Shoulder check colors: soccer scanning drill
Shoulder check colors is a drill for three players in which the receiver must look behind them and call out the color of a cone held up by a partner before the pass arrives. It trains scanning: taking a look away from the ball so the player knows what is around them before they receive it.
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.
Shoulder check colors: setup diagram
At a glance
| Detail | For this drill |
|---|---|
| Ages | U8 to U12 (ages 7 to 12) |
| Players | Groups of 3 |
| Space | 10 x 20 yd (9 x 18 m) |
| Equipment | One ball per group; two or three cones of different colors for the player behind |
| Time | 8 to 10 minutes |
| Skill | Scanning and awareness |
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
- The passer and the receiver stand 10 yards apart. The third player stands 8 yards behind the receiver with two or three colored cones.
- As the passer steps up to pass, the player behind holds one cone up.
- The receiver looks over a shoulder, calls the color, then looks back at the ball and controls it.
- Next, the color means something: one color means turn and pass to the player behind, the other means pass back to the passer.
- Finally, swap the cones for a live player: the third player either steps up tight like a defender or stays away, and the receiver chooses to play back or turn.
Coaching points to say out loud
- “Look before the ball comes.”
- “Quick glance, then eyes on the ball.”
- “What did you see?”
- “Check again while it rolls.”
Make it easier or harder
Easier
The passer waits with a foot on the ball until the receiver has called the color.
Harder
Two players behind, each holding a cone, on either shoulder. The receiver has to check both sides.
Common mistakes
- Looking too late, when the ball is already at the feet, which leads to a bad touch.
- Turning the whole body to look. It is a turn of the head with the body side on.
- Calling a color and then ignoring it. Tie the look to a decision as soon as you can.
Why it matters in a game
Our first receiving lesson starts with these words: look for pressure before receiving. A player who has looked knows whether to turn or to give the ball back, and plays faster than one who finds out after the first touch.
The lesson that teaches it: Look, Then Turn or Return.
Do it at home
A parent stands behind and holds up fingers, and the child calls the number before a wall pass comes back.
Questions about Shoulder check colors
What is scanning in soccer?
Looking around, away from the ball, to see where teammates, opponents and space are. Coaches also call it checking your shoulder.
At what age can kids learn to scan?
From about U8 with simple games like this one. Younger players are still learning to control the ball, which takes all their attention.
When should a player look?
While the ball is travelling to a teammate or to them, not while it is at their own feet. The last look comes just before the pass arrives.
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.
- See the Ball and the Runner (7v7 lesson)Look between the ball and the runner. Share the marking job as the attack moves.
- Can You Turn? (11v11 lesson)Look before the ball arrives. Turn when you have room; use your support when you don’t.
Related drills and guides
- Receive and turn (drill)It trains checking over the shoulder and choosing the right first touch for the pressure.
- 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.
- Busy square dribbling (drill)It trains dribbling with the head up, because a player who only looks at the ball will bump into someone.
- Rondo 3v1 (drill)It trains quick passing, support on both sides of the ball and a first touch away from pressure.
- 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
- Soccer drills to do at homeSolo and parent-and-child drills for a yard, a driveway or a wall
- All scanning and awareness drillsLooking around before the ball arrives.
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.