MASTERING THE STEP OVER

Imagine this: You’re running full speed ahead, the goal is within arm’s reach, your teammates are screaming your name, victory is so close you can practically taste it. There’s just one problem. A defender is charging right in your direction and is determined to close you down. What do you do? You begin to hesitate and just as memories of your coaches teachings begin to resurface, the adrenaline causes you to lose all focus and your brain can’t seem to remember the skills you’ve practising. If only you had a guide in these situations…

So here it is: How to Master a Step Over

The skill was reportedly invented by Argentine striker Pedro Calomino in the early 1900s, the step over is one of the most prolific tricks in football, and when executed well, it’s one of the most effective tricks to send your defender lunging in the wrong direction. Today the skill has been popularized by Cristiano Ronaldo and his super quick step overs before scoring a goal and making the fans roar! In case you are a striker hungry for goals, check out our guide to becoming a top goal scoring striker for top tips.

The stepover is a simple skill that you can learn through practice at home, training and matches. It can come in different variations, beginning by the simplest “inside” or “outside” step overs, becoming more complicated with the amounts of feints, stops, and speed changes.

HOW TO DO AN INSIDE STEP OVER:

Step 1:
Approach the ball as if you’re going to make touch/pass with the inside of your foot.

Step 2:
Instead of making contact with the ball, swing your foot around the front of the ball and “Step over”. Step around the ball towards the center of your body.

Step 3:
With the same foot which is now on the other side of the ball, use your outside touch to move the ball in the opposite direction.

HOW TO DO AN OUTSIDE STEP OVER:

Step 1:
Approach the ball as if you’re going to make touch/pass with the inside of your foot.

Step 2:
Instead of making contact with the ball, swing your foot around the front of the ball and “Step over”. This time step over the ball in the direction away from the midline of your body.

Step 3:
Use the outside of your opposite foot to push the ball in the opposite direction

How to practice:

For when you first start practicing go through the motions standing still with the ball. Once you’ve gotten comfortable with the motions, place a cone around 10 meters ahead which will be your defender and another about 8 meters ahead. Begin by dribbling at a slow constant pace. Do the step over at the 8m cone and change speed at the “defender” at 10m.

Remember, practice makes perfect. Repeating the variations at different speeds is the best way to incorporate the step over into your playing style.

Tips:

The effectiveness of the step over isn’t only because of the fake, but because of the change in pace. When approaching the move slow down and speed up to further trip up the defender.

When you first start, you might find yourself looking down at your feet when running through the motion. Make it a habit to practice looking up and ahead.

Key points to remember:

1. Angle your body in the direction of the fake
2. Always touch the ball with the outside of the foot after the feint
3. Change pace and speed up after your touch

Once you’ve mastered the basic step over remember to have fun! Add feints by increasing the number of times you “step over” experiment with other tricks and skills like a Cruyff Turn! Becoming a better footballer is all about repetition and learning through practice, afterall “practice makes permanent”! Step-overs are one of the core skills taught and practiced on a regular basis at WMF. Within the first 10 minutes of a session, our coaches work to getting each player over 1000 touches on the ball and most of this is done through perfecting skills like step-overs!