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First Touch

First Touch & Turn

Take the first touch away from pressure

First Touch
Receiving
Ball Mastery
Premium

First Touch & Turn is a 12-minute first touch drill for 4-18 players, suitable for Under 5 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.

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First Touch
Receiving
Ball Mastery
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable

Duration

12 min

Players

4-18

Pitch size

20 x 10 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: First Touch & Turn123C20 x 10 yards

First Touch & Turn — Marked area · 20 x 10 yards

Step 1 of 4Server plays into the middle player who takes a directional first touch and turns.

  1. 1. Server plays into the middle player who takes a directional first touch and turns.
  2. 2. Player passes to the opposite server and repeats the other way.
  3. 3. Swap roles every 60 seconds.
  4. 4. Rotation: Swap roles every 60 seconds.
  • Cones mark the area
  • Dashed lines = zones / thirds
  • Ball
  • C = coach / server
  • Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
  • Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

  • -Take the first touch away from pressure
  • -Turn quickly and play forward
  • -Receive on the half-turn with an open body

Setup

  1. 1Two servers 15 yards apart with a working player in the middle.
  2. 2Cones mark the receiving zone.
  3. 3Group in threes.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Server plays into the middle player who takes a directional first touch and turns.
  2. 2Player passes to the opposite server and repeats the other way.
  3. 3Swap roles every 60 seconds.

Coaching points

  • -Check away before showing to receive
  • -Open the hips and take the touch across the body
  • -Look over the shoulder before the ball arrives
  • -Use the correct surface for the direction of the turn

Common mistakes

  • -Touch too close to the feet
  • -Receiving square-on and getting stuck
  • -No scan before receiving

Where this drill fits

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