Finishing touch

Use this session to improve the passing technique of your players so they can set up strikers with solid goalscoring opportunities close to goal. This is a session for attackers that involves rebounds, one-touch and two-touch finishing around the six-yard box.

Set up

Mark out back-to-back penalty areas (which is 36×44 yards). We’ve used 18 players. You need balls, bibs, cones and two normal goals.

How to play it

Split the players into three teams of six. One team is positioned around the area and the other two play a 6v6 including goalkeepers. The players around the edge play two-touch apart from the players next to the goal who play one-touch.
Play starts with one of the keepers playing out to his midfield, who must pass to a player on the outside – the opposition players are passive until a player on the outside has touched the ball. A one-touch goal counts double, whether from a rebound or direct. Swap the outside team every three minutes.

Technique

Finishing technique is important, with one- and two-touch passes needed to create scoring chances. Players look for clever movement and good anticipation to score goals.

1. Play starts with a pass from one of the goalkeepers to a team-mate

2. The opposition are passive until the player passes to one of the outside players, then play is live. The outside players on the side have two touches

3. The outside player next to the goal has only one touch and here he passes first time to an attacker in front of goal

4. The attacker has moved quicker than the defenders and reacts to a ball in the penalty area to score

5. Here the goalkeeper makes the save but the striker pounces to score with one touch and double points