Football Drills

Set up as shown. Player 1 starts with the ball in the middle of the field and plays a 1-2 pass with player 2 before passing out wide to player 3. At this point, players 1 and 2 run towards the penalty area, ready to receive a cross, while one of the defenders goes out wide to put pressure on the crosser. Player 3 will cross the ball into the box where players 1 and 2 will try to beat the defender to it and score.

Encouraging 1st time shooting by using the correct technique to take the shot early and finish from close range. Get your knee over the ball and use the pace of the ball to generate the power. By trying to strike the ball too hard, the likelihoood is the accuracy will be poor. Blue 1 plays ball into area and clue 2 moves in to shoot 1st time. Blue 2 goes to replace blue 1 and blue 1 runs around working area to take blue 2s place.

Position 4 players from each team randomly within the area. Place a goalkeeper in each of the goals. The white team can score can score in the goals to the left and right of the diagram, while the blue team can score in goals at either the top or the bottom of the diagram. You can choose to make the goals 5 yards wide and play with no goalkeepers in a 6 v 6 within the area.

Players pass and then move to find an empty cone. Players should take 1 touch. With bigger numbers in your training session you can increase the number of cones and the number of balls accordingly.

Players pass and then move to find an empty cone. Players should take 2 touches, 1 to control and 1 to pass.

Set up as shown with 2 cones (the disatance of which between can be modified depending on ability or challenge you want to set your players). 1 player on each cone and 1 player in the middle, 1 ball between the 3. Players always take 2 touches, the ball is moved from one end, into the middle man and then to the other end before the sequence is repeated from the other side.

Position players in groups of 4 as shown in the diagram. Repeat in 2 other areas for a total of 12 players. The server (player 3) stands behind the goalkeeper. He makes a pass out to the shooter who strikes the ball 1st time at the goal. This shot must come from the grid at the right of the diagram. Player 2 retrieves any balls from behind the goal. Repeat and rotate. Progression: Serve the ball for a volley or 1/2 volley.

Set up a second goal as shown in the diagram. Player 1 starts standing behind a mannequin, positioned outside of the penalty box left hand corner. Player 2 is about 10m further down the pitch in line with Player 1. Player 2 passes the ball to player 1 and runs to the inside side of the mannequin for the lay off. Player 2 takes a shot at the left goal. At the same time as this Player 1, loops behind their run and enters the penalty box to receive a cross from Player 3, at the far right side. Play in both directions to practice crossing and shooting from each side.

Every other player in each line has a ball. The ball is played into space so that the attacking player can take the ball in their stride. Once the player has the ball they try to score against the goal keeper. The feed is then reverseed to the other side.

There are 4 groups, 2 attacking and 2 defending The diagnal groups work against each other The attacker can only score whilst they're in the penalty area

Set up two lines of players as show in the image, about 30m from the goals. The first player dribbles with the ball at pace and then puts their foot on top of the ball, to leave it dead in front of the other player. The first player continues their run around the cone in front of them and then runs back inside the area. The receiver uses a positive first touch to move into space and then try to finish through one of the wide goals. The first player should have continued their run and now tries to put pressure on the receiver's shot.

There are two triangles in this drill, both using the same top point player (player 5). Players in the top triangle pass in an anti-clockwise direction and players in the lower triangle pass in a clock-wise direction. Both pairs of players must use the middle player as their third passing option.

Set out a triangle with 3 cones all 1 meter apart. Player 1 passes the ball to player 2 through the area of the triangle. Player 2 has to control the ball and touch it to the side before playing a return pass. Players must make sure that when they make a return pass that it is never played through the same side of the triangle that they have just received the ball through.

Straight forward passing and moving drill with only two touches on the ball. The blue players off the ball can only receive the ball at one of the four cones in each corner of the area and the red player is trying to intercept the ball.

A 4 v 2 drill depending on which team has possession. A square box is set up using cones. 2 blue and 2 white players are outside this box. The two players defending must prevent the opposing team retaining the ball. Once possession is relinquished the players outside the box are unused awaiting their team gaining possession again.

There are 4 groups, 2 attacking and 2 defending The diagnal groups work against each other The attacker can only score whilst they're in the penalty area