Turning session: turning to create and score goals

Session

England Football Learning

2 mins - Mar 26, 2024

This session will help players:

think about the types of turns they can use
develop turning for creating chances
use turns effectively in matches to score goals.

If you like this idea, download the session plan and give it a go. And don't forget to share your experience on the England Football Community. We'd love to know how you got on.

Session setup

This session uses three pitches with activities running simultaneously. Create one rectangle pitch with the halfway line marked out. Our example for this pitch uses 30x40 yards with four mini-goals in each corner, using six players.

The other two pitches will be set up next to each other with one square pitch and one triangle pitch. We used a square of 20x20 yards and a triangle of 10 yards on every side. Each side will have its own mini-goal set a small distance back. Ensure there is a little gap at the corner of each side, enough for a player to dribble out of and turn back in. We have used a 3v3 and a 2v2 on the square and triangle, respectively.

Turning to create and score goals

On the rectangle pitch, have the teams stand at both ends opposite each other. One player dribbles the ball out to the halfway line and has a shot at one of the mini-goals.
A player from the opposite team then dribbles the ball out. They have a 1v1 with the other player who has just taken a shot. The aim is to try to turn and score in one of the mini-goals. The defender's aim is to steal the ball and score.
The square and triangle pitches operate as a standard game. The aim is to dribble out of the gaps in the corners and use a 180-degree turn to get back into the area. Once they have turned back in, the players try to score in one of the mini-goals.
Progress the game by moving to a new set of pitches. We have used pitches of 40x60 yards and 10x20 yards. Our example uses a 5v5, including goalkeepers for both teams. Split the larger pitch into three.
Players can only shoot inside one of the two zones on the end. The defender aims to block the shots after a turn.
If a shot is blocked, the shot taker and the defender will move onto the smaller pitch and have a 1v1. Whoever had the shot starts with the ball. The game finishes when one of the players scores in the opponent's mini-goal.

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Tactics board

Looking for a bit more detail? Check out Mark's tactics board video for this session.

Coaching tips

You could give points for different types of turns based on difficulty. For example, you could give one point for a scissor turn and two points for a Cruyff turn.

Give the players a go on all the pitches to try a wide range of turns.

Encourage players to consider using disguise, deception, timing, and movement. Get them to think about using these to eliminate players from the game and create better chances.

Get your players to think about scanning and where the spare goal might be.