Lose Defenders With The Cruyff Turn

We continue our crusade to put skills back into junior soccer and at the same time turn your players into winners. This week we show you how to coach simple dribbling coupled with a great trick.

Putting simple dribbling into practice

* Knee over the ball
* Front of dribbling foot pulls the ball along so it stays on or near the foot at all times

If you start your under 4s/5s/6s running at players using this technique it will soon become natural to even the most basic player. Get them to practice on real players, NOT THROUGH CONES! Cones are not realistic soccer situations. In fact, consider leaving your cones in the shed!

Working on cool moves

Some of your players will be convinced they can dribble easily and will want to learn some moves to impress their friends. Teach them some - they're great for warm ups before a match and great for giving homework and if they can pull them off in a match you’re on to a winner.

Let's look at how to teach the Cruyff Turn, which is a great move to bamboozle defenders.

This skill is named after the brilliant Dutchman Johan Cruyff. If you are too young to have seen him play, do yourself a favour and find out more. He was not only a supremely gifted and intelligent player but a successful coach with Ajax and Barcelona. His performances for the great Dutch side of the seventies are legendary.

This trick is great for losing an opponent. Get your players to give it plenty of practice, use lively feet and they will soon be the envy of their team-mates.

You are creating match winners

Expect your players to make mistakes along the way, to try and dribble when they should pass, but don’t stop them doing it. More often than not it will win you matches. It's part of your role as coach to give your players the freedom to express themselves, to make mistakes and to learn from them.