Drills / On your own

Turn and recover

Stand as a defender, turn on a call, and sprint back on a curved line to get between the runner and your goal. The run for balls over the top, overlaps and cut-backs.

Players
Just you
Space
20 × 10 m
Kit
3 cones
Time
10 minutes
Age
Under-8s and older
You
  • Us
  • Them
  • Pass
  • Run
  • Dribble

Set up

  • Put a goal cone at one end, and your start cone 15 m out from it.
  • Put a cone 4 m to one side of the start: that is where the runner is going.

How it works

  1. Stand on the start cone, side-on, facing away from the goal.
  2. On your own call, open your hips, turn and sprint back towards the goal cone.
  3. Curve your run so you end up between the side cone's line and the goal, not chasing behind it.
  4. Look over your shoulder twice on the way. Walk back. Six runs, three turning each way.

What to work on

  • Turn by opening your hips towards the ball side, not by spinning the long way round.
  • Get goal-side first, then across.
  • Look over your shoulder while you run, so you know where the runner and the ball are.
  • Finish facing the play, ready to defend, not facing your own goal.

Easier

Jog the run, and only look once.

Harder

Ask a friend to point left or right as the call, and race them to the goal cone.

Safety. Do it on grass or a soft surface with nothing behind you, because the first steps are backwards and sideways.

Try next

Drills that work the same skills.