The Stop Turn

Objective:To be able to change direction when pressure is applied from the side.

Unopposed - Set up a 10x10yd grid with a cone in the centre. If you dont have enough players to cover a whole grid, get some of the players in pairs and ask them to take turns.

Players dribble to the cone in the centre of the area. They perform the stop turn by stopping the ball with the sole of their foot whilst jumping over the ball. On landing, they change direction quickly by taking the ball away with the opposite foot and dribble back to their starting point. They need to practice with both their right and left feet.

For the first progression, take away the central cones from the grid.

 

Players now stand opposite each other and practice performing the stop turn by dribbling the ball towards each other and performing the move in the centre when they get near to each other. Again they must practice the move with both their right and left foot.

Limited Pressure - For the next part of the session the the players will start on the line next to each other, one player with the ball, the other running at their side.

The player with the ball dribbles towards the opposite cone, whilst being being tracked
by their partner (a defender). The player without the ball always decides on which side he wants to track his opponent, forcing his partner to use the foot on the defenders opposite side. At some point between the two cones the player with the ball must perform the stop turn move and tries to beat his partner back to the starting point. Exchange roles after each turn.

Full Pressure: This is a variation of the line soccer game that gives lots of opportunities for the stop turn move to utilized for a change of direction.

As with the previous practice one player has the ball and they are tracked by their partner who can now compete for the ball. In this full pressure game the attacker should alternate between starting with the defender on the left or the right hand side. The attackers objective is to dribble the ball across any of the three lines (straight ahead, left or right) after performing at least one stop turn move. If the defender recovers the ball they have the same objective.

Small Sided Game: This is a variation of the Rio Ferdinand defending game that again allows the player in possession the opportunity to utilize the stop turn move in a game like situation.

A team of attackers with a ball each attack the goal all at once. As they approach a defender for the first time they must perform the stop turn move, before they can attempt to score in the goal they are attacking. If defenders win a ball they can try and score up the other end. Once all four balls are no longer in play award an extra goal to the winning team and have the players return to their start position. Swap defenders and attackers every three attempts at the game.

Normal Game: Focus on the skills learnt in the session, giving particular praise to players using the stop turn move.

Our diagrams are produced using session template software (with new functionality) from Academy Soccer Coach. Click here to visit their website and access free soccer downloads

The Rio Ferdinand Game

 

One team of attackers with a ball each attack the goal all at once. If defenders win the ball and score up the other end it is worth 2 goals. Every couple of minutes bring the players back to their start position. Swap defenders and attackers

Our diagrams are produced using session template software (with new functionality) from Academy Soccer Coach. Click here to visit their website and access free soccer downloads

Using One Twos and Wall Passes

The Set Up: A square pitch appropriate for the number of players, I used 25x25 for 10 under 9 players. The triangle in the centre is 10 yards long, its advisable to use different coloured cones in the triangle to aid your description of what the players have to do. 

Ball Work - As the players arrive give them a ball and ask them to go and practice keeping the ball of the ground. Try avoid players letting players kick trying to kick the ball into the clouds. For players who struggle with this juggle get them to use the drop, kick catch technique. Drop the ball, let it bounce one, kick it up as the ball comes back down.then catch it on the way back. Then do the same with the other foot. Once they can successfully do one kick with both feet, move onto two kicks etc....

Triangle Passing - This drill is adapted from the supposed Jose Mourinho Bible (drill 3), which you can download here. The player on the orange cone starts with the ball and passes it to the player on the blue cone and runs to join the queue behind the blue cone.  As the ball is passed the player at the blue cone they should check his shoulders and TRY to pass the ball to the player on the yellow in cone with no more than two touches, after passing they then go to the queue at the yellow cone. The player on the yellow cone, checks his shoulders as the ball is passed to him, then controls the pass and dribbles it over to the player at the front of the orange cone and the sequence continues. 

Depending on the space and number of players you have, you could use more triangles with less players at each cone.

3+2 v 3+2 - This game is also adpated from a game in the Mourinho bible (drill 1). The yellow team play North to South and the Red play East to West, it can also be played with larger or smaller numbers in the middle or even an overload. The objective for the players in the middle is to do a wall pass or one to two, with one of the two members of the team on the outside of the playing area. For each successful wall pass or one two, they get one point. You will quickly see players looking for space and for the players in possession to be looking for team mates in space. Allow players to dribble to find spaces also. Defensively players quickly learn that they need to quickly close down any player that makes a pass to a team mate on the outside to prevent them getting a point.

You can make it easier by giving the player on the outside all the time they need, in terms of number of touches to make a return pass.

You can make it harder by limiting the outside players touches.

Normal Game: Play a normal game with a focus on the skills learnt in the session, giving particular praise to players using one two;s or wall passes to create scoring opportunities

Our diagrams are produced using session template software (with new functionality) from Academy Soccer Coach. Click here to visit their website and access free soccer downloads