Scoring goals for fun

We’ve had a lot of fun games this season with all the stopping and starting of the leagues due to coronavirus. But when I ask the players what it is they want to do they nearly always ask for a shooting game – and with only one match left before the Christmas break this is a great time to work on one of the most vital areas of the game.

I want my players to do things that will help them with their player development as we head towards the last training sessions of the year. So I’m happy for them to indulge in shooting sessions as long as there is a reason behind the game.

The type of shooting games I go for are ones that I would use anyway when my players are not hitting the target during matches as often as they should.

All teams go through periods when they are not scoring as many goals as you think they should, so the sessions that I have targeted for my players will help them to score more goals when they are playing games after Christmas.

If you are thinking about giving your players games that they will not only develop their ball skills but also one they will have great fun playing try these – and they are also going to help your team to score goals in your next match.

Having possession of the ball is one thing but making use of that possession and creating goals is another. A great session for creating goalscoring opportunities is Create in possession. Try it with your team and watch the goal count soar.

Working in overloads is a key topic for teams during the season as it allows players to take advantage of real match situations. 3v2 transitions is great for attacking and defending teams to practice before their next match.

Speed of play is a key factor in decision making for young players. It can often cause them to make mistakes and lose the ball, but lightning fast play is always a winner in grassroots – try Five seconds to score.

And of course scoring goals is one of the favourite topics for most players and my go to sessions is 7 goal shooting range which has plenty of ways to score with added game management key to success.

I hope you find the sessions useful going into 2020 and they bring you and your team success in the second half of the season!