5 Football shooting drills for 2020

Football shooting drills are loved by all players. They are a great way to finish your training sessions and have fun. In this post we discuss 5 classic shooting drills that you should be using for this 2020 season.

Preparing for the drills

We strongly recommend that you leave shooting drills for the end of the training session, or at least warming up with a focus on thighs and hamstrings. Shooting when your muscles are cold is a recipe for disaster, specially the older you get. Make sure your players don’t start kicking the ball as soon as they arrive to the grounds.

For all the drills below you will need a good number of balls, cones and a goal. You don’t need top of the line balls for these exercises. However, when possible, train with the same make of balls that are used for the tournaments you play. Cones and goals are ideal, but when not possible to have them, you can use anything as markers: jumpers, backpacks, rocks, etc. Have a look at our shop for equipment and accessories ideas.

Pass and shoot

This is a classic drill for goalkeepers, midfielders and strikers. This drill focuses on shooting technique and a good first touch. It is quite a free flowing exercise, and players often focus on shooting with their strongest foot. This is the progression:

1. A line of players is waiting for the turn. The first player in the line passes the ball to the server and indicates where they want the ball shouting “right” or “left”.
2. a. The server player stays on the edge of the box. When they receive the ball, they return it inside the box to the side indicated by the shooter. Receiving and passing must be completed in two touches.
   b. Immediately after passing the ball to the receiver, the shooter runs towards the spot that was indicated to the server.
3. The shooter shoots to goal. Only two touches are allowed. First touch to stop and setup the ball, second touch is for shooting. Once the shot is taken, the player must return to the end of the line of players waiting for their turn at shooting.

Every 5 minutes swap the server for a different player to allow them a change to practice their shooting skills.

Shooting with both feet

This shooting drill is very similar to the pass and shoot drill. In fact, it is a pass and shoot drill. The main differences are that there are two lines of shooters and the shooters do not choose where the ball will go. They shoot from the side of the line they are in. The idea is that when shooting at goal players shoot with the right foot if they are coming from the right and with the left foot when they are coming from the left. Once players finish their turn, they move to the opposite line where they came from. This way players practice shooting with both feet.

Shooting box

This football shooting drill focuses on shooting the ball quickly after receiving a pass with their back to the goal. This is a great exercise to grab the opposition defense and goalkeeper of guard. You need 3 serving lines and a player inside a box formed by cones just outside the penalty box. The progression goes as:

1. Player on the left (station 1) passes the ball to the shooting player in the box.
2. Player on the box turns and shoots to goal. The movement has to be completed in two touches. This post shows a few examples on how to position your body and set the ball for shooting. Have a look at the video at the end of the post.
3. Repeat the same exercise involving stations 2 and 3.
4. Once the shooting player has received the ball from all stations, they move to station 1, the player in station 3 moves to the shooting box and the rest of players move to the following station in anti-clock sequence.

Block the shot

This soccer drill is a fun game for players and goalkeepers.  You need to create a small field of the size of two penalty boxes, with goals at each side. Use cones to split the field in two. Three players and one goalkeeper are on each team.  Players stay on their side of the field and are not allowed to cross the center line.  The attacking players must pass the ball using only two touches and create an opening to get a clear shot.  The team defending will try to block the shot.

The next team to shoot will depend on where the ball lands after it is blocked. If it lands in the defending field, then the defending team will take a turn at shooting. If goalkeepers catch the ball, they will pass it to a team mate to take a shot.

This exercise requires players to make quick passes and shots in order to score.  Defenders should also be quick to block shots and minimize shooting opportunities. 

Pass, shoot and header

This is a good drill to practice 3 skills at one: passing, shooting and headers. You need three stations: shooting players and 2 lines of servers. This is the progression:

1. A line of shooting players wait outside of the penalty box. The first player in the line runs towards the penalty spot.
2. a. A player in station 2 sets a pass between the penalty spot and the edge of the box.
   b. The running player receives the ball and shoots to goal in only two touches.
3. a. As soon as the running player completes a shot, the player in station 3 kicks a lofted pass aiming at the head of the shooting player.
   b. The shooting player attempts a header.

Repeat the progression for about 5 minutes and change serving players in station 2 and 3 to give them an opportunity to practice too.

I hope you find these drills useful. If you like these shooting drills, please share with your friends. If you know other exercises or have any questions, leave a comment below.