Seal dribble
The seal dribble is a form of dribbling in association football. It is performed by flicking the ball up from the ground onto the head, whereby the player then proceeds to run past opponents, whilst bouncing the ball on top of his forehead, imitating a seal.[1] The seal dribble makes it very hard for the defending team to challenge legally. This is due to the awkward height at which the ball is while the manoeuvre is performed, and means that many attempted challenges are dangerous and may result in fouls. A famous case was when Atletico Mineiro's Coelho fouled Kerlon after he performed the seal dribble. As a result, he was banned for 120 days[2] although this was later reduced to five games after an appeal.[1]
Kerlon, a retired footballer who last played for Slovak side Spartak Trnava, is the most prolific user of this move.[3][4]
The Italian forward Marco Nappi was also known to use the seal dribble. His most famous use of this move came in the first leg of the semi-final of the 1989–90 UEFA Cup, against Werder Bremen; during the match, Nappi picked up the ball in his area and ran 40 metres with the ball bouncing along his forehead along the right flank.[5]
References
- ^ a b "Coelho could bolster Celtic defence as manager bemoans costly 'silly mistakes'". Scotsman. 2007-12-22. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
- ^ "Brazilian player banned four months for seal dribble foul". Reuters. 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
- ^ Tim Vickery (2005-04-18). "Kerlon aiming to emulate two Rons". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
- ^ "Kerlon Biography". Kerlon Online. Retrieved 2009-06-28.
- ^ Stefano Borgi (17 April 2012). "NAPPI, ED IL NUMERO DELLA "FOCA MONACA"" [Nappi, and his use of the "seal dribble" skill] (in Italian). Firenze Viola.it. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
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