The Sweep and Stepover – Step By Step Soccer Moves

Last Updated on October 12, 2010 by Jimson Lee

Last week, Guest Blogger Niv Orlian wrote the article Speed and Endurance in Soccer Conditioning. Today he writes about Step By Step Soccer Moves, in particular The Sweep, The Stepover and the Double Stepover.

How To – Step By Step Soccer Moves

Ever wondered what makes great soccer moves actually great? Is it their quickness, is it the outstanding ball control that the dribbler needs to possess in order to pull them off, or is it simply seeing the look on the poor defender’s face when he gets his ankles twisted by the move?

I’ll tell you what makes them great: it’s the countless hours that those outstanding dribblers out there put in their practice that allow them to perform seemingly impossible moves with the ease of a rabbit hopping uphill. If you ever dreamt of being able to perform such great soccer moves, you’ll have to work hard to get them. And you can do so with the help of the following step by step soccer moves guide.

Step by Step Soccer Moves – The Stepover and Double Stepover

This move has an affinity for players named Ronaldo (or is it vice-versa, I can’t remember), since both of today’s popular Ronaldos, the Brazilian striker – Nazario da Lima – and the Portuguese winger – Cristiano – tend to use it as their trademark move. It’s one of the advanced soccer moves you’ll be practicing, so don’t expect it to be snap-easy to master. Here’s how to perform the stepover, step by step (don’t worry, it takes fewer steps to perform it than the amount of steps in this sentence):

• Step 1 – Get the ball close to your feet and have it slowly move forward, towards the direction you’re facing.
• Step 2 – With your left foot, hover over the ball in a circular motion and plant it on the left side of the ball.
• Step 3 – With the other foot, cut the ball to the right and go past your opponent.

Notes: Obviously, you can switch feet, I just used left first and right for the cut for clearer explanation purposes. If you want to perform a double stepover, or a triple stepover, instead of cutting with the base foot, you can use it to hover over the ball again and so forth.

Step by Step Soccer Moves – The Sweep

Another advanced soccer move that won’t be easy to master, but then again you’re not here for your average stop and go. This move is extremely spectacular and at the same time effective. It can be used to great effect on the wings, or in the center of the park, to get past your direct opponent. It’s harder to perform on the edge of the penalty area, or inside it, because it’s a lot more crowed there.

This great soccer move doesn’t really have a player that you could say branded it, although Robbie Van Persie of Arsenal recently scored a magnificent goal in a match against Internazionale Milano with the help of a sweep dribble. But here’s the step by step on it:

• Step 1 – Position yourself as you would pass the ball or shoot, with your base foot closer to the ball.
• Step 2 – With your other foot, simulate a pass or shot.
• Step 3 – When your faking foot reaches the ball, drag it along sideways, opposite of your base foot.

Notes: This is so efficient because the opponent will not know if you pass, shoot or dribble until you have already performed the dribble. For this to be completely effective, make sure you sweep the ball across in Step 3, not kick it in that direction, as dragging it gives you some precious time.

These advanced soccer moves are still quite situational, because you’ll need to have your opponents at a certain distance and position. For general purposes, a few easier dribbles such as the V-move, the stop and go or the fake shot will probably work better, but if you can pull off any of the advanced soccer moves above, you’re bound to get a standing ovation and possibly an assist or a goal, because they’re very surprising.

Niv Orlian is the author and the owner of a Soccer Fans website that provides information on various topics related to soccer.

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