The stop and go is a great soccer move that incorporates the two elements you need to beat defenders off the dribble. In our article How to Beat Defenders off the Dribble, we wrote that these two crucial things are a change of pace and a change of direction. It doesn’t matter what move you use as long as the soccer move has these two aspects.
This is why we recommend the stop and go because, as the name implies, it is built on a change of pace, and it also incorporates a pseudo change of direction by manipulating your hips and or the ball. (You will see this below in the different stop and go variations.)
The stop and go is used to get a defender off balance which creates space for you dribble past or to get off a shot, cross, or pass. The move is generally used on the flanks because that is where most teams try to attack. In general, you should always be dribbling the ball with the foot furthest from your opponent.
There are many variations of the stop and go which use a different surface of the foot to complete the move. It’s your job to choose the stop and go variation that fits you best and then work perfect it.
Stop and Go Variations
As you can see there are three main types of stop and go moves depending on what surface of your foot you use to stop the ball. Some use the sole, others the inside of your foot, and still others the outside of your foot. It’s a good idea to become comfortable using all three surfaces before you decide which variation you want to perfect.
- Stop the ball with the sole of your foot; push forward with the laces of the same foot.
- Stop the ball with the sole; push forward with the inside of your opposite foot quickly.
- Stop the ball with the sole; step over the ball with the same foot so the ball is between your legs. Then square up (turn your hips 90 degrees) to face your opponent and drag the ball with the inside of your opposite foot.
- Stop the ball with the sole; step over the ball with the same foot so the ball is between your legs. Then square up (turn your hips 90 degrees) to face your opponent and do the Double Touch (La Croqueta) move (to do this move, use the inside of your foot to quickly drag the ball across your body to push it forward with the inside of your other foot).
- Stop the ball with the inside of your foot, square up (turn your hips 90 degrees) to face your opponent, and push the ball forward with the laces of the same foot.
- Stop the ball with the inside of your foot, square up (turn your hips 90 degrees) to face your opponent, and push the ball forward with the inside of your opposite foot.
- Stop the ball with the inside of your foot, square up (turn your hips 90 degrees) to face your opponent, then perform the Double Touch (La Croqueta) move.
- Stop the ball with the outside of your foot; push the ball forward with the inside of the same foot.
- Stop the ball with the outside of your foot, square up (turn your hips 90 degrees) to face your opponent, then perform the Double Touch (La Croqueta) move.
- Stop the ball with the outside of your foot, feint like you are going to dribble backwards, then use the laces of your opposite foot to push the ball forward.
Perfecting a stop and go variation will allow you to easily add a counter move, which is a move allowing you to go in the opposite direction of your stop and go. The counter move can be a simple faint or step over to allow you to dribble in the other direction.
Simply put, the stop and go is a move that works! Choose one or two stop and go variations, and then keep practicing until you perfect them. This move will put defenders on skates making them unbalanced and letting you add them to your highlight real.
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