Combining, creating, and finishing goalscoring opportunities

Organisation

• Each pitch has three pairs of players. One pair are floaters.
• This means that the pair without the ball are always outnumbered 4v2.
• The pairs try to complete a certain number of passes to score a point.
• Challenge them to make passes in different ways (e.g. throwing, volleys, headers, along the ground).

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Restrict the "defending" pair to walking.

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Require a higher number of passes to score a point.

Great questions to ask the players

• Can you try to use all the space available?
• How can you communicate effectively when you want to receive the ball?
• Can you try to intercept the pass by predicting where it will go?

Safety tips

• Create safe zones between each pitch.

Organisation

• Equal teams of 3v3 on the pitch; each team also has two target players positioned either side of the opponents' goal.
• Each team plays a normal game, but should pass to a target player whenever possible.
• The target player should then set up a shooting opportunity for his/her team.
• Give all the players the chance to be target players.

Ways to make the exercise easier

• The target players can roll or throw the ball.

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Add goalkeepers (who should also be rotated).
• Require goals to be scored in the air (i.e. from volleys or headers).
• Require goals to be scored with first-time finishes.

Great questions to ask the players

• When one of your target players has the ball, how can you create space to receive it back?
• Can you think about the timing of your run to receive the ball?
• When you defend near your goal, what do you need to do?

Safety tips

• Create safe zones between each pitch.

Organisation

• Equal teams of 5v5 on the pitch, including goalkeepers; each team also has two target players positioned either side of the opponents' goal.
• Each team plays a normal game, but should pass to a target player whenever possible.
• The target player should then set up a shooting opportunity for his/her team.
• Give all the players the chance to be target players.
• Also rotate the goalkeepers.

Ways to make the exercise easier

• Play the game with no goalkeepers.
• The target players can roll or throw the ball.

Ways to make the exercise harder

• Require goals to be scored in the air (i.e. from volleys or headers).
• Require goals to be scored with first-time finishes.

Great questions to ask the players

• When one of your target players has the ball, how can you create space to receive it back?
• Can you think about the timing of your run to receive the ball?
• When you defend near your goal, what do you need to do?

Safety tips

• Create safe zones between each pitch.