SCORING FROM CROSSES

SESSION TITLE: SCORING FROM CROSSES

OBJECTIVES

• coach a team to cross and finish
• coach attacking runs and movement
• coach a team on heading and finishing

ORGANISATION

Pitch size: full width with 2/3 length of the pitch
Team formations: Teams play in a  3-4-2 vs 1-4-2-1 .The attacking team play in a 3-4-2 while the defending team play in a 1-4-2-1.

Practice starts as a pattern practice with none of the defending team on the pitch. The defending team players are gradually introduced with the centre backs and lone forward first, then the full-backs and finally the midfield two.

INSTRUCTIONS

Start and restart positions:

• Misplaced pass from either GK , Defending 5 or Defending 8 towards Defending 9, intercepted by Attacking 5
• Restarts from the end zone of normal play from the goalkeeper

Beneficial to condition attacking No 5 to look to play first pass out wide to either 3,2,11 or 7 if the pass is on.

How will the teams score points: yellow score a point from scoring from a cross
Red score points by counter attacking the ball through any of the gate goals.

Coach scoring from crosses

KEY COACHING POINTS

1. Supporting runs of full-back – underlap or overlap.
2. .Positioning of centre-forwards and wide midfielders – occupation of half spaces, wing spaces or central space.
3. 3rd man runs following link play of wide midfielder, full-back and ball side central midfielder or centre forward.
4. Movement of support striker to provide opportunities for one-twos.
5. A cross is a pass it should find someone, don’t just knock ball into space
6. Coach different types of crosses – early cross, normal cross, cross from cut-back, hanging crosses, driven crosses, and central crosses.
7. Coach area to deliver cross into – known as the zone of uncertainty or the second six-yard box
8. Clever movement of players – check forward then back to receive the ball or the other way round.
9. Coach forward runs into the box – one attack near post, other through the middle  the wide midfielder on other side attacks the back post
10. One central midfielder arrives late on the edge for a possible cut back.
11. Encourage a lot of creativity – 1v1 dribbling, feints, dummies, change of direction, starts and stops etc in wide areas to get the yard to put the cross in.
12. coach heading technique
13. coach  finishing technique
14.  Encourage players to follow-up rebounds and attack second balls.

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