Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Creative Players, Creative Coaches Task

Creative Finishing in the Final Third (5 mins)

Topic: Specific Practice-Final Third finishing with creative crosses and runs.

The Mechanics: Passing and Attacking Heading

Framing: In a 50m length and 60m width with one 11v11 goal and 3 mini-goals, the offensive team will set up in a 1-2-3 with the center backs and fullbacks removed, and the defensive team will set up in a 1-4-3 with the forwards removed. 

Challenges, Conditions or Targets:

The offensive team's defensive midfielder will look to connect a passes with the offensive team's striker. The offensive team's striker will look to connect a pass with either advanced offensive team's midfielder, then the offensive team's midfielder will look to connect a pass to the wingers that are either making a diagonal or bending run or in behind the defensive team's back line to avoid being offsides.

The objective for the offensive team is to be creative with crosses. They can do driven low, medium, or high crosses, early bending crosses, and standing or chipped crosses into the grey space around the 6-yard box to 18-yard box area to create different targets. The defensive team's objective is to drop back when they get beaten in behind to protect the 6-yard box. 

If the offensive team scores regular tap-ins and headers on regular crosses, they will get one point. If they score diving headers, overhead and scissor kicks, flicks and other body parts except their arms, it will count as two points. If the cross is a trivela, rabona, or early they will get five points. The defensive team will look to score in the mini-goals when they recover the ball

The Mechanics: Go over the mechanics under passing and attacking heading.

Passing:

1. Look at target
2. Eye on ball
3. Angle of approach
4. Strike centre of ball with inside / outside of foot
5. Follow through towards target

Attacking Heading

1. Eyes open
2. Head ball using forehead
3. Stay on toes
4. Go for accuracy