Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Week 5 - Improve Scoring Goals (Crossing & Finishing)

Drop In/Introduction (10 mins)

Organization:

• Set up as shown above.

Instructions:

• On arrival, 2v2 or 3v2 small sided games depending on numbers.
• Reference topic of the day to boys before they start playing.
  

Coaching Points/Questions:

• Quality of passes, on the floor when possible.
• Use of give and go/overlap to create space.
• Concentration on ball when crossing or finishing on the goal.
  

Conditioned Game (30 mins)

Organization:

• Set up as shown above.

Instructions:

• Blue team attacking big goal.
  
• Red team attacking 2 small nets.
  
• 1 point for blue team if they score a goal.
• 3 points for blue team if they score a goal coming off a cross from the wide areas (shaded).
• 1 point for red team if they score in blue teams small nets. 2 points if they dribble over the line.
• Have teams swap sides after 5 minutes.
  

Coaching Points/Questions:

• What do we do if there is no space to play a cross in closer to the opponents goal? Answer: Switch point of attack to other side.
  

• Where do we want to play crosses in from? Answer: Wider area, just after or before the middle cone, not too far inside the opponent's half. Cross early.
  

• When should we play a cross in? Answer: When we have teammate in central zone and space in wide area.
  

• Why is crossing to eventually finish and effective way to score goals? *Have the boys give their thoughts here, bit of a discussion.*
  

Regressions/Progressions:

• P: Make size of field larger.
• R: Make size of field smaller.