Jene 4: Ages 4-8: Developing shooting skills - FIFA Training Centre

Shooting is one of the more fun elements of football for players, and practising this skill from a young age is imperative for developing a child’s technique. When training is designed to be engaging and challenging, players can sharpen this skill while having fun.

In this edition of FIFA’s Grassroots Coaching Essentials series, Dr Jené Baclawski focuses on how grassroots coaches can enhance a young player’s shooting skills through repetition, competition, and the gradual progression of simple activities to small-sided games. Her approach encourages players aged 4-8 to grow comfortable with striking the ball, develop their technique and improve their accuracy in front of goal.

In the presentation below, Jené highlights how coaches in the grassroots game can create effective shooting sessions. Following the presentation, she shares three key coaching tips and practical, age-appropriate examples that coaches can use during practice to support the development of players’ shooting skills without overcomplicating the learning process at this critical stage of a child’s journey in the game.

Tip 1: Start simple

Ease players into working on their shooting by beginning with simple, yet effective activities that allow them to develop confidence when striking the ball and refine their technique without added pressure. In this section, Jené outlines how coaches can help their young players get the most out of basic shooting exercises:

Precision over power: Players will refine their technique by being encouraged to choose accuracy and careful placement over power in front of goal.
Unopposed shooting: Practising without a defender present gives players the license to try out different techniques, building their confidence.
Include other skills: Combining other skills with shooting during activities, such as dribbling and passing, will make the exercise more challenging and support all-round development.

Activity 1: This is a simple activity with two teams of four and each player being handed a number. They must dribble around cones in the central zone, and once the coach calls their number, the target player runs out and shoots on goal. It is a basic exercise aimed at building confidence while striking the ball.

Tip 2: Build confidence

Once players become comfortable with the basics of striking the ball towards goal, the next step is to challenge them further with engaging activities. Here, Jené explains how repetition, creativity, and added competition are essential for developing this core skill in children and building their confidence:

Repetition is key: Repetition is vital for developing this skill. As such, coaches should create activities that provide players with ample opportunities to shoot at goal.
Disguise the ball: Players should be encouraged to disguise their shots, which helps them to think more creatively and become more unpredictable.
Make it competitive: Coaches can make shooting activities more exciting by turning them into small competitions. This not only increases the intensity but also keeps players motivated and focused.

Activity 2: This is a 2v2 activity which encourages shooting from distance to build further confidence with the ball. The exercise can be adapted to add different skills, such as dribbling and passing, in order to reach the goal.

Tip 3: Incorporate mini-games

Jené’s final coaching tip is to include mini-games in the session to allow players to practise their shooting skills in situations that replicate a real match. Small-sided games not only make activities more enjoyable but also encourage them to improve their decision-making, technique and tactical awareness. Jené explains how grassroots coaches can make the most of these mini-games:

Game-like situations: Giving players the opportunity to practise shooting in match-realistic activities helps to bridge the gap between training and real games. This is vital for their development at a young age.
Other important skills: Through small-sided games, players can practise shooting, but also other core skills that are relevant to real matches, such as passing, dribbling, defending, positioning, and off-the-ball movement.
Decision-making under pressure: Short, fast-paced mini games encourage players to improve their decision-making under pressure.

Activity 3: This final activity is a 3 plus 2 v. 3 plus 2. It is a simple small-sided game in which players can combine all core skills to score a goal and earn three points, or pass to one of their two target players beside the goal to gain one point. The team with the most points by the end wins.

Key Take-aways

By emphasising shooting in grassroots sessions, coaches can support young players in developing the instrumental skill and a love for the game. When designed correctly, shooting activities can boost a player’s confidence, encourage regular practice, and keep them engaged. Here is a summary of the key take-aways from Jené’s presentation:

Make shooting practice fun and enjoyable: Shooting is one of the most enjoyable aspects of football for any child, and allows them to emulate their favourite players.
Repetition is key to development: Players must have plenty of opportunities to shoot at goal to develop their shooting skills.
Start simple, then increase the challenge: Start by having players focus on technique over power. Later on, you can increase the difficulty and up the pace of the session to challenge their skills.