The Technique of the Stare, Point, Shout, and Fake-Shot or Pass
It’s crucial to begin training our Maestro move series with the Fake Shot/Pass. This powerful stand-alone and pre-illusion makes three Maestro moves significantly more deceptive. My third book, Legends by Design, will discuss this topic in greater depth, underlining the importance of this technique in your training.
Fake Shot or Fake Pass
- With the ball about two feet in front of you, focus on and stare fiercely at an imaginary target downfield as if you have just seen something amazing for the first time.
- Quickly raise your arm until it is parallel to the ground and aggressively point your index finger towards the imaginary target.
- Loudly and aggressively shout a pre-selected one-syllable name, e.g., “Alf’ or “Ann.”
- Place your standing foot 9 inches behind the ball.
- Withdraw the thigh of the other leg away from the ball and bend your knee as if winding up for a powerful shot or pass.
- Accelerate the foot forward rapidly as if shooting. Pull the toe up at the last split second and make slight contact with the sole of the forefoot on the ball. Note: Stay on your toes throughout the move.
Please note: Once the “Fake Shot” has been well learned, always incorporate it when you practice the Spin Cruyff, Puskas, and L-Turn. Integrate its practice with those moves instead of practicing it separately.
While we suggest practicing the Fake Shot or Pass as a pre-fake for the Spin Cruyff, Puskas, and L-Turn, it’s important to note that it’s not just a supporting move. The Fake Shot is a powerful tool, capable of outmaneuvering defenders and creating scoring opportunities. For instance, it can trick defenders into jumping or sliding to block a fake shot, leaving them vulnerable to your next move.
Best game situations for the use of this move:
When an opponent is approaching to tackle.
Immediately before such moves as the Cruyff, L-Turn, and Puskas, to add an extra degree of deception and separation.
When shifting defenders towards one sideline before reversing the point of attack.
Fake Shot or Fake Pass and Puskas
1. Place the standing foot 9 inches behind the ball. Withdraw the thigh of the other leg back away from the ball as if winding up for a powerful shot.
2. Rapidly bring the foot forward as if shooting. At the last second, pull the toe up and make slight contact between the sole and the top of the ball.
3. Pull the ball back alongside the standing foot. As you pull the ball back, hop backward 45 degrees away from it so that the standing foot is always well behind it and approximately 45 degrees from its original position.
4. To complete the move, play the ball away from the line of the pull-back at a 90-degree or greater angle with the outside of the same foot you pulled the ball back with. Then, explode for 5 yards to complete the move. Stay on your toes throughout.
Best game situations for the use of this move:
Moving diagonally across the field at a medium to slow pace with some separation from a pressuring defender.
In front of the goal with a fake shot. To get a defender to commit before changing direction and shooting.
When an opponent rushes in to make a tackle on you, it freezes them or makes them flinch. This is because they think they are about to get walloped by the ball.
The Fake Shot or Fake Pass and L-Turn
1. Place the standing foot 9 inches behind the ball. Withdraw the thigh of the other leg away from the ball as if winding up for a powerful shot.
2. Rapidly bring the foot forward as if shooting. At the last second, pull the toe up and make slight contact between the sole and the top of the ball.
3. Pull the ball alongside the standing foot until it is approximately 12 inches past the standing leg. Bring the inside mid-point of the foot you used to pull the ball back level with the mid-point of the ball. Keep the heel as low as possible and the toe up.
4. Use a “Donkey Kicking” action up and through the ball at a 45-degree angle that connects the ball with the mid-point of the foot. This moves the foot across the back of the standing leg at a ninety-degree angle or greater to the original pull-back direction. Stay on your toes throughout the move. Explode for 5 yards to finish.
Best game situations for the use of this move:
Moving diagonally across the field at less than full pace with a defender in proximity.
To make defenders commit before changing direction, shooting, or passing.
The Fake Pass Spin Cruyff Turn
1. Stand on your toes one to two yards behind the ball. Step towards the ball and place the standing foot about 6-9 inches nearer to you than the ball and 1-2 feet to the right of the ball if using your left foot to stand on, or 1-2 feet to the left of the ball if using your right foot to stand on. As you place the standing foot, swivel your foot and body towards the ball at a 90-degree angle from your approach. If the standing foot is your left, it will be 90 degrees to your left, and vice versa with the right foot.
2. As you place the standing foot, withdraw the thigh of the other leg back away from the ball as if winding up to strike it, and rapidly bring the foot forward as if to pass. At the last split second, hook the non-standing foot around the far side of the ball until the knee of the non-standing leg is turned inwards towards the knee of the standing leg, i.e., the knock-kneed position. Wrap the toe of the play-away foot entirely around the ball until the ball fits snugly into the concave indentation on the inside of the foot. Ensure that the toe and heel of the play-away foot stay at the same height. Start with your contact foot hovering above the field surface during the play-away phase.
3. Pull the ball behind and alongside the standing foot with an upward “Donkey Kicking” motion, i.e., from a slightly bent to a significantly bent leg position. As you perform the “donkey kick,” ensure that the toe and heel of the play-away foot remain at the same height.
4. Lean backward at a 45-degree angle during this move. Continue to turn to your left if using the right foot or turn to the right if using the left foot. Explode for 5 yards to finish. Stay on your toes throughout the move.
Best game situation for the use of this move:
Moving diagonally or directly away from the opponent’s goal or goal line with a defender in close contact behind one shoulder.
The Double Scissors
1. Stand on your toes, feet shoulder-width apart, and both feet directly to the weaker-footed side of the ball. The knees should be bent at about 100-140 degrees.
2. Cut the grass across the front of the ball with the sole of the strong foot until it is 6-12 inches on the other side from where it started the cutting motion. During this cutting motion, the weaker foot cuts the grass behind the ball a fraction of a second after the stronger one cuts the grass in front of the ball. Keep the weaker leg and foot about six inches away from the stronger one throughout the initial scissors.
3. After a fraction of a second, get a little lower and cut more aggressively across the front of the ball in the other direction, but this time with the sole of the weaker foot until that foot is 12-24 inches on the furthest side of the ball from where it started the cutting motion. During this cutting motion, keep the stronger leg and foot about six inches away from the weaker one.
4. During the scissor phases of the move, the knees of both legs should never be more than 12 inches apart. To enhance the final scissor illusion, the one we want the defender to bite on, turn the chest 45 degrees and drop the shoulder furthest from the ball towards the direction of the final fake as close to waist level as possible to give the impression you are about to sprint in that direction. To aid children’s understanding of this shoulder movement, tell them to put the furthest shoulder from the ball into the “hip pocket” nearest to the ball. The knee of the final scissoring or “non-play-away” foot should now be bent at approximately 90 degrees.
5. From this low knees-bent position, turn the toe of the play-away foot (the foot that just cut the grass across the back of the ball) inwards and slightly downward, and play the ball away from the fake. The ball should be played away at about forty-five degrees from the direction the dribbler is facing and moving. Explode to leave the defender in the dust. Stay on your toes throughout the move.
Best game situation for the use of this move:
Attacking a defender head-on at speed.
The Single Scissors
The basic Scissors move is contained within the Double Scissors. Learning the Double Scissors is a two-for-one proposition. The Scissors is also used when attacking a defender head-on at speed.
The Matthews
1. This fake is excellent because it has four distinct consecutive deceptive elements. These are the initial direction of body lean, the inside of the strong foot bait touch, a quick, low, and long sideways hop, and a chest and shoulder fake, like in the final stage of the double scissors. Initially, stand with the ball between your toes with your feet slightly behind the ball and about six inches on either side. First, lean aggressively sideways towards the direction of the fake (away from your strong foot) with knees bent at about 100-140 degrees.
2. With the inside of the strong foot, nudge the ball gently sideways 6-9 inches toward the fake.
3. Almost simultaneously, perform a “big low sideways hop” with the weaker foot in the same direction and land on your toes 18-24 inches from the ball on the opposite side from the intended direction of the final play away. During the hop, to enhance the illusion we want the defender to fall for, turn the chest 45 degrees and drop the shoulder furthest from the ball towards the direction of the final fake as close to the waist level as possible to give the impression you are about to sprint in that direction. To aid children’s understanding of this shoulder movement, tell them to put the furthest shoulder from the ball into the “hip pocket” nearest to the ball.
4. Finish by playing the ball away at a forty-five-degree angle past the opponent in the opposite direction from the fake with the outside of the ball-playing foot. Explode for 5 yards to complete the move. Stay on your toes during the whole sequence.
Best game situation for the use of this move:
Attacking a defender head-on.
The Drag Maradona Turn
1. Set up a shielding position sideways to the defender.
2. Lean towards the defender, keeping all your weight on the foot nearest the opponent.
3. Raise the arm nearest to the defender. The hand, elbow, and shoulder are parallel.
4. Point fingers to ensure the barrier made by the arm and hand is as long as possible.
5. Bend knees and waist to get under the defender’s center of gravity during the shield.
6. Keep your arm nearly straight. This isn’t the advice during regular shielding training, where the shielding arm is bent at approximately 90 degrees.
7. Keep your arm nearly straight because you will drag the ball between 25 and 50 degrees away from your sideways position to the defender. The defender will not expect you to drag the ball to this vulnerable position. When a defender realizes that the ball is being dragged to a position where a tackle can be made, they will lunge toward the ball or turn their hips to follow the ball’s path. Your arm must be straight to block the defender’s lunge toward the ball and protect the ball position at the furthest point in the “Drag.”
8. While leaning forward, drag the ball approximately 25 to 50 degrees away from the sideways position to the defender. Here, defenders usually commit to tackle, lunge at the ball, or turn their hips to follow the ball’s path. If the defender doesn’t commit to a lunge, they will almost certainly turn their hips towards the ball’s path. As the defender commits to this lunge or hip-turn, the usual “Maradona Turn” technique begins.
9. As the defender lunges or turns their hips, immediately ground the dragging foot and bring the non-dragging foot forward over the top of the ball to a position where the first pull-back of the regular Maradona Turn begins.
10. Start to lean backward and place the sole of that foot on the top of the ball with the toe pushed down over the far side of the ball and the heel of the foot pulled up towards the calf muscle as much as possible to avoid slippage during this crucial phase of the move.
11. Place the standing foot 18-24 inches behind the ball. Pull the ball back 2 feet toward the standing foot and replace the ball’s initial position on the ground with the “pull back” foot while rotating that foot 90 degrees inwards and positioning the point of the hip of that leg towards the opponent as you turn. If using the left foot, turn the foot and body to your right. If using the right foot, turn your foot and body to your left. As you rotate, lift the arm nearest the defender and bend it at the elbow so the outside of the forearm can protect you from a defender’s challenge.
12. For your foot and body position during the final part of the move, lean towards the eventual direction of the play away and backward away from the ball. Use what was the standing foot to pull the ball back, replacing the initial position of the ball on the ground with the “pull back” foot. Put the sole of the Maradona Turn’s first “standing foot” on top of the ball with the toe pointed down and the heel pulled up in a wedge shape.
13. Explode to finish. At a point in the rotation approximating 270 degrees, roll the ball away with the sole on top of the ball at a 90-degree angle from the line of the initial pullback.
14. Finally, explode five yards to finish the move and catch up with the play away.
Note: Stay on your toes throughout the move.
Best game situations for the use of this move:
The Drag Maradona Turn is described from points #1 through #14. This move should be used from a shielding position.
The Regular Maradona Turn
The Regular Maradona is contained within the Drag Maradona. Learning about the Drag Maradona is a two-for-one proposition. It is described from points #10 through #14. This move can be used effectively while moving in any direction. Its effectiveness will depend on the defender’s position relative to the dribbler and ball. It exits at approximately ninety degrees from the original dribbling path.
Note: The Stare, Shout, Point, Fake Shot, or Fake Pass all work well if individually or collectively used on the front end of the Maradona Turn.