1) Soccer Tennis

Set up a rectangle with cones or paint, ten by twenty yards is fine, and place a barrier, preferably a low net, across the middle.

The object is to kick the ball across the net before the ball touches the ground after the ball bounces off the ground or after an initial touch. Players are allowed to juggle as long as desired as long as the ball doesn’t touch the ground.
Scoring is similar to volleyball. My players loved 1v1, 2v2 and sometimes we made the field larger for more players.

2) Two-touch Showdown

This is a game between two players. A soccer ball and three cones are needed for this game.

Position the cones in a triangular shape, about two to three feet apart.

The first player gently taps the ball through the cones to the second player. The second player has to send the ball back through the cones but cannot go through the two cones from which the ball just came through, and the player only gets two touches to perform the maneuver.

Hints: 1) the first touch is crucial in that the player should touch the ball to one side. 2) if the first touch is poor and the player is fairly close to the cone, the player can take a large step and push the ball with the other foot, ankle flicking it through.

Here’s an example of my boys playing two-touch showdown...



3) Soccer Marbles

This is like a soccer game on a field except every player has their own soccer ball and the goals are cones inside the field, similar to hockey or lacrosse. Another ball is used for the game ball.

Players kick their ball, and only their ball, to strike and move the game ball toward their opponent’s goal. [The reason I suggest goals is that players should be able to come through the goal, with their ball, to stop opponents.]

This can be played 1v1 too.

4) Bocce Soccer

This is played similar to the Italian game on an open field, except you use eight soccer balls for the bocce balls and one mini soccer ball for the pallino, and you kick the balls rather than throw them. The game is played with two, four, or eight players.

Ideally, players should be able to tell their soccer balls apart from the other players, i.e. one person uses colored balls while the other uses white balls, etc...

At random, choose a player to kick the pallino (mini soccer ball). The same player will kick his first soccer ball. The purpose of the game is to get your soccer balls as close to the pallino as possible. After the first player has kicked his soccer ball, he is considered “inside” because his ball is closer to the pallino than anyone else. All other players are considered “outside.” Whenever a player is considered “inside,” he forfeits his turn kicking. All “outside” players take turns kicking their soccer balls until one of theirs gets closer to the pallino than the “inside” player.

After all players have kicked, the player that is “inside” is awarded points. One point is awarded to this player for every ball that is closer to the pallino than his closest competitor's ball. After points are awarded, the frame is complete. Start a new frame by electing a new person to kick the pallino and to kick the first soccer ball. A game is won when a player reaches 13 points.

3v3 Soccer Shadow Scrimmage

This is the fastest way to teach younger kids how to play, i.e. where to go and set up. Basically, every player has one coach or an older player on the field, running with the player, directing exactly how and what the player should be doing.

This is a small post; but shadow scrimmages are really good for improving your team quickly.

Cool Passing Drill

This is somewhat of a complicated drill but really cool once your players get it. It teaches quick passing and movement with quick thinking.

Required: Five players and one ball (four cones are optional)

Setup: Set four players (or cones so players can remember where to go) in a square shape. [HINT: First-timers should make the square large as it will make this drill easier. The better your players get, the smaller you can make the square.]

Drill: To start, the fifth player runs to the corner, the one with the ball. The corner player passes back to the running player, then turns and runs to the next spot (or cone). While on the run, he or she will receive a pass and pass it to the player opposite of the cone he or she just ran from. Continue this progression. [HINT: going counterclockwise is easier for righties and going clockwise is easier for lefties, so be sure to change directions.]

I’ve attached a graphic with numbers (when things should happen) to help you visualize this drill.

Freestyle Backstop

[I usually set this drill up for early arriving players.]

Required: A backstop, three goals and a ball.

Setup: A player stands with a ball in front of the backstop. The goals are positioned on either side and behind the player.

Drill: The player kicks the ball into the backstop. When the ball returns, the player can one- or two-touch the ball into any of the three goals. I encourage fancy touches.

Here’s my son showing a fancy through the legs redirect... (I didn’t setup goals for the clip, but I think you get the point.)

1v1 Nutmegs

[WARNING! Nutmegs (sending the ball through an opponent’s legs) are dangerous because the player starts losing the ball after multiple successful nutmegs. Nutmegs will become one of your team's favorite moves and your players will keep trying it over and over again. I have to tell my players that beating opponents wide can set up a nutmeg, and that you cannot keep going back to the nutmeg. Nutmeg is a seasoning. For best results, use sparingly!]

One method that works surprisingly easy is: Brush, Brush, Tap, all with the same foot. So, if the player is using their right foot, the player will brush the ball to his left, twice, and as the defender moves and his legs start to open, the player taps the ball with the outside of his right foot.

Here’s a clip of my son showing this technique, followed by various clips of other nutmegs, including several by Pelé...



HINT: The easiest way to get a nutmeg to work is to get the defender moving and then passing through the defender’s legs while they are still closed. Many times when players try to pass through open legs that are moving, the legs are usually closed by the time the ball gets there.

1v1 Defensive Tips

I’ve noticed that most of my posts have been offense oriented. Of course, 3v3 Soccer is a skills game that is fast paced and high scoring. When great teams play, it's rare to see scores like 5-0. They are usually 7-5, so teams shouldn't get down if they allow a score. Teams need to learn how to score, and score often; however, here are some defensive tips to help your players in 1v1 encounters.

1) Contain. (i.e. don’t stab)

Most defenders rush in. Against a good dribbler, defenders get beat quickly. While it is okay to rush over to get into position, the defender should slow just before he or she reaches the dribbler.

2) Wait for Separation

Once in position to challenge, the defender should wait until the dribbler has pushed the ball away from his or her body, e.g. the dribbler is no longer touching the ball. That is when the defender should attack.

So, if the defender is touching the ball, CONTAIN and WAIT FOR SEPARATION. Once the ball has separated from the defender, ATTACK!

In 3v3 soccer, if your opponents have a fast break against your back player, he or she should time their attack to coincide with separation and never run backwards. In one Nationals, we took a guest player (which I don’t recommend as mistakes will be made by the new player), but this player was really skilled, although on his other team, he played the back position by always standing in front of his goal. We made it to the finals, and ended up losing 6-4. [Incidentally, the team we lost to, took some of our plays from the previous year, which didn’t bother me except for the fact that they were running our plays better than us!] Two of their goals were directly attributed to the new player’s mistakes. 1) He forgot to do the switch and kicked it to a marked player who wasn’t expecting the ball. The other team intercepted and made a long shot. 2) The other team got a lucky bounce and was able to have a 2v1 fast break on this new player who ran backwards and of course, the good team scored. The problem was that this 2v1 scenario would never have happened had he gone for the ball instead of running backwards and giving up ground. When the ball first bounced, it was going away from the other team and toward my defender who could have easily swooped in and taken the ball, i.e. cut to either side, and then passed the ball up and we would have been the team with the 2v1 scenario. But this player wasn’t accustomed to attacking since his usual team didn’t play pressure man. He was used to running backwards any time opponents attacked. When I tried to explain that, he got mad saying he couldn’t guard two players. He missed the point. If he had taken the ball when it was available to do so, he wouldn’t have needed to guard two players.

3) When balls are coming toward you, and there is separation, when you get to the ball, cut to either side. Refrain from kicking into the opponent’s legs as this can cause the ball to deflect behind you. (This is a common mistake for young players.)

4) Refrain from flinching or spinning away when the attacking player kicks the ball. (Another problem for young players.)

5) Come out from the goal. Players that back up into the goal actually make the goal larger, giving the attacking player more area to score. Pushing out reduces the size of this area.



6) For corner kick defending near the goal, your players should stand goal-side and shoulder to shoulder with their marks, pushing their shoulder against the opponent's shoulder thereby impeding them as the ball is kicked in.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I’ve attached a video clip of Carles Puyol, known for his defensive prowess. My favorite clip is after his goalie is beaten and it’s just him protecting his goal. The forward hammers the ball, and instead of flinching, Puyol actually moves toward the ball...



Note: Don't forget you can turn your defense into a counterstriking offense if you have fast players and your opponents have pressed too far upfield. Once your team steals the ball, your player can send a backspinning ball toward the opponent's goal.

Sideline Cover - the quick way

I always brought chairs or a bench for my substitution players to sit on as they waited on the sidelines; but setting up a tent and moving it from game to game wasn't ideal. We usually set up a tent for a base camp, but used a large umbrella (6 to 8 feet) for sidelines.

The quickest and easiest way I found to set up an umbrella was using a lawn anchor found at theearthworm.com. It takes about 20 seconds to set up or take down. I mention it because teams often asked me where I got my umbrella holders.

Gauntlet Drill

This is an offense focused drill using 1v3 and 2v3 scenarios.

Required: Cones or field paint, a goal, one ball and at least five players.

Setup: Use cones or field paint to create three rectangles, one next to the other, and place a goal at one end. The rectangles can be 10 by 20 yards. Each rectangle has one defender who has to stay in his or her rectangle. The goal can be set back, a few feet from the last rectangle, or you can make a box that the defender cannot go in.

Drill: In 1v3, one player starts opposite the goal and tries to dribble through the gauntlet of defenders, using moves, to score a goal on the other side. In 2v3, two players use one ball to dribble and pass through the gauntlet to score a goal. Your team should see that it is much easier to score as a team. If a defender tries to block the pass, your player should dribble around the defender. If the defender challenges, the player should pass. Don’t forget to rotate your players.



Incidentally, when I asked my son if he could remember some of the games our team played, he mentioned the gauntlet. I tried to tell him it was a drill not a game, but he insisted it was a game.

More, simple, fun, and effective drills...

1) Turn and Shoot

All players stand by their ball, in a line, with their backs to the coach. Without the players looking, the coach places a cone on the ground, runs off and yells, “Go!” All the players turn, find the target and shoot. The first ball to knock the cone over gets a point for that player, but in order to score the point, the ball cannot be the last ball. In other words, if every ball, except the last ball, misses, no point. Trick players by placing the cone off the ground, in the net, or on top of a goal.

2) Redirect (with a ball chaser)

Two coaches stand somewhat apart and in front of the first player who is standing in a line, the other players waiting their turn. The first coach passes or tosses the ball at the player who must redirect the ball to the second coach. If the second coach catches or stops the ball, he tosses or passes the ball back to the player who redirects the ball to the first coach. If either redirect misses a coach, the player becomes the ball chaser and must collect the errant ball. The chaser waits by the coaches until there is a new ball chaser before getting back in line. [Hint: Start with easy passes, then you can move to bounced passes and/or headers.]

3) Ball Brushing Roundup

Bring many different kinds of balls: tennis (if the grass is cut low or indoor), bocce, mini and normal soccer balls. Start players off with two of the same size balls. Players are required to brush both balls forward, one with the left foot and one with the right foot, by stepping on the top and slightly rolling each ball forward, about ten or more feet, and then back again. After that, players use balls of different sizes, e.g. a bocce for the right foot and a mini for the left foot, etc... Once they get that down, add another ball.

My son showing examples of ball brushing...



4) Touch-Step Dribbling

To teach players to keep the ball close, have them dribble across the field with a ball by alternating touching the ball forward with one foot while stepping forward with the other, i.e. touch, step, touch, step, touch, step, etc... Inexperienced players often kick the ball forward and then run after it (kick, step, step, step, kick, step, step, step, etc...); however, to be able to move through traffic more easily and do moves on a whim, players should learn how to run fast while touching the ball forward so that the ball remains close at all times.

5) Dribbling Race

Set up cones in a line, for dribbling through, and additional paired cones, like flags in slalom skiing, in a similar pattern and number on either side.

Have one player stand at each end with a ball. On the coach’s signal, the players dribble through the course toward each other, passing their opponent on the way to the other side. The first one to reach the other side, wins. If someone misses a cone, they must return to complete that cone or else their finish doesn’t count.

Sometimes we hold a mini tournament to determine a dribbling champion. [HINT: a fun and fair way to seed players for brackets of any mini tournament, i.e. dribbling or 1v1, is to use juggling. Each player is asked to juggle. The player who gets the most touches is seeded number 1. Ties have a juggle-off until everyone is seeded.]

5) Obstacle Course

We sometimes hold timed races through on obstacle course. My typical obstacle course consists of:

i) cones, for dribbling through;

ii) golf clubs set across the tops of two spaced apart cones, so that the ball can roll under the golf club while the player jumps over the golf club;

iii) crossing a line (similar to the 3v3 soccer midfield line) and taking a long shot into a goal. If the player misses, he or she still has to collect the ball to continue;

iv) chipping and jumping over a small object like a cooler or kid’s chairs;

v) wall passes against cinder blocks

I set up four cinder blocks set apart, two on the left and two on the right, like this _–_– , set narrow enough so a player can dribble in a straight line through the middle of the cinder blocks, passing the ball against each cinder block. My son showing an example of going through cinder blocks...



Because cinder blocks are small, some players want to dribble right up to them so you might have to place cones so they'll wall pass around the cones; and,

vi) chipping over a tall backstop, into a goal. When the ball goes into the goal, the timing ends.

Each passed cone or dropped golf club adds 5 seconds to the timed total.

More 1v1 moves, EXPERT skill required...

[NOTE: In 3v3 soccer, your last player (defender) should refrain from risky moves unless they are very practiced. I constantly encourage the forwards to have fun with these fancy moves.]

Here are more, advanced moves my players had fun with. I'm not going to explain these moves because there are many tutorials on youtube that can show you how to do them, but this puts a name for the move if you want to find more examples:

1) Rabona, a cross-under kick that can allow you to be 45 degrees in front of the ball and still kick the ball forward.

My son showing a Rabona, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo, Pelé and Maradona...



2) Hocus Pocus, similar to the Rabona except a sharper cut that keeps the ball close to your body. Keeping your foot pointed toward the ground can help.

My son showing the Hocus Pocus, followed by Ronaldinho and Ronaldo...



3) Sombrero, a juggle that goes over your opponent’s head and you run around your opponent and collect the ball behind him or her. We practice this move by tossing the ball at the player while another player runs in.

My son showing a sombrero, followed by Robinho and Pelé...



4) Rainbow [Really cool if you can rainbow the ball over the defender and into a goal!]

Ilhan Mansiz rainbows...



5) Cow, a pass around the defender where the ball goes one way and the player runs around his opponent the opposite way to collect the ball behind his opponent. While this is a fairly simple move, the way Ronaldinho does it, receiving a pass and one touching the ball so it goes one way while he goes the other, that's beautiful...



6) Bicycle Kick

Maradona setting up his own bicycle kick and Pelé performing a common bicycle kick...



7) Scorpion Kick

Here’s a clip of René Higuita, the famous Columbian goalie, performing a scorpion kick as a ‘cheeky’ defensive maneuver, however this can be used anywhere on the field, including to score a goal...

Chaos dribbling drill...

This is another fun drill. It teaches keeping the ball close while dribbling through traffic.

Required: All players, the more, the better. Each player should have a ball. Parents can join in as well.

Setup: Make a square small enough to fit everyone in the drill (four cones will work). All players line up along the outside of the square, with all four sides having players.

Drill: When the coach says go, everyone dribbles through the square at the same time, weaving through traffic, to the other side and back again. You try to avoid all other players or balls. The first one back to where he or she started, with their ball, wins.

Variation: Instead of dribbling just once, you can have players dribble back and forth several times.

Hint: Players should keep the ball close, using all their dribbling skills, i.e. inside, outside, brushing, cuts, etc...

Running/throwing/dribbling drill...

This drill is one of the easiest, most fun, and effective drills you can run. Players absolutely love this drill and it teaches them to dribble without looking at the ball and running backwards.

Required: Two players and two balls.

Setup: The two players face each other, somewhat apart. The player who will start running backwards holds his ball while the other player will dribble his ball with his feet towards the backward running player.

Drill: When the player starts backwards, he tosses his ball at the dribbling player (like a basketball pass to the chest), who must catch the ball and toss it back while continuing to dribble after the player running backwards. Once they cross the field, the players run back in their same path and position, except now the player who started backwards is now the dribbler while the other player is only catching and tossing the ball.

This drill is even more fun when the players race against other teammates. I usually switch players around so they run with different teammates.

My sons showing the running/throwing/dribbling drill...

Practicing 3v3 Soccer: Structured Practices

I have six parts to my practices.

1) Dribbling and shooting, our warm-up.
I set up two rows of cones with a goal on each end. The players dribble through the cones and shoot at the goals. For dribbling we do many variations: a) any method, b) right foot only, c) left foot only, d) outside of feet only, e) brushing only, f) backwards, g) over the ball, etc… The key point in dribbling is keeping the ball close. The key point in shooting is looking at your target first before looking down at the ball.

2) Moves
Next I teach 1v1 moves by having them all stand in a line facing me, dribbling across the field and showing the move. I’ve already posted good 1v1 moves, but here are some warm-ups we do.



3) Drills
Here’s where we do simple drills, which I’ll go into more detail in the next post. Some of my favorites are gauntlet, obstacle courses, learning 3v3 plays, and running/throwing/dribbling.

4) 1v1
I make a very small field (like 20 yds x 20 yds), with goals. I throw in a ball, and the players, standing on either side of me, rush in and begin play. The focus is on seeing moves and good defending (no stabbing, but waiting for the player and ball to separate before attacking).

5) Scrimmage, Strategies or Games
Most of the time it is just a 3v3 soccer scrimmage. Before a tournament we focus on plays. For fun days, to change it up, I bring soccer tennis or we play sand soccer (playing on one side of a beach volleyball court), or other games I’ll go into more detail in another post.

6) Sprints - a few sprints after practice. Sometimes I teach proper running techniques, or they wear a harness and pull a weight while running.

As you can tell, my practices can run long, but I keep it fun by bringing many devices that keep practice interesting; the most important of these being goals, backstops and sometimes painting the field.

Having real goals instead of cones or orange flags makes practicing fun. Your players also get used to rebounds off the goal, which doesn’t happen with cones or flags.

A backstop (same as a baseball pitch back), allows players who are waiting in lines or waiting for 1v1 turns to juggle against the backstop. I also use the backstop for chipping over it, wall passes in drills, and a really fun pre-warmup drill for early arriving players, but I'll post that later.

Before tournaments, I come out early and paint actual fields on the grass, painting boxes in front of the goals as well. The fastest way to do this is to already have rope with loops in the correct length. (To make a loop, hold the rope in a loop shape and make a simple overhand knot.) All you need is one side of the field because you duplicate it, and you can use the tiny orange flags from Home Depot to hold the loops in the ground while you spray field paint next to the rope. I do the same with the box, but for circles, I place the end of a looped line in the middle of the circle, held in place by a flag, and with my hand holding the paint can and the rope, I make a circle by keeping the rope tight.

You'll notice I bring other items too, to make my practices fun; but I think that, and trying to teach fancy moves, makes them really like practice. I've often heard new players (who we invited to our practice) tell my players how cool our practices were. One player told me, “I like practicing with you.” A parent told me her son never talked about his other practices, but he always talked about what we did in ours.

Effective 1v1 moves, open field, EXPERT skill required:

[NOTE: In 3v3 Soccer, your last player (defender) should refrain from risky moves unless they are very practiced. I constantly encourage the forwards to have fun with these fancy moves.]

Again, these moves are somewhat complicated, but I’ll try my best to describe them. When executed correctly, spectators usually go wild!

1) Ronaldo. Named after the Brazilian. I’ve seen defenders actually turn and run in the wrong direction, completely baffled.

This move is like a pass to yourself. With your right foot forward and over the ball (and slightly in front of the ball), brush the ball back toward your left foot, which should be under your body, at the same time keeping your right foot forward and in the air. Your left ankle punches the ball forward (usually with a hop), toward the defender. Since your right foot is still hovering out in front, it can redirect the ball toward the left, right and even straight.

To practice this move, I have the player pass the ball back to himself, punch it forward and step on the ball. In other words, right foot passes back, left ankle punches forward, and right foot stops ball by stepping on it. This move is effective because defenders see the ball coming toward them and hear the kick, but at the last moment, your hovering foot redirects. And if you punch the ball, slightly angled toward the opposite direction of which you're really going to go, you can make the defender turn in the wrong direction.

Once you get it, this move is actually easier while on the run. My son showing the Ronaldo, followed by Ronaldo...



2) Pedalada. Robinho is the true master of this move, the multiple scissors.

The scissors is when your foot first moves behind the ball then around and out in front, coming to rest beside the ball again. A Pedalada is effective because your feet are moving around the ball and at anytime you can move your foot slightly and cut the ball with either your right or left foot, using the inside or outside of either foot. While this is a common move, most players kick the ball forward and then try to catch up to the ball to do their scissors. This isn’t ideal.

The best way to start a Pedalada, especially on a small field, is to stand over and slightly in front of the ball (your bottom over the ball), with one foot far forward. Your back foot brushes the ball forward and steps on the outside of the ball, thereby being the first scissor. In other words, you don’t need to send the ball first, your brush is what gets the ball rolling, and since you’re already over the ball, you’ve jumped right into your Pedalada thus eliminating the need for space.

My son showing the Pedalada, followed by Robinho...



3) Roulette. Zidane is the master of this move.

Some people call this the helicopter, where you spin over the ball. Most youth players do it incorrectly because they simply do a 360 over a ball that moves in a straight line. This move is more effective when the ball actually moves off path. And while a roulette can be done on the run, you can also do it from a stand still. This is the method I will describe.

Push the ball diagonally (forward/left) with the inside of your right foot, across your body and then stop the ball with your toe. The ball should be away from your body, your leg extended. Next, rake the ball back on the same path (diagonally back/right) with your right foot as you start to spin your body counterclockwise. As you spin, your left foot steps on the ball (that your right foot sent back) and brushes it forward/right. By now you should have spun about 330. You dribble in that new direction.

This move really works well when a defender challenges from the side. Your raking foot should be the one closest to your defender because you don’t want to shield the ball from your opponent. You're teasing them to go after the ball. So, if they come in from your right, you rake the ball back with your right, spin your back toward the defender, and cut in an angle somewhat in the direction your defender had just come from. This allows you to use their momentum against them, and use your spinning arms/elbows to push off your opponent.

My son showing the Roulette, followed by Zidane on the run...



4) Elastico. Ronaldinho is the master of this move. An optical illusion move where the ball appears stuck to the player's foot.

Stand behind the ball with your feet together. With your kicking foot, push the ball with the outside of your foot, away from your body. [HINT: It’s easier if you point your toes toward the ground.] As you push the ball, your pushing foot works its way around the ball. [HINT: Knicking the back edge of the ball with your foot is another way to get around the ball.] Once your foot is on the outside of the ball, cut the ball back with the inside of your foot.

My son showing the Elastico, followed by Ronaldinho...