The goalkeeper has no chance. They need to protect their near post, but the slight deflection the inside foot shot creates brings the ball back into the far post. Even more spectacular is the driven shot, firmly struck with the laces, which sends the ball into the far post. Here it is strength, accuracy and taking the ball early that results in the goal.
In both cases, shooting over the goalkeeper increases the chance of a goal. The goalkeeper is unlikely to catch the ball, and even if he gets a hand on the shot, the ball will deflect into the danger zone that is the center of the goal. A striker who comes into support has the easiest finish.
France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry was lethal with these types of finishes. Like Ronaldo, Mo Salah, Raheem Sterling and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, he was the kind of striker who liked to position himself out wide rather than across the middle. Take a look at this collection; see how many goals the attacker scores from the side, hitting the ball with placement or force over the goalkeeper in the opposite corner.
Here are three drills that can be used in training to encourage players to shoot across the goal. In these exercises the white dots are defenders. The little black dot is the ball. Black arrows indicate the direction of movement of the ball, red arrows indicate the movement of the team in possession of the ball and white arrows indicate the movement of the defense.
Opening the body
Here right-footed players should attack from the left side, and vice versa, although once players become proficient at the exercise, coaches can try to develop confidence with the weaker foot. When this is the goal, it does not matter from which side the attacker approaches.
Player One hits a through ball inside the defender. Player one continues his run to be on hand to catch any rebounds from the goalkeeper.
The defender can start slightly behind the attacker, player two, so that some pressure is applied, but not so much that perfecting the skill becomes too difficult. Player Two runs onto the through ball and takes a touch to bring the ball in slightly if necessary. The player hits the ball firmly with the instep and leans away very slightly to provide power. The arms should be out for balance and protection against a defensive challenge.
The player aims for the far post or slightly beyond it, causing the ball to spin when he hits it. The shot must be out of the keeper’s reach, but the spin brings the ball back into the far corner. If the goalkeeper is touched, player one must be present to put the ball in the net. Players switch roles and repeat.
Key skills:
- Maintain balance with the arms
- Strike firmly with the instep
- Only take a touch when there is time, as the touch will send the ball into the defensive runner
Development:
- Have the defensive player start at the same height as the attacker to put more pressure on time. However, the defender still has to turn to catch up.
First time over the goal
Here the pass is forty-five degrees and the striker runs through to hit it the first time or after one touch. Work with the stronger foot initially so that the technique can develop. This means that a right-footed player will hit from the right side of the goal and aim to the left. In this exercise, the shot is hit with the laces and the foot hits through the ball. To keep the shot low, the head is above the ball and the hitting leg is slightly bent at the knee. There is complete follow-up.
The hips rotate as necessary so that the player’s body is in line with the direction of the shot. The player aims for the inside of the far post.
Key skills:
- Arms for balance, especially when turning the body into position to shoot
- Focus on body position, otherwise the shot will lack accuracy and fly high and wide
- As the player walks through for an initial shot, the non-kicking foot is planted to provide a firm base. If the player spins to get the shot away, i.e. runs away from the target to make the shot, this is not possible and accuracy becomes the main focus.
Development:
- Add a defender for pressure
- Make the pass from different angles
Shoot out chaos
This is a fun exercise, especially good for younger players, but who doesn’t like shooting a target? That is why adult teams can also use this. Set up a grid 30 m square and place cones along opposite ends. The aim is to pass the ball within the grid to create shooting opportunities. However, recordings can only be made at the the furthest shooter’s cone. This means that the outer cones are knocked over first, so the drill becomes easier as it progresses. The first team to knock over its cones (mannequins work well here too) wins.
Key skills:
- A balance is needed between accuracy and power. It is more accurate to use the inside of the foot, but force may be required to knock down the cones furthest away. The player must make a decision.
- Use the techniques described above to take the photos
- Find space through movement and communication to create shooting opportunities
Development:
- Turn the exercise into a rondo by adding weight to one side in terms of players – remove one set of cones if the coach wishes
If you liked this post, you’ll also like our book on football shooting drills below.
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