An absolute staple of your skills collection has to be the dummy (also referred to as a ‘feint’ or a ‘fake’). By feinting to play a pass or shot you’ll throw your opponents the wrong way and give yourself time and space to work your magic.
It’s a particularly useful technique if you’re playing against players who are pressurizing you hard. Throwing in one of these could be the key to giving you some breathing space on the ball.
It’s fairly fairly easy to pick up, but needs practice to know when to use it and make it really convincing. Once you’ve got it nailed, however, it is likely to become a favourite and you should be able to do it at least once a game, making it a must-have-move.
Give a fake one way and then bamboozle the defender by going the other
The technique
There are a lot of different ways that you can do a dummy and we’ve suggested plenty below, so find one that works for you and make it yours.
There was a guy that I used to play with in a league a while ago who had an absolutely outrageous technique but used it superbly; sometimes several times each game. He’d get the ball in a defensive position, look up, lift his leg back in a slightly exaggerated style and shape to play a long ball down the line into the corner; but just as he made contact he’d instead bring it across his body and instead cut inside.
We always thought he was going to get caught out but he performed it so well and had supreme confidence in it, and that might just have been the secret to what made it so damn convincing, which brings us to the fundamentals of any good feinting technique:
- The fake has got to be so convincing that you almost believe it yourself – you’ve got to make sure that the pass or shot that you’re faking looks as good, preferably even better, than if you were doing it for real. So if you’re faking a pass or shot to the right before zipping off to the left, that means making sure that your body shape looks like you’re going to actually play a pass or shot to the right and that your head and eyes are looking that way too. Don’t be afraid to exaggerate the fake move just a little to draw them in, but if you overdo it then it will lose its credibility.
- Perform it smoothly – if the fake looks convincing then you’re most of the way there, but you still need to take the ball off in the other direction so make sure you can make the switch flawlessly. There’s no time for hanging around getting the ball stuck under your feet.
- Accelerate away – no matter how convincing your feint is, you’re only going to fool them for a split second so when your opponent has bought it you’re going to need to accelerate away like you’ve just stolen something – make like a bandit!
The examples
As we’ve said, use the technique that works best for you, but below are some excellent examples and demonstrations to get you started:
The Hip Fake (Easy)
Brought to us by the soccerman, it really doesn’t get simpler or more beautiful than this. You get to view this from the angle of the defender which helps you see that something which is relatively simple can also be fairly convincing too. The way he shapes to go to his left could be dressed up as a pass or a shot.
The Zidane Fake (Medium)
From the excellent STR Skill School, this classy fake looks smooth and convincing and should be effective in a game. It can be used nicely to fake either a pass or a shot.
Fake Pass Take (Hard)
Brought to us courtesy of myfootballcareer, this is one for the showboaters. It’s got a fairly simple move at its heart and has some extra sizzle thrown in to give it a bit more of a flashy look. Not one for the purists and probably not the most effective, but hey, if you like your fake pass served with a little more razzmatazz then this may the one for you!
If you’ve seen another example that deserves recognition on this page then let us know in the comments below!
Other skills you might enjoy
The two touch dribble – it helped make Michael Laudrup an incredible player
Probably not under the right article, there are all so usefull! I’ve started a futsal team with my brother and are in our second year (promoted last season).
Last season I tend to have problems catchingy breath. Turned out I was not breathing properly. A teammate gave me advice to breath in through my nose and breath out through my mouth. That way you I didn’t get worn out so fast to catch my breath. Really helped me a lot and can keep on going much longer now. Just wanted to share with you guys.
Looking in the other direction is something that has worked a lot for me. I also tend to point my arm in the opposite direction, so that the opponent thinks I intend to lay the ball in the path of a player when in fact I have opted for the another.
I often have the same problem as you tom. But i tend to find that relaxation and concentration seem to get the best results. I’m a passer. Always have been and i’m very good at it but it’s come at the cost of my shooting because when i should have been greedy i’ve laid someone in. But i have been working on been a bit more greedy and i find that milliseconds hold the key. Make your mind up early you are hitting it then relax and focus on just getting a clean strike on the ball.
Excellent advice on here, I love it all and it’s really improving my game!
Just wondering if there are any tips on actually striking the ball? I generally play as a last man kind of guy but of course I was taught to move up when necessary and sometimes I find myself getting in a good position, receiving a pass, and then I am stuck. Sometimes I simply do not know where to pass whilst I am marked or how to beat this defender. These are circumstances I am not used to as a defender! There’s also the problem that sometimes when I am the only play with any stamina I move up the pitch on a run. Sprinting up I see the ball beating the defence. There’s a man behind me and a goal in front. But when the ball reaches my run, I either take a heavy touch to far and suddenly the defender has caught up or I simply screw up the shot as I am mid sprint and generally have poor shot accuracy and control.
Don’t get me wrong your website has made me so much of a better player recently especially with all the tactical side to things but I still can’t help but wonder how to shoot! People tell me go for the bottom corner but sometimes it’s not as simple as that!
Thank you for all the help though!
Thomas, there are some great questions there. Probably enough for a whole other article.
Striking the ball is something that I’m yet to cover, although it’s now on the plan for the coming weeks!
When it comes to sprinting forward and then taking a poor touch, that’s made worse by two things 1) tiredness – your touch will be worse when you’ve physically exerted yourself and 2) nervousness making you tense up.
You said yourself that it’s an unfamiliar position and one that you’re not yet comfortable in. Relax, focus on getting that soft but decisive touch on the ball to line it up for the shot. This comes with practice, but also by not putting pressure on yourself.
When it comes to the method of striking it, there are a few. Pick the one that you feel moat comfortable with and that hits the target the most. Option 1, usually my preference, is side-footing it the way you’d play a firm pass. You get a an accurate shot without sacrificing power. Option 2 is to go for more power hitting it with the laces. I’d use that when shooting from further out. Option 3, the wildcard is the toe-punt. It might not look pretty, but it catches a lot of keepers off guard because its so quick. Experiment with the three and see what works for you.
Cheers for submitting such a great question.
I’ve never been a good finisher myself, however from Thomas’ explanation I feel he is overwhelmed by knowing the opposition are closing down on him, making him think more about this fact than the actual execution of the goal. In my opinion the last touches should be the shortest ones, as this would allow an easier striking of the ball in the preferred direction.