Football/Soccer Session (Advanced): Finishing Games and Exercises

Technical Warmup (15 mins)

Organization:

Set up as shown.

Instructions:

- Players are are equally placed on the yellow cones and they look to work simultaneously on their finishing from the following three scenarios.

- Scenario 1: Blue player (A) starting from the end line drives in to dribble past the mannequin using any move of his choice and quickly look to finish on goal before the edge of the box.

- Scenario 2: Once the shot has been taken by player (A), wide blue player (B) plays a pass into player (A) that just finished on goal, the blue player (A) immediately re-adjust body position and look to quickly finish on goal with a first time shot.

- Scenario 3 - Blue player (C) plays a quick give-and-go with player (D) with the blue player (C) taking a good first touch out of feet to finish on goal.

- Rotation - A-B-C-D-A.

- On coach's call, the exercise is repeated on the opposite side to ensure that players finish from both sides.

Coaching Points:

- Drive in at speed at speed towards the mannequin to finish on goal during scenario 1.

- Quick execution of move to get past the mannequin.

- Re-adjust body to finish on goal during scenario 2.

- Quality of first touch i.e. out of feet or at an angle.

- Accuracy over power.

- Change of pace / direction.

Progression:

- One touch finish during scenario 2.

Conditioned Game. (40 mins)

Organization:

Set up as shown.

Instructions:

- 3v3+GK in one half and 3v3+GK in opposite half.

- When in possession inside the defensive half, the attacking team must look to break the halfway line either with a pass or dribble into the attacking half to create a 4v3 attacking overload to score.

- As shown, the blue player that passes forward must look to join the attack by making a run into the attacking half to create a 4v3 overload or another player on the blue team could also join in if the passer was unable to join quickly to create the overload. Opposition team (reds) defending players in the blues defending half are not allowed to recover in order to create more finishing opportunites for the attacking team. The same condition applies to the red team when they are in possession.

- On goal kicks, throw-ins and when a GK makes a save, the team in possession must quickly send one player into the attacking half to create a 4v3 overload and look to finish on goal.

- Both teams must be creative and look to use 4v3 attacking overload to finish quickly on goal.

Coaching Points/Questions:

1. Play quick to exploit the overload - Use the spare man for an overload and attack the space quickly to create finishing opportunities.

2. Create space to combine & attack - Attacking players should be looking how to loose their defender to create space to receive a pass. Players must look to combine effectively and get shots away at every opportunity.

3. Awareness of ball, space, team mates & defenders - Players should start to look around them and move into the space. Players are encouraged to dribble at defenders in 1v1 situations to create goal scoring opportunities.

Progressions:

-  Once the ball arrives in the attacking half, the attacking team must look to finish within 8 seconds.

- Free play with conditions being removed.