Written by Alex McLeish
Crossing and finishing warm up
This is a warm up to get players used to playing the ball wide and creating space for the wingers and the full-backs to cross into the strikers who must finish past the goalkeeper.
Coaching Objectives
Attacking play with build up play on the wing.
Wingers and full backs combination play.
Try to pass forward to keep play going forward.
Crosses should be played in the space between the goalkeeper and the defending players.
Crosses should be along the ground in this warm up.
Movement of strikers to cover front and back posts key to success.
Drill Setup
- 10 Mins
- 9 Players
- 1 Goals
- Half Pitch y
What the Players Do
You need to use 2 mannequins set up as defensive full-backs 25 yards from goal and a supply of balls with coaches on the half way line.
The centre midfielders receive the ball and play a pass outside to attract the opposition midfielders. Once the pass goes outside it is moved up the wing with support from the full-backs that have made runs down the wing – winger or fullback then cross the ball into the strikers who shoot at goal
The two centre mids receive a pass from the coach and pass to each other 1 touch – play starts when the winger calls for the ball. The nearest centre mid takes a touch and then plays wide using alternate sides.
Rotate the players so the Centre-mids become the strikers and the strikers become centre mids also swap the fullbacks and wingers.
Serve one: the ball is played to the wide midfielder who gets the ball out of his feet dribbles past the mannequin and crosses into the waiting strikers.
Serve two: the ball is played to the wide midfielder who dribbles the ball past the mannequin then turns and passes back to the fullback who crosses into the strikers.
Serve three: Winger takes a pass from the central midfielder and drives inside the mannequin before playing to a striker who passes out wide to the overlapping full back. Option here is for the winger to drive inside then play a pass down the wing to the overlapping fullback.
Coaching Notes
Dribbling
Keep your arms out at all times when dribbling around defenders. You can use them to brush past players, improve your balance, and keep players farther away from you.
Good balance will help you cut quickly in any direction while retaining control of the ball.
Land on the front of your feet every step, whether you are dribbling forward with your laces or cutting across your body using an inside touch.
Shooting
- It is important to make sure when the players are attacking their body is positioned so they are balanced and facing the goal ready to receive and when shooting the supporting foot should be next to the ball and players should not be leaning back when they shoot.
- Encourage players to get shots off early
- Play with head up - Check GKs positioning before getting shot off
- Encourage players to be creative with their finishing
Passing
Try to play one touch but when a bad pass is made players can us an extra touch or control with the help of the other foot. The speed of pass will effect the receiving of the ball, too hard and it will be harder to control with one pass, too soft and the drill will be too slow.
Modify the Session
Coach can slow the drill down and repeat parts of it so players can understand the movement and get used to the play.
Switching the crossers will make the play different with accuracy and speed of cross key.
Crossing and Finishing phase of play
In this small-sided game players are crossing into areas that attackers can shoot at goal from. Look for good build up play into the attackers. In the progression the 4 neutral players link up with the team in possession creating overloads
Coaching Objectives
Play out from the back into the full-backs
Build up play from defence into midfield to create space to pass the ball to the wide neutral players
Good technique to cross the ball with different angles and different heights
Technique to cross should be supporting foot next to ball, use toe/instep to cross the ball with height and distance
Defending players should be pressing the ball and trying to block crosses
Drill Setup
- 25 Mins
- 16 Players
- 2 Goals
- 5 yellow 4 red Bibs
- Double 18 yard box y
What the Players Do
- Play 5v5 with 4 neutral wide players and goalkeepers.
- Formation for each team should be 2-1-2.
- Strikers and defenders cannot cross half way line.
- Only the 4 neutral players can go in the shaded zones.
- Neutral players are 3-touch every other player is all in.
- The neutral players link up with the team in possession to create overloads in attack.
You want to see build up play into the wide players with strikers moving to front and back positions in the attacking zone to cover the crossing of the ball into the box.
Crossers should put the ball into the strikers from different places – right on the goal line and nearer to the half way line so the angle of the cross is different.
Try lofted crosses and balls played in on the ground.
Progression
Wide players must combine to get crosses in.
Defending team can go into the shaded zone to challenge the wide players.
Remove half way line restrictions.
Wide players can come out of their area and play for the team in possession creating overloads in favour of the attacking team.
Coaching Notes
Modify the Session
Make attacking players one or two touch to make it harder.
Make defending players one or two touch to make it easier.
Crossing and Finishing game
In this game the attacking team is trying to move the ball wide breaking down the defence to create goal scoring opportunities. Coaching points will develop as play advances and teams make mistakes in attack and defence.
Coaching Objectives
Attacking
- Attacking team must create depth and width to create space in and behind defence
- Speed of play should be quick with one and two touch play
- Make sure players are scanning the pitch so they know where to pass when they get the ball
- Crosses from wide players create goal scoring opportunities and rebounds saves need to be finished offensively
- Look for one-touch shooting
- Be aware of transitions of the ball
Defence
- Try not to leave gaps the attackers can exploit.
- Win 1v1s and stay with player in combination play – like 1-2s
- Win the second ball/rebound in the area in front of goal
- Be aware of transitions to counter attack.
Drill Setup
- 30 Mins
- 16 Players
- 1 Goals
- 7 yellow 1 purple Bibs
- Half pitch y
What the Players Do
Split into two teams, one of 8 players in a 2-4-2 formation who are the attacking team and a team of 7 + a goalkeeper set up GK-4-2 with one player at the end that is a target player for the team of 8 to score by passing to him/her instead of scoring a goal.
The target players always starts the drill with the team in yellow attacking.
Black team must hit the target player to score.
Start with free play for a few minutes and look for coachable moments, showing players how to get the ball wide passing into the centre and out again to draw the defenders in they hit them with wing play.
If the defending player manages to press and hold up the winger then he/she should turn and pass back to the fullback.
Coaching Notes
Dribbling
Keep your arms out at all times when dribbling around defenders. You can use them to brush past players, improve your balance, and keep players farther away from you.
Good balance will help you cut quickly in any direction while retaining control of the ball.
Land on the front of your feet every step, whether you are dribbling forward with your laces or cutting across your body using an inside touch
Beat a player
Creating space and time are two of the most important factors in the game. When going 1v1 against an opponent attackers need to use feints and body skills to do this. When defending it is important to get players to look at the ball and not the player so they are not so easily deceived.
When to coach
Try not to correct the players during play as this again slows play down and does not allow for self correction. It is important that you correct any problems during a break
Modify the Session
Make players one or two touch to make it harder
Add players to make overload bigger to make it easier
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Alex McLeish
700 appearances for Aberdeen, played under Sir Alex Ferguson. Manager of Scotland, Rangers, Aston Villa, and Birmingham City where he won the League Cup.
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