DEVELOP SHOOTING SKILLS AND GOOD DECISION-MAKING INSIDE THE GOALSCORING BOX
PLAYERS
4+ PLAYERS, 1+ GOALKEEPER
SPACE
CIRCLE AREA
EQUIPMENT
20+ BALLS
EXPLANATION:
Coach starts with a pile of balls at the top of the circle.
3 attackers (X’s) start in balanced position inside circle. One defender starts in ready position (not in a direct line from Coach to Goalkeeper). Goalkeeper is set and ready.
Coach throws first ball into the circle to random spot. X’s react and move to the ball immediately and get under control. X on the ball either 1. Shoots or 2: Passes to an open teammate to shoot/deflect. **no more than 1 deliberate pass should be made before the X’s must shoot on goal.
Defender tries to pressure the shot or win the ball if possible.
Play any rebounds until ball is either in the goal, over the endline or out of the circle.
Once ball is out of play, coach throws the next ball in quickly. Repeat so each group of players has 4 or 5 turns.
Keep track of how many goals each group scores.
[Coach can sometimes throw a ball directly at the GK, trying to bounce it into his pads to create a rebound]
COACHING POINTS:
The main emphasis of this drill is quick, quality decision-making inside the circle and goalscoring box. Is the attacker in a high percentage shooting position? Is a pass the better option?
Off-ball positioning and movement. When an attacker receives the ball, the other two attackers should have already re-positioned into open spots in the circle that can help the attacker in possession. For example, in diagram 2, X1 has the ball and X2 is in good position on the far post, X3 in an open shooting position in the goalscoring box, out of the line of the defender.
Unless the GK is off the post, train players to always shoot towards the far post (giving better chance of quality rebounds)
EVALUATION:
Attacking players should be evenly balanced in the circle.
Intensity should be high in this small space. The attacking players should show urgency and quickness to get to the ball, but not play frantically, and make too many mistakes. There should be a controlled intensity with movement and skill execution.
Players should not be afraid to be aggressive - dive for far post deflections, rebounds, etc.
PROGRESSION:
LTT: Play with 3 attackers and no defenders in the circle. Focus on a quick shot or pass, even though there is no defensive pressure.
TTC & TTW: Same Drill. Attackers should be able to use first-time passing and deflections in most cases to simulate the pressure of the game at a higher level.
