Cruyff turn through a gate
Transcript
The Cruyff turn looks like a pass, then takes you away from pressure. It's named after Johan Cruyff. You need a ball and four cones. Put a cone five metres in front as a defender, and a two metre gate five metres behind your start. Watch. Dribble at the defender, shape to pass, drag it back and go. Now the turn, up close. First, shape to pass, then drag it behind you. Keep it close, not too far away. Use both feet. Then, explode to the gate. Our target is four on each foot, three rounds, walking back to recover. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Turn away from pressure: shape as if to pass, drag the ball behind your standing leg with the inside of your foot, then accelerate away through a gate. The FA lists the Cruyff among its turns, and FIFA's ball-mastery practice uses it on both feet.
Set up
- 4 cones
- Defender cone at 5 m
- A 2 m gate
- Gate 5 m behind start
How it works
- Set a start cone on flat grass. Put a cone 5 m in front of it as your defender, and a 2 m gate (2 cones) 5 m behind the start.
- Dribble from the start towards the defender cone.
- About 1 to 2 m before it, plant your standing foot beside the ball and shape as if to pass.
- Drag the ball behind your standing leg with the inside of your other foot, turn to follow it and accelerate back through the gate.
- Walk back to the start to recover. Do 4 turns on each foot: that is one round. Do 3 rounds (our target).
Coaching points
- Drag it behind you. Plant beside the ball and shape as if to pass, then use the inside of your foot to drag the ball behind your standing leg. Keep a tight turning circle and keep the ball close, as the FA's turning session puts it.
- Explode to the gate. As the ball goes behind you, turn to follow it and push it ahead with your next touch. Accelerate hard for the first few steps and dribble through the gate.
Not this
A big drag that sends the ball rolling away from you. You need an extra touch to catch it, and the pressure catches you.
Dose
- 4 on each foot, 3 rounds
- Walk back to recover
Our target: 4 turns on each foot, 3 rounds, walking back between reps: our own target, not an FA or FIFA rule.
Harder / Easier
Harder
Turn later, about 1 m from the defender cone, and race through the gate faster. Then ask a partner to walk at you as the defender and turn away when they get close.
Easier
Walk it first: from standing, plant, shape to pass, drag the ball behind you and turn. Then add a slow dribble, and widen the gate to 3 m.
Safety
- Flat, dry grass with clear space past the gate, never a road or a driveway.
- The ball passes close to your standing foot, so go slowly until you can drag it cleanly without stepping on it.
Sources
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.
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