Stop Saying Snake Bite! Top 5 Football Skill Moves And Their Proper Name

There are many beautiful, tricky, and cunning skills in football employed by players to bamboozle their opponents. Here are some of them and their proper names.

Elastico: This move is popularly known as the snake bite in Nigeria because of the curve of the skill. It involves the player rolling his foot and dragging the ball to one direction with the outside of his boot and then swiftly curving it inwards with the inside of the boot. If executed perfectly, this usually sends the defender the wrong way. Though Ronaldinho didn't invent the move, he became a merchant of this style.





Stepovers: Here we call them legovers. That's not exactly bad but the standard name is Stepovers. Like its name implies, it involves you moving your legs rapidly over the ball in succession. The move is a super form of feint. Invented by Argentine Striker Pedro Calomino, but God help you that you don't receive this skill from Ronaldo De Lima or the old CR7.




Rainbow flick: This one usually feels like one for the streets. It is popularly known as the Okocha Trick in Germany because of Okocha's frequent usage of the trick during his time at Werder Bremen and Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League. The trick is usually performed while running forward with the ball, the player then rolls the ball up the back of one leg with the other foot and then flicks it over in a smooth curve around the opposition defender. Neymar seems to be fond of this move and it has gotten him into trouble many times. Afterall, nobody loves to be fooled.




Rabona: This one can be quite complex and ineffective if it's not pulled right. It is usually done for showboating. The player hits the ball by wrapping the kicking leg around the back of the standing leg. It's especially used in crossing. Think of Di Maria.






The Nutmeg: The peak of humiliation: sliding the ball between the legs of a defender. In Nigeria, we call this "opiyo" or "OC". Nobody likes to be on the receiving end. It's a skill Messi have repeated so often that you'd think the skill was designed for him.