Turn Menu
Your child dribbles away, does a turn, and dribbles back the other way, working through five turns on both feet.
At a glance
- A ball and a clear patch of garden. Your child dribbles away, does a turn, and dribbles back the other way, on both feet.
- Drag-back: sole on top, drag the ball back, turn and go. Inside chop: chop it back across the body with the inside of the foot.
- Outside chop: the same with the outside of the foot. Cruyff turn: fake a pass, drag the ball behind the standing leg, go the other way.
- Stop-turn: dribble, stop the ball dead with the sole, turn and dribble back. About 6 to 8 of each turn.
- Progress 1: Pick-a-turn: put a marker out. They dribble to it and do a different turn each time they arrive.
- Progress 2: Call-a-turn: you call the name of the turn as they reach the marker, so they have to react.
If it's not working: Pick just 3 or 4 turns from the menu.
Full details: set up, how to play, tips
Set up
- Warm up for 5 minutes: jog and dribble gently, with some toe taps and sole rolls.
Garden, park, indoors.
How to play
- Your child dribbles, turns, and dribbles back the other way, working through the turns below with both feet.
- Drag-back: sole on top, drag the ball back, turn and go the other way.
- Inside chop: chop the ball back across the body with the inside of the foot. 6 times each foot.
- Outside chop: the same with the outside of the foot. 6 times each foot.
- Cruyff turn: fake a pass, then drag the ball behind the standing leg and go the other way (see the video).
- Stop-turn: dribble, stop the ball dead with the sole, then turn and dribble back. 8 in total.
Make it easier
- Pick just 3 or 4 turns from the menu.
Make it harder, step by step
- Pick-a-turn: put a marker out. They dribble to it and do a different turn each time they arrive.
- Call-a-turn: you call the name of the turn as they reach the marker, so they have to react.
- Practice foot: every turn done with the practice foot too.
- Quick feet: after the turn, 3 fast touches to burst away.
Three things to say
- Start with the simple drag-back, then add the Cruyff turn once you're comfy.
- Slow into the turn, fast out of it.
Colts habit
Work hard: little and often beats one long go.
Both feet
Do a round with the practice foot only.
Heads up
Look up between touches.
For your birth year
Pick a birth year to show the tweak for that group.
- 2016 to 2017
- Drag-back 8 times each foot. Cruyff turn 6 times each foot.
- 2018 to 2019
- Drag-back 5 times each foot. Cruyff turn 4 times each foot.
Safety: Pick a clear, flat space, look out for traffic and hazards, and stop if anything hurts. Soft ball indoors.
Keeping score: Not counted. Tick the turns they did today.