Pace setters
Ideal for grassroots teams to push opponents back and score against them. It helps teams break at speed quickly getting to the heart of the opposition defence MORE
Attacking
The attacking soccer drills in this section aim to help you coach your players to make the most of the opportunities that come their way during a game. We look at ways to create chances for your attackers, small-sided games that will sharpen their reactions in front of goal, and tips on how to coach your attackers to be goal-machines.
Wide receivers
According to Fulham coach Steve Wigley this is a great session for passing and receiving, something that you cannot practise enough of if you want your team to retain possession and move the ball up the pitch into attacking areas. MORE
Playing with your back to goal
This practice improves attackers' understanding and skills with their backs to goal. MORE
Break For The Line
in Attacking, Small Sided Games
This session combines specific moves to help players understand team play and decision-making by playing out from the back MORE
Attacking gateways
in Attacking
This coaches players in the art of winning the ball back both as individuals and as a team, emphasising the value of players being hard to beat. MORE
Win games like the Champions
Liverpool are the Premier League Champions. Feeding strikers like Liverpool do with their amazing front three is the best way to get your team on the front foot and destroy the opposition before they have woken up. MORE
Pass or dribble
in Attacking, Ball Control and Footwork
This session is designed to help coaches look at the decision-making of the players. Can they take on the defender 1v1? Or is the right decision to keep possession by passing to a team-mate? MORE
Line drills
1v1 Split your players into two teams. To “score a goal” the attacking player must dribble past the defender and into the “end zone”. Encourage the attacking player to perform a variety of feints before powerfully accelerating with the ball into space. Give each team a turn at attacking, the team with the most “goals” wins. MORE
Crossing on the run
Having the ability to cross the ball on the run makes life difficult for the opposition defenders. This is one of the harder skills that wingers need and it helps them to catch out defenders on the counterattack without stopping or slowing the attack down. MORE
Crossing and finishing
This simple drill will help younger players to start thinking about coordinating the timing of a cross with a team mate’s run towards goal. MORE
High and low striker
This practice shows the advantage of forwards playing off each other and develops combinations with the wide midfielders. MORE
From defence to attack
Prime your team to go for goal as soon as possession is regained because that’s when opposition defenders are least prepared and so most vulnerable to attack. MORE
Between the lines
This session is designed to improve playing between the lines. This means getting players and passes into the spaces created by the opponent’s chosen formation. MORE
Return to play: work with striker and goalkeeper
in Attacking, Email newsletters
In the latest return to play guidelines you can easily work within the rules with your striker and goalkeeper – two key positions in the team. The focus can be on either player, but I am going to give my striker a workout which the goalkeeper can also learn from. I am always looking beyond... MORE
Return to play: gale force goals
Please check out the latest sport and social distancing guidelines in your area, and follow the recommendations when planning training sessions Pass, turn, shoot then move quickly to get back into position – this session works your players to get to the ball first and shoot quickly. Why use it On match days it is... MORE
Counter attacking
The ability to invite pressure on your defence then launch a rapid counter can devastate your opponents. MORE
Under pressure
This is all about teamwork and teammates using the ball or stopping opponents from winning it. Press hard and the defenders will win the three balls in the fastest time – the clock starts ticking the second the first ball is kicked so players must move quickly. MORE
Attacking in twos
Attacking in twos can be easy against a single defender. However, take away the overload advantage and your attackers’ decision making will be really tested. MORE
10 things to work on in training
in Attacking, Email newsletters
For a possession-based game players need to be competent with ball control and decision making. Poor first touch or taking the wrong decision to dribble or pass will result in losing the ball. MORE
The scoring box
In a small-sided game, goals scored from quick one- and two-touch combination play count double. This rewards play that has been practiced and developed earlier in the session. MORE
Cross fire
Good communication between attackers is vital for a successful partnership because occupying the same area makes space easier to defend. “Cross fire” encourages your attackers to build an understanding of the runs they must make to create space. MORE
Running on to through passes
Your players need to be able to spot gaps in the opposition defence and exploit them by showing good pace to get in behind them in order to cross or shoot at goal. MORE
Create space
This game encourages teams to switch play and to create space away from the ball – it is a condition of the game that teams must switch before they can score a goal. MORE
Hit wide areas
in Attacking, Small Sided Games
This session focuses on hitting wide areas with the use of group attacks and switching. It works on the basic play used to develop attacking moves to get from one third to the next to create goal scoring chances. MORE
