Week 47: Feint Circuit & Dribbling

In football matches, including at higher levels, it is clear to see that the “classic” feints are used almost all the time. More unusual skill moves such as the rainbow flick can be seen now and then, but feints such as the step-over or the lunge have proven to be effective weapons in the attacking 1 vs 1.

Especially when dribbling to beat an opponent, the feints to use are those that can also be performed while dribbling at high speed, or that do not cost much dribbling speed. Because feinting usually becomes an end in itself and ineffective when strings of step-overs or complex feints mean that the player goes into the 1 vs 1 with far too little speed.

This session is about feints for dribbling to beat an opponent. The players are also given some room to try out more complex feints and to be creative themselves. However, the main focus will be on the well-known skill moves such as the lunge, the step-over or the shot feint.

Not only when dribbling to beat an opponent, but also when dribbling to keep possession, using feints can give you an advantage. Often it is only a matter of getting a little away from the opponent in order to carry out a follow-up action. Feints when dribbling to keep possession can help the players to open a passing lane, create a chance to finish, turn in front of an opponent, or simply buy time until a team-mate is available for a pass.

In dribbling to beat an opponent, the focus was above all on the step-over, the shot feint and the lunge. In dribbling to keep possession, too, we will concentrate on a few simple but effective skill moves:

• Scissors: one leg is moved around the ball from the outside to the inside. The move is therefore more or less the counterpart of the step-over. The important thing with the scissors is that the centre of gravity is shifted to the side of the standing foot. This makes the feint look even more convincing, and the opponent is wrong-footed. After the feint, the ball is taken with a change of pace using the outside of the foot that made the feint. Alternatively, a body feint can also be added after the scissors.

• Pass feint: in a pass feint, the opponent is shown a fake pass. It is important that the movement is almost identical to a “real” pass. The kicking leg is clearly drawn back and the upper body moves as it would for a pass. Just before the foot reaches the ball, the player starts a cutting movement. The cut can be made with the outside of the foot, the inside of the foot or behind the standing leg.

• Body feints/ lunges: in these feints, the centre of gravity is deliberately shifted to make the opponent expect a dribble in any given direction. Body feints are simple but incredibly effective skill moves. Players with a low centre of gravity in particular can use this feint to great advantage.