This series is all about learning football skills to make you look better when you take to the pitch. Some of them have a degree of flair about them, which is why the Cruyff Turn and the Elástico are on the list. Some of them are about getting you some more space on the pitch in order to be able to do what you want with the football.
Some, though, are about little more than making your opponent look a little bit silly. That is where the nutmeg comes in. Yes, it can also get you more space and you can pull it off with some flair if you do it right, but mainly it’s about humiliation.
What is being nutmegged?
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In simple terms, the nutmeg is a move that involves putting the ball through the legs of your opponent. That’s it. It is the kind of skill that you can see carried out by footballers everywhere. Whether they are making a living in the Premier League, having a kickabout with their mates in the park or playing street football in Brazil, the nutmeg is about one of the most disrespectful moves that you can pull off with a ball. It is iconic, being one of the dribbling moves that allows you to get away from your opponent in a way that leaves them so tangled up they don’t know what to do.
In order to pull it off, you obviously need your opponent’s legs to be open enough for you to pass the ball through them, at which point you’ll skirt around your opponent and then go on your merry way. One of the most classic moves in the world of football, it is one that is visually impressive but also incredibly effective. The key piece of information that you need to bear in mind is that you need to get your timing perfect when looking to pull off the move, else you will do nothing more than just kicking the ball straight to your opponent and you will lose possession for your team.
Get the timing right, however, and you will pull off a move that will leave your opponent cringing from embarrassment. You can use it in order to get away from a player who is marking you, or you can score with it if you’re able to nutmeg the goalkeeper. Pick the right moment when there is a gap in the opposition’s legs, then nudge the ball through that gap before running around and collecting it. From there, your next move will largely depend on how the field is looking, so you might look to go on a run or you may decide to pass to a teammate. Whatever you decide, know you’ll look cool doing it.