Football/Soccer Session (Academy Sessions): Crossing and Finishing around the 18 yard box (Start Time: 2018-09-13 18:30:00)

Crossing and Finishing around the 18 yard box (15 mins)

Equipment:

Balls

1 Goal

2 poles/Mannequins

OVERVIEW:

2 Centre Forwards work in pairs to score. Full Backs and Wide Players also work together to setup and deliver crosses. The drill is based around using the edge of the penalty area

COACHING POINTS:

Weight of Pass to Setup Cross: To keep the speed of the drill & attack at a good pace, the combination play needs to be quick and limited to 2 touch. The weight of pass is critical to a first time cross which will give the forwards more pace on the ball and will also mean they will not need to halt or change their run. If the pass is too hard, it will slow down the crossing player which in return will also defenders extra time to get close to the centre forwards in a match situation.

Technique & Quality of Cross: To provide the centre forwards with the best chance of scoring, the cross needs to be good. This means a good weight of cross to allow a first time finish, an accurate one so its either to feet or just in front to step onto. The cross can be a simple one using the instep and guiding it into the path of the centre forward, looking to keep it low by having the head and knee over the ball.

Timing of Run to Finish & Movement of Centre Forward: The 2 Centre Forwards need to work effectively as a pair to create space in the box for a finish. One centre forward should look to get across the front post and the other filling the middle and back post area. Once set the centre forwards needs to be on the move and time runs so they are running onto the ball making it harder to mark and giving them momentum for the finish. If the timing is out of sync, the ball is more likely to be played behind the centre forward if gone too early. When the ball is just about to be set back to the crosser is when the forwards should use a change of speed and perform movement.

PROGRESSIONS:

• Limit to One Touch Finish

• Limit to One Touch Combination Play

• Add in 1 or 2 Defenders.

How to make it easier:

• No limit on the amount of touches.

• Start the ball from the corner of the 18 Yard Box to take out the first pass