CONFUSION REIGNS IN COCKPIT DURING PWR BACK MANEUVER. CAPT FAILS TO FOLLOW MARSHALLER'S SIGNAL FOR TURN IN PROPER DIRECTION.

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PWR BACK MISCOM. GND PERSONNEL CHKED IN ON HEADSET PRIOR TO DEP AND BRIEFED A 'PWR BACK WITH A L TURN.' AFTER ENGS STARTED WE BEGAN THE PWR BACK. DURING THE PWR BACK THE GND MAN GAVE THE SIGNAL FOR A R TURN. SINCE I WAS PRIMED BY THE BRIEFING FOR A L TURN I THEN BEGAN A L TURN. THIS RIGHTLY EXCITED THE GND MAN WHO STOPPED ME; BROUGHT ME FORWARD AND BEGAN THE PWR BACK AGAIN. AGAIN HE GAVE THE SIGNAL FOR A R TURN AND AGAIN I TURNED L. BY THIS TIME THE GND MAN WAS PRETTY FRUSTRATED. WE FINISHED THE PWR BACK STRAIGHT BACK AND THE FLT DEPARTED. DEPARTING I SAW ANOTHER FLT ON THE TXWY BEHIND US THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN NOSE TO NOSE WITH HAD I TURNED AS I WAS TRYING TO DO. THE BRIEFING SAID A L TURN SO EVEN THOUGH HE WAS GIVING A R TURN; IN MY MIND I HAD LOCKED INTO A L TURN. I DON'T KNOW IF THE GND MAN CHANGED THE TURN DIRECTION AFTER THE BRIEFING OR BRIEFED THE TURN IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. IN EITHER CASE HE DID GIVE THE PROPER SIGNALS FOR WHAT HE REALLY WANTED EVEN THOUGH I KEPT TURNING THE OTHER WAY. I DON'T HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR A SOLUTION. THE SYS WORKED AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO IN THAT HE USED THE PROPER SIGNALS TO STOP THE ACFT FROM DOING SOMETHING HE DIDN'T WANT IT TO DO AND GOT THE PROB SORTED OUT AND THE FLT DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT OR COMPROMISING SAFETY. A GOOD JOB BY THE GND MAN IN THE FACE OF CONFUSION.