Stop and Go Dribbling Moves

Dribbling: quick links

Dribbling stop and go moves:

If you’ve developed good dribbling control and changes of direction, you’re ready to learn some stop and go moves.

Stop and go moves:  You pretend you are going to turn the ball, but you finish the move by going in the same direction you were originally dribbling, only faster!

Use stop and go moves when you’re dribbling or running with the ball and a defender has just caught up to you and is beside you (on your shoulder). You stop the ball to freeze the defender, then push the ball past the defender and accelerate into space (“explode!”) to lose the defender before she can get back up to speed.

Like other dribbling moves, there are three parts to a stop and go move:

  1. Keep close control of the ball.
  2. Fake a change of direction. This is the “stop” part of the move. You can stop the ball or even just pretend you are going to stop the ball.
  3. Push the ball past the defender and accelerate into space (explode!). This is the “go” part of the move.

We have videos and descriptions of several different stop and go moves below. But we encourage you to be creative and come up with your own move!

The moves:

Learn step by step:

  1. As you learn these moves, start in open space. Just practice the move, trying to master the footwork.
  2. Once you understand the footwork, add an imaginary defender. This could be a tree, or your soccer bag, or a water bottle; use your imagination. Dribble toward the imaginary defender, do your move, and then explode past the imaginary defender.
  3. When you’re ready for the next step, add a real defender and play a 1v1 game, such as “electric fence” or “snow cones“. You can play against a sister, brother, parent or friend. If you have a dog, let her be the defender!

Basic stop and go:

This is a single foot stop and go move.

  1. Dribble with one foot.
  2. Lightly stop the ball with the bottom of your dribbling foot. This is a light touch, not a stomp.
  3. Take a small hop backwards on your other foot to get your body behind the ball. (If you don’t hop, your body may get too far in front of the ball, which could cause you to lose your balance.)
  4. Quickly push the ball forward into space using the inside, laces or toe of your dribbling foot.
  5. Accelerate into space (explode!) to finish the move and lose the defender.

The pull-push (fake pullback):

This is a single foot stop and go move that’s the sister move of the pullback. It’s a lot like the basic stop and go move above, but it adds a hip and upper body twist.

  1. Dribble with one foot.
  2. Lightly stop the ball with the bottom of your dribbling foot. This is your “stop” foot. This is a light touch, not a stomp.
  3. Start a pullback, and turn your hips and upper body as you pull the ball back. This is a twisting motion. If you are using your right foot, turn toward the right. If you are using your left foot, turn toward the left. Turning your hips is the key to tricking a defender.
  4. Take a small hop backwards on your other foot to get your body behind the ball. (If you don’t hop, your body may get too far in front of the ball, which could cause you to lose your balance.)
  5. Immediately turn your hips and upper body back toward in the original direction, and push the ball past the defender with the inside of your dribbling foot.
  6. Accelerate into space (explode!) to finish the move and lose the defender.

This is a 2-footed stop and go move that’s the sister move of the inside of the foot U-turn. A Scottish player named Charlie Cooke is famous for this move. You’ll stop the ball with the inside of one foot, pretend to change direction, and then explode into space in the other direction by taking a getaway touch with the inside of your other foot.

  1. Dribble with one foot. This is your “go” foot.
  2. Turn your hips and upper body to face the defender, and stop the ball with the inside of your other foot. This is your “stop” foot.
  3. Immediately turn your hips and upper body back to the original direction, and push the ball past the defender with the inside of your “go” foot.
  4. Accelerate into space (explode!) to finish the move and lose the defender.

Cookie variations:

You can use one foot as the “go” foot and your other foot as the “stop” foot. Or you can dribble with one foot, stop with the same foot, then go using your other foot. Try both, and see which one works best for you.

The “yo yo” (fake stop turn, also called the step kick):

This is a 2-footed stop and go move that’s the sister move of the stop turn.

  1. Dribble with one foot. This is your “go” foot.
  2. Lightly stop the ball with the bottom of either foot. This is your “stop” foot. This is a light touch, not a stomp.
  3. Quickly lift your stop foot a few inches above the ball, and immediately push the ball past the defender with your other foot. You can use the inside of your foot, your laces, or your toe to finish the move. The timing is important:  make sure you lift your stop foot up before you push the ball into space, otherwise you could trip over the ball.
  4. Accelerate into space (explode!) to finish the move and lose the defender.

Outside / inside (fake outside of the foot U-turn):

This is a single foot stop and go move that’s the sister move of the outside of the foot U-turn. This move requires really good balance.

  1. Dribble or run with the ball with one foot.
  2. Reach past the ball with your dribbling foot.
  3. Use the outside of your dribbling foot to stop the ball. (Point your toes out and up to fully stop the ball.)
  4. Take a small hop backwards on your other foot to get your dribbling foot back behind the ball.
  5. Take a firm touch forward with the inside of your dribbling foot.
  6. Accelerate into space (explode!) to finish the move and lose the defender.

Inside / outside (fake Cruyff turn):

This is a single foot stop and go move that’s the sister move of the Cruyff turn. This move requires really good balance. This move is difficult to do at fast speeds. (No demo videos available yet.)

  1. Dribble or run with the ball with one foot.
  2. Reach past the ball with your dribbling foot.
  3. Use the inside of your dribbling foot to stop the ball. It’s important that you stop the ball, and not actually cut it backwards, otherwise you’ll overrun the ball.
  4. Take a small hop backwards on your other foot to get your dribbling foot back behind the ball.
  5. Take a firm touch forward with the outside of your dribbling foot.
  6. Accelerate into space (explode!) to finish the move and lose the defender.

Stop turn / step-over turn combo:

If you’re ready to get really tricky, try combining a stop turn with a step-over turn. This move looks spectacular, but isn’t too hard to learn. Once you learn this move, you’ll find that it works great at fast speeds. (Many stop and go moves are difficult to do when dribbling really fast.)

  1. Dribble or run with the ball with one foot. If a defender is chasing you, dribble with the foot that’s farthest away from her.
  2. Stop the ball by taking a light touch with the bottom (sole) of your dribbling foot. This is a stop, but not a “stomp” or a pullback.
  3. Let your momentum carry you past the ball. Your dribbling foot will go over the ball, your other foot will go around the ball (in front or behind), and both feet should land past the ball. You should end up facing the defender.
    1. If you’re dribbling with your right foot, turn your body to the left as you move past the ball.
    2. If you’re dribbling with your left foot, turn your body to the right as you move past the ball.
  4. Instead of taking the ball away in the other direction, do a step-over turn. You’ll end up on the other side of the ball.
  5. Take a firm getaway touch and accelerate into space (explode!) to finish the move and lose the defender. If you’re near the opponent’s goal, you should have space to cross the ball, and you may even have enough open space to dribble straight at goal.