Skills / Passing and receiving

Receiving on the half-turn

Stand side-on and take the ball with your back foot, so your first touch turns you to face forward.

L R 20 cm
  • Foot on the ball
  • Ball's path

From about age 8

When to use it

Receiving in midfield or from a defender, when you have a little space and want to play forward.

Get it right

  • Before the ball arrives, look over your shoulder to see where the space and the defenders are.
  • Stand side-on: half facing the passer, half facing the way you want to go.
  • Let the ball run across your body and take it with your back foot, the one further from the passer.
  • Your first touch goes forward, into space, and your body turns with it.
  • If a defender is tight behind you, keep it simple and play it back.

Watch out for

  • Standing square, facing the passer, so you have to turn with an extra touch.
  • Receiving on the front foot, which blocks your own way forward.
  • Not checking your shoulder first, so you turn into a defender.

Drawn for the right foot. Learn it on your weaker foot too: it doubles the number of ways you can go.

More passing and receiving: The inside-foot pass, Cushioning the ball.

In a match

Practising a skill is half of it. Here is when it turns up in a game, and what to look for.

Where
Midfield, and full-backs receiving from centre-backs.
The moment
You have checked your shoulder and there is space to turn and play forward.
Match mistake
Receiving square-on to the passer, facing your own goal, so you can only pass back.

Try it in your next match. Look over your shoulder before every pass you receive, and turn forward at least five times.

Match moments where it counts: Beat the press · Get past their midfield · Take a quick throw-in

Practise it

Drills where you will use this skill again and again.