Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Shooting - FAW C Certificate S9

Technical

Player information: U11, 12 players.

Session topic: Shooting

Learning objectives: To encourage shooting on target from a range of distances and recognise where opportunities arise in a match to shoot.

Order of practices: Technical, Skill, SSG.

Pitch layout: Two parallel 24m x 24m squares.

Equipment: Feeders/servers at the start of the lines have a ball each, one goal at each end.

Type of practice: Technical

Description/organisation: There will be a second parallel session going on at the same time as the one pictured. 6 players to each session, 2 feeders and 2 strikers working at one time on each session. The feeder must pass the ball to the striker in front of goal, where they should attempt to strike the ball first-time, if not, a second touch can be taken after controlled.

After a strike has been made, they must join the back of their line for the next player to step into position.

Progressions/regressions: Regressions would include taking a touch first before striking, for those individuals that aren't yet comfortable at striking on the first touch, or possibly for the whole group if it's apparent that everyone is struggling.

A progression would be that the feeder could chip the ball up to the striker, or throw it to them forcing them to adjust their body position correctly before striking the ball.

Individual challenges could be given to shoot in a specified area of the goal e.g. bottom left corner.

SSG

Type of practice: Small Sided Game

Description/organisation: All players will be involved in the small sided game on one pitch with a goal at each end and two channels running the whole length of the pitch (shaded areas). Each channel must have one player from each team, therefore, a total of four players will be in the channels - 2 in each. To enable either team to score, they must pass the ball into one of their players in the channels, who must then cross the ball into a player of which can then shoot at the goal.

Progressions/Regressions: If not many shots are being taken at goal, the session could be regressed by reducing the area size or getting rid of the channels. If not many crosses are put in by the wingers, a condition could be put in to say that players in the channels cannot be tackled once they have received the ball.

Progressions would be allowing free-play and removing the channels; just open up the pitch fully.