Defend the goal – Have fun with this shooting drill

-April 29, 2020

Often when the goalkeeper is beaten, defenders must rush to defend the goal. This post describes a fun drill that simulates this scenario

Setup

This drill requires you to have access to a full-size goal and a good number of balls (at least 1 per attacking player). If you can’t use an actual football field to practice, you will need cones and poles to mark the pitch.

Ideally, you want to practice this drill with a minimum of 6 players. Divide your players into two teams: shooting players and defending players. Position the defending players in line at the corner flag and the attacking players at the corner of the edge of the box. Attacking players should have 1 ball each. Have a look at the diagram above for more details.

If you struggle with numbers, you can play this game with as few as 2 players. On the other hand, you don’t want to have too many players waiting in line. You want everyone moving constantly.

Instructions

This is a simple shooting and defending game.

The game starts when the first attacking player touches the ball and runs towards the shooting mark.
As soon as a striker starts running, a defending player must run into the goal to defend the shot.
Defenders cannot use their hands or run towards the attacking players, and they must remain in the goal area (one or two steps from the goal line).
The attacking players can only shoot once they get around the mark outside the penalty area.
Attackers are allowed only “one touch” after passing the mark to shoot.
If you have a limited number of balls, attackers are expected to retrieve their ball after they shoot.

Use a time limit for each shooting round to maintain intensity and everyone running. After a few shooting rounds, swap players’ roles. The team that scores more goals wins.

Takeaways

While emphasising defence, this game also helps players improve their shooting accuracy and power. Key skills that this game targets include:

Timing when clearing the ball
Using the whole body (except arms and hands) to protect the goal
Keeping eyes open
Kicking technique to clear the ball
Heading technique to clear the ball
Shooting accuracy

Pablo Matamoros

I am a software engineer with 25+ years of experience across diverse industries. I've climbed the corporate leader over the years, which has some benefits but means I moved away from my love for tinkering with technology. So, I build the odd website or application to keep learning and stay in touch with technology. FootballTechniques allows me to combine my programming knowledge with my passion for football.

To find out more about my professional experience, visit PabloMatamoros.com