The flip flap (also known as the ''elástico'', ''akka,'' ''snakebite'' and ''la culebrita'') is a
dribbling move, or
feint, in
football, used to fool a defensive player into thinking the offensive player, in possession of the ball, is going to move in a direction they do not intend to. Players perform it by using the outside of their dominant foot to push the ball towards their dominant side, then quickly move the dominant foot around the ball and using the inside to push the ball to their non-dominant side. Although the footwork is the most distinctive aspect of the flip-flap, its success as a feint also relies heavily on the attacking player having an explosive acceleration from a stationary position.
History
The move was invented by the Japanese-Brazilian football player
Sérgio Echigo. In 1964, Brazilian playmaker
Rivellino learned the move from Echigo, who was his Corinthians teammate in the youth team, and performed it to a global audience during the
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup was the ninth edition of the FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship for men's senior national teams. Held from 31 May to 21 June in Mexico, it was the first World Cup tournament held outside ...
.
In an interview on the television series ''Football's Greatest'' in 2012, Rivellino stated "He
chigosays now that he invented it, but I perfected it".
Pelé
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; born 23 October 1940), known as Pelé (), is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time and labelled "the greatest" by FIFA ...
, Rivellino's national teammate, was never able to learn the move.
Rivellino was an idol to a number of players, and the trick was popularized early 1980s by Algerian Salah Assad (who developed his own flip flap, which he called "El Ghorraf", and which was executed while running with the ball, unlike Rivelino's),
and also Peruvian Julio César Uribe; late 1990s and 2000s by high-profile players such as
Romário
Romário de Souza Faria Figueiredo (born 29 January 1966), known simply as Romário (), is a Brazilian politician and a former professional footballer. A prolific striker renowned for his clinical finishing, he scored over 750 goals and was ...
,
Ronaldo
Ronaldo is a Portuguese given name equivalent to the English Ronald. It became a common name in all Portuguese-speaking countries, being also prevalent in Italy and Spanish-speaking countries. People
Notable people known as Ronaldo include:
As ...
and
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis Moreira (born 21 March 1980), commonly known as Ronaldinho Gaúcho () or simply Ronaldinho, is a Brazilian retired professional footballer who played mostly as an attacking midfielder, but was also deployed as a winger. Wide ...
among others.
[David Goldblatt (2009). "The Football Book". p. 129. D Kindersley Ltd,] In recent years, Portuguese footballer
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pl ...
and Brazilian footballer
Neymar have also been known proponents of the move.
In Africa, especially Nigeria, the move has been referred to as a "Snakebite" or "Zigima" because of the in-and-out feet movement of the perpetrator. However, it is now more commonly called "The Gaúcho" – after Ronaldinho (Gaúcho).
In
futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football.
Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...
,
freestyle
Freestyle may refer to:
Brands
* Reebok Freestyle, a women's athletic shoe
* Ford Freestyle, an SUV automobile
* Coca-Cola Freestyle, a vending machine
* ICD Freestyle, a paintball marker
* Abbott FreeStyle, a blood glucose monitor by Abbott Lab ...
and
street football, an aerial variation of the flip flap moves has been referred to as a "Akka". The "Akka" has several variations, and can be used in combos with
pannas and other ground moves for doling out maximum punishment.
See also
*
Step over
*
Cruyff turn
The Cruyff turn (also spelled Cruijff turn in the Netherlands) is an evasive dribbling move used in football, and named after Dutch player Johan Cruyff.
In the 24th minute of the game against Sweden in the group stage of the 1974 World Cup, whi ...
*
Rabona
*
Marseille turn
The Marseille turn, also known as the ''360'', the ''Spin'', the ''Mooresy Roulette'', the ''Roulette'', the ''Girosflin'', and the ''double drag-back'', is a specialised dribbling skill unique to the game of Association football.
With so many d ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flip Flap
Association football skills
Association football terminology