Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Striker concentration drill

Set-up & Technical (10 mins)

Set-up

2 x servers, numbered 1 & 2.

2 x wide players & one striker

1 x player to stand in goal with a cone in each hand

2 x mannequin, numbered 1 & 2.

2 x slalom poles to mark out two areas in the goal, numbered 1 & 2.

A supply of balls for the servers.

Technical

- Striker starts with back to goal, central to the wide players.

- Play starts with with player/coach in goal holding up either 1 or 2 cones, striker must check his shoulder and react to recieve the ball off the relevant server. Two cones held up, striker looks to recieve off server two (as shown).

- The wide player must then react to break the line to recieve the ball off the striker.

- Striker then makes a run behind the mannaquin (defender) to recieve pass off wide player.

- Striker must then lift his head to see the number of cones held up, and shoot into that area of the goal. One cone would mean a shot across goal, into area one.

- Players then follow there pass and rotate positions.

Key points

- Striker on his toes and glancing over both shoulders

- Servers & wide players to react to Strikers movement

- - Communication

Progression 2 (10 mins)

Progression 2

- Swap the goal areas over and swap the wide players numbers.

- The servers numbers can be swapped over

- Change the numbers of servers, wideplayers & goal areas regularly so strikers & wide players have to concentrate on there movements and triggers.

- Opposite wide player must now act as a defender and try and close striker down.

Key Points

- Do players communicate to ensure success

- Do wide players react to strikers movement to revieve ball off server.

- Decision making off striker, does he hit his shot first time, let it run across his body, does he lift his head to see what area to shoot before reaching the pass off wide player.