First Time Shooting

by David Baird

A session for first time shooting, the weight of the pass must be stressed when assisting the shot and the technique for striking the ball cleanly with power and accuracy:

• Put your laces through the ball
• Knee over the ball
• Strike just below the center of the ball
• Head down, shoulders slightly back
• Standing foot - have your toe in line with the back of the ball
• Swing from the hips
• Opposite arm to foot comes up as you strike for balance 

Drill 1:

Drill 2: 

Drill 3: 

Conditioned Game: 

David Baird Soccer Coach

@DavidBairdSC

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Soft Touch, Quick Strike

By David Baird

Follow @DavidBairdSC

A session to improve functional play of the striker 








Progression 1:

Progression 2:

Progression 3:

Progression 4: 

Getting the ball wide and delivery

This session looks at phases of play to get the ball wide.

Movement off the ball is vital to get into goal scoring positions.

By David Baird





After a good warm up start with the following drill:

Instruction:
The blue team will perform the phase of play, once the shot on goal has been taken, the white team should start as the blue team make their recovery run back to their starting positions. The aim is to complete the phase successfully, avoiding the traffic of the returning players. Speed of play challenge – complete the phase and shoot before the other team are back on their markers


Coaching:
Encourage the winger to check away from the play then back, asking for the ball to feet. The defender should play the wingers back foot so he can play 1 or 2 touch into the striker who should have also have checked away then to the ball, moving the defender away momentarily.
The return ball should be played in front of the winger.
Midfielder should time his run to just inside the box for a cut back and first time shot. Attacker should be the back post option – staying onside and looking for rebounds


Progression 1:

Conditioned Game:

More: Football drills and sessions

Play Striker, Set Midfielder, Unlock a Wide Player to Goal

by @DavidBairdSC

Progression 1:

Conditioned Game: 

More drills and sessions by David Baird soccer coach: Soccer drills and sessions

CONTROL AND SHOOT

Look to shoot early and at every opportunity around the box - if you don't buy a ticket you can't win the raffle

Warm Up

Players move freely around a large area, start with the players passing and moving using 2 or 3 footballs and gradually add more balls to increase the passing tempo. 

Players should re-act to coaches commands such as, 2 touch passing, step over then pass, turn and then pass, pass and then press the ball

Include dynamic stretches while off the ball, side steps, knees up, heels up etc. 

Coaching points:

• Receive the ball side on 
• Aim with the non kicking foot pointing to the intended target
• Keep your head steady and eye on the ball
• Play the ball at an angle which is easy for the receiving player to control  

Main Drill

The ball starts with the player beside the goal, who passes the ball out wide. The wide players will then play into the striker who is standing in the box allocated just outside the penalty area. 

The striker takes their first touch out of feet (out of the box) and strikes on goal.

The sequence starts again from the other side this time.

Rotation is simple, follow the ball to the next station, striker gathers the ball after his shot and joins the line next to the goals. 

Coaching points:

• Speed and accuracy of pass
• First touch should be forward and into space, setting yourself up for a shot 
• 'Check' into an area of the box as if to create space for receiving the ball
• Striking technique, keep head down and put laces through the ball, aiming away from the keeper and into a corner

Progressions:

• Ball can be varied between played into the strikers feet or in the air for him to control
• Passes can apply limited pressure to the receiving player

Conditioned Game

On a 40x40 pitch, play 5 v 5 with 2 wall pass players at each side of the goals.

To score a team must play the ball to a wall player then shoot and score first time with the return.

Players play 2 touch and the wall players only have 1

Coaching points:

• Speed and quality of pass 
• Create space to receive 
• Receive to play the ball forward
• Look for early delivery into the wall player with speed and accuracy 
• Striking technique

1 v 1 Finishing Session

 Coaching points:

• Create space with feints and turns
• When striking the ball keep your head down and knee over the ball - kick through the ball
• Use team mates around you for give and goes
• Communication 

Warm Up

This exercise takes place in an area of 20 x 20 with a 5 yard end zone which contains two goals. The striker (blue) starts with the ball and is positioned a couple of feet in front of the defender (red). The striker will play the ball into the coach (green) then immediately follow his pass for the return, at the same time the defender will rush out to defend.

From here it is simply 1 v 1, with the striker looking to get past the defender and into the end zone to finish into 1 of the 2 goals. 

If the defender wins the ball he can score into either goal. 

Main Drill

For this drill, have 2 teams (red v blue) with both teams behind a cone and the players numbered 1 to 4. The coach will start the drill by passing the ball into the playing area and calling out a number, the corresponding blue and red player will come out and play 1 v 1. The aim is to find space and try in score into one of the opposing teams goals. 

Progress the drill by calling more than 1 number and creating 2 v 2s and 3 v 3s etc.

Dimensions: 25 x 25 yards

Conditioned Game

In a playing area of 30x25 create a 5 yard scoring zone at each end with 3 goals. The teams play 4v4 and can only score when they get into the opposing teams scoring zone (defenders can follow attackers into the scoring zones to prevent goals). 

Progressions: 

Teams now must score outside the scoring zone

1 touch finish

2 touch open play and 1 touch finish

Quick recap - When 1 v 1 to goal create space with change of direction and change of pass then look to get your shot away early, low and hard, into a corner away from the goalkeeper - be alive for rebounds. 

Questions about this drill, find me on Twitter: @DavidBairdSc 

Finishing around the area

This drill is designed to help decision MAKING around the area, movement off the ball and to encouraging players to get shots away early and look for rebounds

Set Up

Set up the players in 4 teams, red, blue, green and yellow (or 1,2,3,4 – a,b,c,d etc) On the coaches command the first player will attack the goal (red) in an attempt to score and once the shot has been released they then support the next player (green) and this sequence continues until all 4 players have attacked the goal, on the coaches command the first player of the next set of 4 players can begin.

Progression – once a player has supported they can become a defender creating 2 v 1s and 2 v 2s to goal. 

Once the red player shoots he will support the green player for a give and go towards goal

Once the green player shoots he will support the yellow player. The red player will become the defender creating a 2 v 1, meaning the yellow player has a decision to make. he can use the supporting player or he can go alone to goal.

Movement off the ball from supporting player is key, making sure he stays onside.

Once the yellow player has shot he will support the blue player, the green and red player will now become defenders creating a 2 v 2 to goal, again you are looking for good movement off the ball, effective 1 v 1 attacking and decision making, pass, dribble or shoot?

Important: Make sure you apply a rotation process so every player can play each role in the drill, for example once the play breaks down, collect your ball and join the next line

Coaching points:

• Technical points for shooting
• Look to penetrate quickly and take every opportunity to shoot
• Create space by passing and moving or dribbling with the ball
• Player off the ball must show good angles of support and be available for the pass
• Off the ball - run into space and take a defender with you to create a 1 v 1 situation for your team mate

Conditioned game

A GREAT SHOOTING DRILL, SUITABLE FOR MOST AGES AND ABILITY LEVELS, CREATING SPACE FOR AN EARLY SHOT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THIS EXERCISE SO ENCOURAGE PLAYERS TO PLAY WITH CONFIDENCE AND SPEED

Set Up

Set up an area of 30x40 with 2 goals and goalkeepers. Divide the group into 4 teams of 3 players.

3 reds will line up to play 3 blues, the other 3 reds will wait behind the red goal and the other 3 blues will wait behind the blue goal.

From here it is simply a case of winner stays on - as each team aims to score, if the red team scores then that group of 3 will stay on and the two blue teams will swap and vice-versa. If the ball goes out of play at any moment, both teams will switch. 

Important: Make sure the coach has a large supply of footballs at the side of the field in order to play a ball into the field when a goal is scored or the ball goes out of play, this is a high tempo exercise, therefor do not have players chasing the balls.

Coaching points:

• Technical points for shooting
• Look to penetrate quickly and take every opportunity to shoot
• Create space by passing and moving or dribbling with the ball
• Keep players wide to create space (diamond formation)
• Goalkeepers are also free to shoot

Playing a Through Ball to the Forwards

 Age Group: 12-13 Years Old Ability Level: Beginner Gender: Boys/Girls

Equipment Required: Bibs, balls, cones

Aim of Session: To play an accurate and well timed through ball for the forwards to run onto. This session will also aim to raise strikers awareness, movement and finishing.

Overview: You won't win any games if you don't score goals. This practice will improve combination passing, accumulating with the most important pass into the strikers. The through ball will be used to unlock defense and set a striker through on goal without being offside.

Learning Outcomes:

1. When to play the killer pass

2. Striker movement to get into dangerous areas and stay onside (timing runs)

3. Strike across goal

Drill 1 - Combination Passing and Movement 

Set up four cones in a diamond with one cone in the centre, cones should be at least 12 yards apart from each other. Have a line of players at the front and back cones of the diamond and 1 player on each side cone. Also have a player on each side of the centre cone facing the line of players, the player at the front of each line will start with a ball. The player at the front of the line passes to the centre player facing him, who controls and plays it out to the right. When the player on the outside receives the ball they play it to the front of the next line. Follow your pass.

Coach:

• Check off the cone (cone acts as a defender) 
• Receive the ball side on 
• Play 2 touch 
• Pass and move quickly

Possible Progressions:

• Receive the ball and drop it back for the person who passed you the ball to move it on (give and go)

Drill 2 - Timing the Pass and Run

Instruction: Same as before however the line of orange cones (3 across the centre) work as the offside line. Coach acts as a referee, player receiving the ball must stay on the correct side of the cones.

Coaches Instructions:

Time of Pass: Passer must get their head up and pass the ball when the running forward is onside and ready to receive the ball. Practice a firm and accurate pass.

Time of Run and Movement: When forward is ready for the ball, communicate. Time your run to stay onside and shake of defender. The coach should demonstrate disguising runs and pulling defenders out of position.

Drill 3 - Introduce Goalkeeper

Instruction: As before, the player in the centre receives the ball side on, gets their head up and looks to play the forward through on goal quickly. The forward runs on to the ball and tries to score against goalkeeper

Coaching Points: Time of pass and time of run (must stay onside). Pass into an area where the striker can run onto the ball and finish quickly. To challenge the striker set the stipulation of 2 touch finishing. Encourage the striker to finish across the goal into the far corner from the goalkeeper.

Conditioned Game

Instruction: Play 4 v 4/5 v 5 in a designated area in the centre of the field. Have 2 goals at each end of the field. To score in this game, the team must make 10 passes in the area, after 10 passes a player can make a run outside the box and towards goal. Continue with the same rule as the previous drill, the orange line of cones acts as an offside line, so the player must be onside when the pass is made. The striker has two touches to finish when he receives the ball outside of the box. As a progression a defender can be allowed to follow the striker out of the box to put pressure on the shooter.

Coaching Points: Time and accuracy of pass. Time of run and quality of finish.