A device for determining the actual reversal of the direction of rotation of a rotational drive continuing to operate after previous switching of the direction of rotation, in particular for window lifting systems or sliding roof drives in a motor vehicle, has a sensor wheel (1) with a coding structure (9) configured asymmetrically in respect of distribution along the periphery of the sensor wheel (1); a single detector (2), which generates a rotor speed-dependent pulse signal during rotation of the sensor wheel (1) by scanning the coding structure (9); and an evaluation unit (4), to which the pulse signal is fed and which determines the actual reversal of the direction of rotation by evaluating the pulse edges; wherein the coding structure (9) is formed by coding sectors (10) of a first sector width (11) and a reference coding sector pair (12) with a second sector width (13).