Dribbling To Shoot

The set up: Magic Rectangle - I set up each rectangle as 10 yards wide by 15 yards long. Overall pitch size of 30x45, but make it appropriate to your players age and ability.

Warm Up: Shooting - As each of the players arrive give them 3 footballs each and send them to one of the rectangles (at least three players to each area) and let them do what all players enjoy doing - take shots at goal. After a minute or two walk around to each area and ask them to try shooting with different parts of both feet. The running to collect the balls they have smashed around the field will get their hearts pumping!

Revisit each area once more and ask them what parts of the foot they have tried, get them thinking about how else they could shoot? Players should be taking turns to shoot and go in goal.

Work in small groups: Dribbling to Shoot - Player 1 dribbles towards the goal and takes a free shot at the goal (with keeper), Having taken the shot player 1 now becomes the defender and tries to prevent player 2 from scoring. Player 2 starts dribbling when the first players takes his shot. Players should all take it turns to perform each role  and be encouraged to try different shots. Make it easier by asking the player defender to only apply passive pressure.

Work in small areas: 2v1 Shooting - The set up is the same as the warm up, except the goalkeeper now becomes a defender and is trying to prevent his opponents scoring. The attackers take it in turn to dribble towards goal, as the defender challenges, the attacker in possession has to decide whether to pass to his team mate or take on his opponent, or shoot straight away. Again get the players to experiment with different parts of the foot. Better players can be challenged by adding a keeper as well as the defender. To make it easier allow the defender to apply passive pressure only.

Group Work: Scoring Game - A standard 4v4 or 5v5 small sided game but with big goals and no goal keepers allows players to score from anywhere on the pitch. Its really easy to score a goal in this game so players learn to dribble to get space for a shot at goal. Using team overloads (4v5, 6v4 etc) the game can be made easier of harder for the players.

Follow this with a normal game. Focus on the skills learnt in the session, giving particular praise to players taking the players dribbling to create scoring opportunities

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