4 short technique videos, each with a challenge players can repeat to measure their progress.
By Terry Barton, founder of The Coaching Manual and 15 years in coach education · Updated October 2026
Turning with the ball is how players escape pressure, get out of tight spaces and face forward to play.
Every player needs a few turns they can use without thinking. Teach them to check their shoulder before the ball arrives, get low as they turn and accelerate away afterwards.
Watch the technique, teach the coaching points, then set the challenge.
Perhaps the most iconic turn in the game. Made famous by one of the greatest players (and coaches) ever, it can be learned at any age.
A simpler turn than the Cruyff, often used to move away from tacklers or escape from defenders when shielding the ball.
The most used turn in the game. It's the midfielder's favourite when receiving with their back to a defender, because it gets them out of danger quickly.
Changing direction quickly, keeping the ball in play and escaping oncoming defenders are just three reasons to learn the stop turn.
Every technique and challenge lives in The Coaching Manual app. Players record their scores, coaches see who is improving, and clubs get the whole programme alongside sessions and season plans.
