Variation of the Stop & Go


Say you’re dribbling across the top of the box and someone overlaps you going in the opposite direction, fake like you’re going to lay the ball through to the overlapping player but continue to move forward instead of laying the ball off.

How should you fake? Fake with the shoulders, with your upper body and in the hips, rotate your body back like you’re going to turn just for a second to pass the ball and freeze the defender. This is much like the stop and go, but instead of putting your foot on top of the ball or pausing, you turn your body back for a moment to freeze the defender and then break in the same direction you were going.

Often this move is done with the inside of your either foot, whether it’s your left or your right. For instance, if you’re dribbling along with the outside of your left foot on the sidelines, try cutting the ball back with the inside of the right foot for a moment and then bring the ball forward again with the inside of your left foot.

The movement is sort of a click and then another click with the inside of your feet before dashing off with the outside of your left foot again. It’s two quick touches to throw the defender off. It’s just a fake like your going to turn back, and you move forward again, but you can also make it look like you’re going to ball the ball back to someone or to someone who is overlapping.

One of the great things about this variation of the stop and go is it enables you to protect the ball, since you’re shielding the ball with your body when you turn back like you’re going to make the pass.