Soccer Attacking Combinations and Finishing Drill [+ Diagrams]

This soccer attacking combinations drill is a fantastic drill to get your central strikers working together as a team. It helps them practice combining, as well as quick finishing in central positions. It replicates attacking soccer through the central channel and eliminates the use of wide areas.

Equipment needed:

• 2 full-size or age-appropriate goals
• Approximately 10-20 soccer balls
• Approx 8-14 cones

Attacking combinations drill set up:

• Create a diamond shape soccer pitch approximately 30 yards wide at the halfway line, with the goals approximately 30 yards apart
• Set up two teams of 5 players, each with a goalkeeper and 4 outfield players
• Set up 3 or 4 feeder players around the outside, each with 2 or 3 soccer balls

Attacking combinations drill execution:

• The drill starts when a feeder player plays the ball into a player; that player’s team then has to try to score a goal while the other team must try to stop them
• If the ball goes out of play, instead of a throw-in, the nearest feeder player should pass the ball to the team whose ball it is
• If a goal is scored, play can restart through the conceding goalkeeper rolling, throwing or kicking the ball back into play
• Teams should play openly with a focus on quick attacking play

Coaching tips:

• The shape and size of the playing area lends itself to attacking play, so coaches should encourage lots of shots at goal, including from a distance
• Ensure feeders play balls in quickly to maintain a high tempo for the whole drill
• Encourage individual movement of attacking players to receive the ball in dangerous positions or to create space for teammates
• Encourage quick passing sequences between attacking teams, passing and moving, holding up play, setting teammates up for shots etc
• When a shot is made, encourage the nearest player to the goal to follow the ball in for rebounds

Progressions:

• Limit touches to 2 or 3 touches maximum
• Introduce one-touch finishes only

Variations:

• Create smaller teams – 3 vs 3, 2 vs 2 or even 1 vs 1 (you may need to adjust the size of the pitch to suit the number of players)
• 3v3 with one roaming player who always joins the attacking team. This will emphasize the team who loses the ball to get men behind the ball quickly to defend