Simple corner kick drill to practice attack and defence

Setup

You will need half of an 11 aside pitch and 3 small goals for this drill. The small goals will be evenly distributed in the midfield line. The exercise is played with 9 players attacking, 9 players defending and a goalkeeper.

This drill is based on stats from another study. Most goals scored in corner kicks come from the centre of the box and the near post. Therefore, the setup of the attacking team is simple: a player outside the box ready to receive a pass on the first post and three players grouped in the penalty spot.

The remaining attacking players are arranged this way: two players close to the goal line blocking the goalkeeper, one outside the box in line with the penalty spot and a player staying back halfway between the box and the midfield. Defensive players mark one-on-one, except for two players covering the posts.

Instructions

The main objective of this drill is to practice corner kicks, both in defence and attack. For attackers, the aim is to score. For defenders is to protect the goal and to transition into attack quickly.

• 2 teams of 9 players.
• 1 goalkeeper.
• It is a competitive drill where both teams can score, and a tally is kept.
• The attacking team scores in the standard size goal.
• The defensive team scores in the small goals.
• Play always starts with players arranged as shown in the picture above.
• Only 3 touches are allowed (e.g., 1 touch to control the ball, 1 touch to change direction and 1 touch to pass the ball).
• If the ball goes out, start the game again.
• Execute a series of 5 corner kicks from each side of the field.
• Other than the above, all official football rules apply.

You may want to consider some variations, such as defenders needing to complete several passes before scoring in the midfield goals. But, again, be creative and add your own rules.

Takeaways

The objective of this drill is for your team to know a simple corner kick setup. This way, your team will be organised and know what to do when executing a corner kick.

• Players positioning. Players will know where to stand in a real game scenario. This is definitely the case for attacking players. Defensive players will have to improvise as opposing teams will use different tactics. However, the two men staying at the posts will be nominated before the game to avoid discussions during the match. The remaining defenders will take one on one marks.
• Finishing. Touches are limited to three. Therefore attacking players must finish quickly.
• Transitioning from defence to attack. Since limited touches are allowed, defensive players need to circulate the ball in an orderly fashion to score in the small goals.
• Playing as a team. Although individual skills play a part in the game, limiting the time players can hold the ball forces everyone to play as a team.