Quick finishing drill

Shooting drills are fun but often have many players standing in line doing nothing. This post discusses a finishing drill that will keep everyone moving fast. You don’t need much space for this exercise and can practice it anywhere.

Setup

For this finishing drill, you will need 4 x cones, 2 x small goals and a good number of balls (2 minimum). Line up the two small goals with enough space between them and one cone outside each of them. These cones mark the start for each team. Set the other two cones in front of each goal at about 10 metres. See the picture below.

Ideally, you want to play this game with two teams of 5 players each. But, if you struggle for numbers, you can have fun with as little as 2 players. On the other hand, limit the teams to 5 players. Otherwise, players will wait in line for too long. You want everyone running.

Instructions

The objective of the game is to score more points than the opposition in a set time (e.g., 10 minutes).

Players of each team wait in line behind the cones on each side of the goals. The first player in the line runs with a ball to the cone opposite the goal on their side. Once the player arrives at the cone, they shoot at either goal. If they score in the goal on their side, the team gets 1 point. If they score in the opposite goal, the team gets 2 points. After shooting, the player returns to his teammates at the end of the line.

You can add variations to the game. Instead of a set time, you can set a target score. You can also play multiple rounds, with teams swapping sides after each round. Another interesting variation is to introduce defenders to challenge the shooter.

Whatever variation you add, keep the intensity of the exercise. Remember that the objective is to finish a play as quickly as possible.

Takeaways

The objective of this drill is to practice dribbling and shooting at speed. Players will improve these skills:

• Ball control at speed. Because teams compete against each other under a time limit or to reach a target score, players must execute their movements quickly to increase the number of shots at goal.
• Body position and balance. Players have to turn their bodies 180 degrees to shoot at speed. This requires good motor coordination.
• Shooting accuracy. Ultimately, players have to score to win the game. Since the goals are small, this shooting drill encourages clinical finishing over power.
• Passing accuracy. Because the goals are small, the best shooting technique to be used is a “pass to the net”. Therefore, this drill is also useful to improve players passing technique.

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

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