Pull-push: roll back, push out
Transcript
Pull-push helps you change direction and move away from pressure. Here's the move, one foot at a time. You need a ball on flat grass. Plant one foot beside it and put your other sole on top. Watch. Roll it back with the sole, then push it out with the outside of the same foot. First, pull it back along the same line. Now the other foot. Then, keep it in your shadow, with short pushes. Not this. A big push that rolls out of reach. One minute on each foot, twice through, is our target. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Change direction with the ball under control: roll it back with the sole, then push it out with the outside of the same foot. The FA says the sole lets you drag, turn and roll the ball and change direction and speed.
Set up
- A ball on flat grass
- Plant one foot beside
- Other sole on top
How it works
- Find flat, dry grass with about 3 x 3 m of clear space. Use a size 4 ball at U12-U13 and a size 5 from U14 (size 3 up to U11).
- Plant your standing foot beside the ball and put the sole of your other foot on top of it.
- Roll the ball back with the sole, then push it out with the outside of the same foot, along the same line. Land your sole on it again and repeat.
- Take a few slow reps to find your tempo, then 1 minute on one foot. Rest 30 s, then 1 minute on the other foot. Do 2 rounds.
Coaching points
- Back along the same line. Roll the ball back along the line it went out on, a short way and under control, so it stops in front of you and never runs into your standing foot.
- Keep it in your shadow. Push it out with the outside of your boot, about a boot length, so it stays in your shadow and your sole can land on it again straight away.
Not this
A big push that rolls out of reach, so you have to stretch or chase it before the next pull back.
Dose
- 1 min on each foot
- Our target: 2 rounds
Our target: 1 minute on each foot, 30 s rest, 2 rounds, is our own target, not an FA or FIFA rule.
Harder / Easier
Harder
Take it on the move: set 2 cones 5 m apart and work along the lane, pushing out towards the far cone. Go out on one foot and back on the other, with your eyes up between touches.
Easier
Go at walking pace: pull back and stop the ball under your sole before each push. Or only pull back and stop, with no push, until it feels steady.
Safety
- Flat, dry ground with about 3 x 3 m of clear space around you, never a road.
- The ball can roll under your foot, so use grass or a non-slip surface, never a polished floor, and start slowly.
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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