Abstract: Soft body amour has the advantages of good concealment and high comfortability. Recent studies demonstrate that soft body amours made up of layers of woven fabrics and unidirectional (UD) laminates show better ballistic performance. However, the mechanism behind has not been clarified. This work utilized three layers of woven fabrics (A) made by ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) yarns and two layers of Dyneema^® SB51 UD laminates (B) to compose two types of hybrid panels, viz. AAABB and BBAAA. Ballistic tests were carried out to evaluate their performance. The results show that the first type panel absorbs around 20% more energy than the second counterpart does. The finite element modelling is used to clarify the ballistic mechanism. The results illustrate that when the woven fabrics in front, they are not easier to be failed by shear, which results in more deformation of the fabric and therefore more deformation of the UD laminates behind, thereby giving rise to higher energy absorption. In contrast, when the UD laminates in front, they are easier to be damaged by the shear stress, failing to act on the followed layers. Moreover, when the woven fabrics at the rear, they tend to slip and meanwhile bring about more deformation in depth, which is detrimental to the protection. This study sheds light on the ballistic mechanism of hybrid panels with laying woven fabrics and UD laminates in different sequences. Such results, theoretically, pave the way for the design of the hybrid soft body amours.