Long-Distance Shooting Drill: Increase Your Scoring Chances
Teams with sterile possession rarely threaten the goal. This half-pitch game rewards brave long-range efforts and forces keepers plus defenders to deal with rebounds. It also keeps two forwards in advanced positions so there is always pressure on the back line.
Setup
- Players: 12–14 (4 backs + 2 strikers per team plus goalkeepers). Minimum viable version uses 3 outfielders and a keeper per side.
- Area: Half pitch with cones marking the halfway line as the shooting threshold.
- Equipment: Full-size goals or cone goals, plenty of balls to keep play moving.
Defensive units stay in their own half, while two strikers remain in the attacking half. Both strikers and defenders can recycle possession freely, but strict touch limits keep tempo high.
Rules
- Back-four zone players cannot cross the halfway line; strikers cannot drop back across it.
- Everyone is limited to two touches (receive-pass or receive-shoot).
- Teams may score directly from behind halfway, off rebounds from those shots, or via striker combinations after a rebound.
- Strikers cannot score directly from a defender’s pass, nor can they score from a teammate’s pass if that teammate just received from the back four.
- No sliding tackles.
- Play to a score target or three-minute rounds.
Layer in bonus points for goals from first-time strikes or for keepers who catch and release quickly to promote good habits.
Coaching cues
- Encourage back-four players to circulate the ball until a lane opens for a driven shot.
- Demand that strikers anticipate rebounds—arrive at the top of the box as the shot is struck.
- Remind defenders to step to the shooter with hands behind backs to avoid cheap fouls.
- Goalkeepers work on handling from distance plus setting feet for deflections.
Takeaways
- Passing accuracy: Moving the block forces opponents to stretch so the shooter can line up cleanly.
- Team coordination: Strikers must time checks to connect with recycled passes without breaching restrictions.
- Shooting confidence: Repetition from 25–30 metres removes the hesitation to shoot in real matches.
- Defending & goalkeeping: Back lines practice blocking from range, while keepers deal with swerving balls and second phases.
Tag us @footballtechnik if you tweak the scoring system or add additional strikers—we love seeing how coaches adapt the template.
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