When receiving a pass, most of us check directly in front of our teammate who has the ball. The problem that this creates is we have our backs to where we want to go. Teammates need to shout one of two commands.
- "Turn" indicating you have open space to dribble up the field.
- "Man On" indicating you have an opponent immediately behind you.
However, soccer is often played at a fast pace - verbal commands become ineffective. Therefore, a good habit to develop at an early age is to check to your teammate (with the ball) at an angle which allows you to peek over your shoulder to see if you have space or not to turn. Instead of standing perpendicular to the passer, you are at a 45 degree angle. This is called "sideways on'.
Video
Please click the link below for an excellent demo of sideways on by Jeff Tipping (NSCAA coaching staff).