How to Get Good at Doing Nutmegs in Soccer

"Nutmegging" is a term derived from the Victorian age. This was when nutmeg dealers would trick customers by supplementing a bag of the valuable nutmegs with wooden replicas, thus making customers look foolish. In soccer, the idea of nutmegging your opponent is to make him look foolish by knocking the ball through his legs and leaving him completely unbalanced. Getting good at nutmegs is like many other soccer skills: It requires practice, hard work, and, in the case of the player doing the nutmegging, a hearty dose of brazen audacity.

Instructions

    • 1

      Run at your opponent with the ball at your feet. Approach your opponent with a slightly angled run, such as between five and 15 degrees to your opponent's side. Run to your opponent's left, if you are right footed, or right, if you are left footed, as you will be far more comfortable using your dominant foot to complete an irresistible nutmeg.

    • 2

      Wait until you are within a step of your opponent, which is when you should start working out your best moment to push the ball in-between his legs to complete your nutmeg. Watch your defender's legs, which will be stepping one over the other to keep track of your run. Wait until you see a gap about to form between the two legs before starting your nutmeg.

    • 3

      Flick the ball as quickly and directly towards the gap between your opponent's legs as possible, leaning your body in towards him at the same time as you shift your momentum towards your dominant foot and the ball. Watch as your nutmeg is successfully completed when the ball has passed cleanly through your opponent's legs and onto the other side, leaving him with his back to the ball.

    • 4

      Run around your opponent either on the inside or the outside -- it is commonly much easier to run along the inside, as your opponent's momentum blocks the outside route. Sprint straight toward the ball and regather control of it to successfully complete your nutmeg maneuver.