Turns - your definite sign that a soccer player is "getting it"

I like work on turns with young players, a lot.

Last night, at our U8-U12 weekly session, we saw some shy young players execute turns during games for the first time.  I LOVE IT!

The futsal session we had on the weekend also brought out the necessity of turning in some young players.

The technical part of teaching turns can lead to a lot of exercises at training that keep kids moving with the ball at their foot.  It also works on Agility , Balance and Control (the ABC of physical literacy).

But my main reason for working on turns and demonstrating when they can be used in games is that it is one of those indicators that a player's development is moving in the right direction.

If a player uses a turn to shake off a defender and create space, their 1v1 abilities just jumped a level.

If a player turns back when they determine they can no longer go forward they demonstrate that they
understand one of the main building blocks of keeping possession.  Now their head is up, they're thinking and scanning the field after the turn.  It's tough to watch, but you see it all the time; a player runs out of space and rather than turn, they try to bulldoze their way through.  A simple turn and pass to a supporting player and your team still has the ball. (we can write an entire article on what should happen after that simple sequence)

If a player sells one move to the defender then turns instead, they've demonstrated that they are now aware of themselves, their position and the defender.  If they do it again making the defender think they are going to turn but your player now follows through with the original move, they now have the defender unsure and off balance and they've just become dangerous.

But the most beautiful thing of all is simply to just watch a player who has shown an aversion to being creative take one of their turns and make the simple decision of passing to a teammate rather than lose the ball.  It truly is a magical moment for me as a coach.

If you have some experience as a coach, you might be wondering why I make such a big deal about something as simple as a turn.  If you are very experienced, you know why.

There are so many turns you can teach.  Pick a few simple ones to start and go from there.

The basic coaching points are simple:

• stay balanced and in control going into the turn
• execute the turn
• lift your head to see who/what is around you
• accelerate out of the turn

Make sure you have an example or two of where they can be used in a game situation.  If you are unsure of this, ask your mentor or technical director.  And tell your players to watch how many times turns are executed in a professional game.  They will be amazed.

Below are some simple exercises for working on turns.