Receive and turn soccer drill
Receive and turn is a drill for three players in which the middle player receives a pass, hears “turn” or “man on” from the passer, and either turns to play forward or passes straight back. It trains checking over the shoulder and choosing the right first touch for the pressure.
Soccer is called football in most of the world. This guide is part of Futbol Island’s free football lessons for kids aged 7 to 12.
Receive and turn: setup diagram
At a glance
| Detail | For this drill |
|---|---|
| Ages | U8 to U12 (ages 7 to 12) |
| Players | Groups of 3, then 4 with a defender |
| Space | 10 x 24 yd (9 x 22 m) |
| Equipment | One ball per group; cones |
| Time | 10 minutes |
| Skill | First touch |
Change the size of the area to fit your group: bigger makes it easier for the player with the ball, smaller makes it harder. Everyone who goes out comes straight back in, and nobody runs laps.
How to run it
- A and C stand 20 yards apart, with B in the middle. A passes to B.
- As the ball travels, A calls “turn!” B takes the first touch on the half turn and passes to C. Then C passes in, and B turns the other way.
- Next, A calls either “turn” or “man on”. On “man on”, B passes straight back to A and moves to a new angle.
- Add a defender behind B. Now nobody calls: B looks over the shoulder before the pass arrives. If the defender is tight, B plays back. If the defender is off, B turns.
- Rotate every minute.
Coaching points to say out loud
- “Look before it comes.”
- “Half turned, not back to goal.”
- “Tight? Play back. Room? Turn.”
- “Talk to your teammate.”
Make it easier or harder
Easier
Use only the “turn” call, with no defender, until the half-turn touch is smooth.
Harder
The defender is free to win the ball. B scores two points for turning and passing to C, one for a pass back that keeps the ball.
Common mistakes
- Looking only at the ball as it arrives. The look over the shoulder has to come before the pass.
- Turning into the defender. The call “man on” is a gift: use it.
- Teammates staying silent. The passer can see what the receiver cannot.
Why it matters in a game
This is the exact picture in our lesson “look before receiving”: check for pressure, turn into room or give the ball back. Midfielders do it dozens of times a game, and strikers with their back to goal do it too.
The lesson that teaches it: Look, Then Turn or Return.
Questions about Receive and turn
What does “man on” mean in soccer?
It is a warning from a teammate that a defender is close behind you. The safe answer is to protect the ball or pass it back.
What is receiving on the half turn?
Standing side on as the ball arrives, so one touch takes you forward. It is quicker than stopping the ball and then turning.
How do I teach kids to look over their shoulder?
Give them a reason. Put something behind them that changes, such as a defender or a colored cone, and ask them what they saw.
Lessons that teach this idea
- Look, Then Turn or Return (7v7 lesson)Look for pressure before receiving. Turn into room or give the ball back.
- Receive: Turn or Connect (9v9 lesson)Check the space before receiving; a turn and a return solve different pressure.
- Can You Turn? (11v11 lesson)Look before the ball arrives. Turn when you have room; use your support when you don’t.
- Pivot: Turn or Combine (Futsal lesson)The pivot reads the marker and chooses a turn or lay-off.
Related drills and guides
- Receive across the body (drill)It trains an open body shape, so the player can see the whole field and play forward with the second touch.
- Shoulder check colors (drill)It trains scanning: taking a look away from the ball so the player knows what is around them before they receive it.
- Turn and go (drill)It trains the three basic turns, the drag-back, the inside hook and the outside hook, and the burst of speed that makes a turn work.
- Rondo 4v2 (drill)It trains the attackers to find the pass between the two defenders, and the defenders to press and cover as a pair.
- Central midfielder in soccerThe link player who receives on the turn
- Defensive midfielder in soccerThe player who protects the middle
- First touch (soccer term)The touch you take as the ball arrives
- U8 soccer drills for 7 and 8 year oldsTen drills for 7 and 8 year olds: dribbling, 1v1, first passing and 3v3
- U10 soccer drills for 9 and 10 year oldsTen drills for 9 and 10 year olds: rondos, first touch, 2v1 and first goalkeeping
- U12 soccer drills for 11 and 12 year oldsTen drills for 11 and 12 year olds: 4v2 rondos, possession, defending in pairs and finishing
- First touch soccer drills for kidsReceiving drills: back foot, touch into space, turning and high balls
- U12 soccer practice plan: passing and possessionA 75-minute plan that uses this drill
- All first touch drillsReceiving the ball so the next action is easy.
Futbol Island is a free football (soccer) learning game for kids aged 7 to 12. Every idea on this page is taught on a pitch with moving players, then checked with a quick quiz.