There are many training skills for soccer and in this section we will discuss the step overs.

We will mainly focus on how to perform them quicker and more intelligently.

Stepovers are one of the most efficient ways for getting around your opponent.

However, you need to perform them quickly and intelligently in order to benefit from them.

Here are some general things you can adapt in order to improve your stepovers. Let’s start…

1. Using a Cone

Bring a cone or similar and put it on the ground. Then, step away from the cone about 10 yards and start to drive the ball towards it.

You should pretend that the cone is an opponent and that you want to get around it.

Believe me, even if the cone is not moving you will probably stumble on it few times. I know this by my own experience 🙂

However, this is a good sign because if you can’t get around that cone properly you will not either be able to get around your opponent.

Therefore, be sure to practice even more before trying out your stepovers in a real soccer game.

2. Passive Teammate

Ask a teammate to attack you but tell him that he should not try to steal the ball from you.

This one is my favorite because you will actually practice on real game situations with a real opponent.

If you want to increase the difficulty of this exercise you may give your teammate permission to act like a real defender.

This is even better because if you manage to get around your teammate successfully then you will also be able to get around your opponents.

3. Real Game

Perform your stepovers in a real soccer game. This one is also a form of practice even if you are actually performing your stepovers in a real soccer match.

It doesn’t matter how often you practice on the 2 points above if you never dare to use your move in a real game.

Don’t be afraid of failure, instead approach your opponent with the ball and be resolute while performing the move.

Some Pointers

• When performing the step over move you need to really throw your body in the direction that you want your opponent to go in order to fake your move.
• During a regular soccer game, try to monitor the movements of your opponent’s feet and body position in order to see which direction he will lean to. Perform your step over in the direction in which your opponent is leaning and then quickly explode fast him in the opposite way.
• Performing quick and clever stopovers are just a little part of your skills. In order to become a successful soccer player you will need to master many other skills like shooting, dribbling, passing, heading etc. However, mastering the stepovers is a good starting point.

Summary

Practice makes perfect for everything that you want to achieve in the world of soccer. It’s going to be tempting to get discouraged just because things don’t come naturally to you. Fight through that feeling to reach new heights – you can do it!