FineSoccer Drill 69

Here is a simple finishing pattern that works on forwards getting used to working together along with getting a lot of good finishing done (plus it's certainly a good way for keepers to get used to reading the games flow and making saves.

Before doing this activity, you might want to start your team doing http://finesoccer.com/finesoccer_drill_50.htm which involves some similar concepts but is more of a drill than a pattern like this one.

You should begin with a minimum of 6 field players plus a keeper, a goal and 8 soccer balls.

Start with a line of 4 players plus two players our in front as is shown in the diagram below.

The first player in line (Player A) plays a soft pass to Player B who then plays the ball back on an angle to Player A.  Player B spins off (in the opposite direction than she laid the ball off) and Player A find Player C with a hard pass.   Player C then lays the ball off for Player B to finish toward goal. (see diagram below)

Some of the keys to this pattern are that the initial pass in from Player A to Player B should be a soft pass (and preferably toward the outside).  The reason it's soft is to try to draw the player marking Player B to the ball in order to create more space to run into.  Then, the pass from Player B back to Player A should be on an angle in order to create even more space to work with as well as to make the next pass as easy as possible.  As soon as making this pass, Player A must spin off IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS THE PASS WAS PLAYED.  For example, if Player B passes the ball to her left, she should spin to her right in order to get around the player who is marking her (in this activity, there is no one marking her but we are trying to develop good habits here).  Then, the ball ball played into Player C should be a driven ball because time is of the essence.  Player C will lay the ball off to Player B in the direction that Player B will have indicated by going in that direction initally.  Once the ball is laid off by Player C, she then should spin off in the opposite direction to either receive yet another pass in a game situation or to follow up any rebounds.

The players would then rotate and the activity continues.

The spacing of this pattern can be anything from really tight (10 yards between players) to much more spaced out (20-25 yards between players) and rather than thinking that one is correct to do and the other incorrect, work on this with different spacing so the players are prepared for different things to happen.

Give this pattern a try and let me know what you think at the FineSoccer Forum

Have a great day!

Lawrence