No going back: turn and go forward
Transcript
Take away the pass back, and you have to turn and play forward. Here's the game. You need six players, a ball, six cones, two small goals and a thirty by fifteen metre pitch. One rule. No passing back. Watch. Open up early, take it forward, and play across halfway. First, stand half-turned, to see the passer and the goal. Then, forward, always forward. Not this. The safe pass back. Defenders stay on their feet, no slide tackles. Our target is four games of three minutes, one minute rest. After any knock to the head, if in doubt, sit them out. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
A small game with one rule: no passing back. With the safe pass gone, players learn to open up half-turned before the ball arrives, then turn and play forward. Adapted from England Football's "no going back" turning session.
Set up
- 6 players, 3 v 3
- 6 cones, 2 small goals
- 30 x 15 m pitch
- Rule: no passing back
How it works
- Warm up first. Mark a pitch 30 m long and 15 m wide: a cone on each corner, one at each end of the halfway line, and a small goal in the middle of each end. Use a size 4 ball.
- Play 3 v 3. The one rule: attackers cannot pass backwards, towards their own goal.
- Before the ball reaches you, open up half-turned. Take your first touch forward, then pass across halfway, dribble or shoot.
- Receive facing your own goal? Turn with a drag-back, a step-over or a flick to go forward. When the defenders win the ball, they attack the other way under the same rule.
- Play 4 games of 3 minutes with 1 minute rest between.
Coaching points
- Half-turned, see both. Before the pass arrives, stand side-on (half-turned) so you can see the passer and the goal you attack. FIFA coaches receiving at an angle, on the back foot, so you can play forward more quickly.
- Forward, always forward. There is no pass back, so take your first touch forward, away from your defender, then pass across halfway, dribble or shoot. If you do receive facing your own goal, turn with a drag-back, a step-over or a flick.
Not this
Looking for the safe pass back. This game does not allow it, and receiving square on, facing your own goal, leaves you stuck with the ball. Open up before it arrives, so forward is always an option.
Dose
- 4 games of 3 min
- 1 min rest between
Our target: 4 games of 3 minutes with 1 minute rest between (the Football Reach target, not an FA rule).
Harder / Easier
Harder
Only one attacker may enter the end zone to score (mark it with 2 more cones a few metres out from each goal). Or, as England Football suggests, a goal that starts with a dribble over halfway counts three.
Easier
Allow one backward pass per attack, until turning forward feels natural. Or play 2 v 1 with a parent, who defends on their feet.
Safety
- If in doubt, sit them out: anyone with a suspected concussion stops straight away, does no training for at least 24 hours and plays no matches for at least 21 days (UK concussion guidelines).
- Defenders stay on their feet: no slide tackles, and keep the ball on the ground.
- Peg or weight both goals down so they cannot tip over (The FA goalpost safety guidance). Flat grass with space all round, never a road or driveway.
- Under 16: if your knees or heels hurt when you run, stop and tell an adult; a GP or physio can help.
Sources
- England Football Learning - turning session: no going back (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA Training Centre - receiving on the half-turn (midfielders) (opens in a new tab)
- The FA - goalpost safety (opens in a new tab)
- England Football - UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport (opens in a new tab)
- The FA Boot Room - growth and the physical corner (opens in a new tab)
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
Take the free test
