The Maradona spin, also called the roulette, the 360 or the Zidane pirouette, is a full turn over the ball: drag it back with the sole of one foot, spin so your back is to the defender, then roll it away with the sole of the other foot. It carries Diego Maradona's name, and Zinedine Zidane is closely associated with it. Use it to escape a defender closing you down from the side in tight space. The McGeady and Berba spins are variations of this turn. We read your balance through the turn and your body over the ball; the defender is yours to feel.
Set up
Pick the moment: a defender closing you from the side or at an angle, not straight on. The turn takes you away from them and into the space they left.
they're coming at your shoulder, not your face.
Slow down as they close. Keep the ball right under you, brake with short steps before the turn rather than on the last one, and keep your knees bent.
you arrive at the ball already balanced, not skidding.
First drag
Put the sole of your dominant foot on top of the ball and drag it back slightly towards you. Almost stop it, but keep your body moving.
a soft roll under the studs, not a stamp.
Spin and shield
Spin about halfway round, away from the defender, until your back faces them. Keep the arm on their side up and out to hold them off.
your back and arm are a wall between them and the ball.
Land the dragging foot on the far side of the ball, between the ball and the defender. The ball now sits behind you, out of their reach.
you're standing in front of the ball, hiding it.
Second drag
Bring the sole of your other foot onto the ball and roll it back and away in your new direction. This touch finishes the 360.
one sole touch with each foot, the ball never leaving your feet.
Accelerate out the moment the turn is done, head up. Slow in the spin, fast out of it.
turn, then burn.
Feel it
The ball stays under you the whole way round and your body is always between it and the defender. The spin itself is calm and controlled; the speed comes after, when you push away into space. If the ball runs off during the turn, you're spinning too fast.
Fix-its
- Ball gets away from you mid-spin Slow down while you spin and roll the ball, then speed up straight after. Keep both sole touches short so the ball stays close.
- Defender pokes it away during the turn Land your first foot between the ball and the defender, arm up, ball on the foot furthest from them. If they're close enough to win it, drag the ball back further, or make more space before you start.
- You try it against a defender coming straight at you Save it for a defender closing from the side or at an angle. Head-on, the spin turns you into them.
- You wobble or stumble through the turn Brake earlier with shorter steps, keep your knees bent and stay upright over your planted foot instead of leaning sideways.
- Good spin, then you jog away The turn only buys you a moment. Accelerate on the first step out, head up to find the space.
Drill
- Picture the spin, then walk through the footwork with no ball: drag, turn, land, drag. Both directions.
- Stationary with a ball, slowly: sole drag with one foot, half turn, land in front of the ball, sole roll with the other. Lead with each foot.
- A few steps of dribbling in, the turn, a few steps out. Then turn around a cone. Once it's smooth at pace, try the faster version: rotate on top of the rolling ball without dragging it back first, then roll it away with the other foot.
- Box drill with 3 or 4 players: start at the corners, call the turn direction, dribble to the middle together, turn as you get close, then dribble out to open space.
- Shielding 1v1s in 4x4 m squares, swapping attacker and defender every 30 seconds; the attacker shields, then spins out. Finish with 4v4 on a 30x20 m pitch, two 2-minute games before rotating.
By position
Any player can use it when pressed in tight space with a defender closing at an angle. It is a futsal and street-football move at heart, so it suits small spaces. Keep the ball only when holding it has a purpose, such as turning into space or waiting for a better pass; otherwise, release it.
Sources
- We Make Footballers (WMF Coaching Team) — How to master the roulette turn (2021)
- GOAL — Best football skills: how to do the Ronaldo Chop, Elastico, Cruyff Turn and more (2022)
- MOJO Sports (Team MOJO) — How to do a Maradona turn (2021)
- Planet Football, Tom Victor — In one pirouette, Zidane showed why sometimes it's better not to score
- The FA Boot Room, Graeme Carrick — How using the sole of the foot can benefit players (2020)
- The FA Boot Room — Learning to 'hide the ball' (2018)
- FIFA Training Centre, Gary Phillips — Strength through shielding (2024)
- FIFA Training Centre — Newcastle U-9s: finding a way forward
- Dos'Santos, Thomas, Comfort & Jones — Training interventions on change of direction biomechanics and ACL loading: a scoping review, Sports Medicine (2019)
Last checked 2026-10-31.