Crossing and Finishing

13 Players

I. Ladder Work

II. Tactics Talk and On Field Walk Through

• Switch the field once
• Look to get end line and cross or win corners, all crosses need to get to the penalty spot

IIIa. Crossing and Finishing Technique

Set Up

• Groups of 3 (One crosser and two finishers)

Procedure

• The crosser dribbles down the line and does a move on the dummy defender and crosses the ball into the box for the finishers to head home
• Work on driven crosses to the back post and end line crosses brought back to the top of the 18

Make It Competitive

+1 for a cross and a shot on goal
+3 for a cross and a goal 
+5 for a header goal 
+10 for a header goal in the magic box 

IIIb. Eric Works With AJ

• Footwork
• Dealing With Break Aways

IV. 6v6 With Wide 2v1 Channels To Goal

Set Up

• 2 teams of 6 players and a goalie
• Wide channel that is from the outside of the 18 yard box to the side line

Procedure

• Teams play 6v6 and try to get the ball out wide
• The team that is defending cannot send anyone wide until the ball enters the wide channel
• When the ball enters the wide channel the defending team can send one player to create a 2v1 for the attacking team
• Teams must get the ball to one of the wide channels before they can score 

Make It Competitive

+1 point for a goal 
+3 points for a goal from a cross
+5 points for a header goal 

Creating Width

12 Players

I. Ladder Work

II. Switch The Field To 2v1 Wide & Cross

Set Up

• Use half of a field
• 4 teams of 3 players
• 3 teams are attacking and one team is defending
• Make a wide channel for the 2v1
• Create a goal for the defenders to score in if they win the ball

Procedure

• A coach or extra player plays a ball into a center mid who has checked to her
• The center mid receives the ball and plays a big switch to the far outside mid
• The outside mid who started inside bounces outside and receives the ball close to the side line
• As the ball is traveling to the outside mid the red defender moves out wide to put pressure on the ball and she should be about 10 yards away from the wide player when she receives the ball
• One of the blue forwards makes a run to towards the outside mid to create a 2v1 on the wing versus the red defender
• The two blues go 2v1 and look to either combine around the red defender or the blue outside mid can play the forward down the line to beat the defender with the pass
• If the defender wins the ball she can score by passing the ball through the cone goal 
• After a successful 2v1 the blues cross the ball into the middle for the 2nd forward to finish first time 

Make It Competitive

+1 for a cross and a shot on goal
+3 for a cross and a goal 
+5 for a header goal 

Defense +3 for a goal

Key Points 

• The cue for the outside mid to get wide is when the center mid opens up the field.  The run by the wide mid needs to be quick and they need to curve their run wide to create a passing lane.
• The forward needs to read whether or not to run to the line to be played in by the wide mid or if she should combine with the wide player to beat the defender
• The cross into the box needs to be placed in an area where the forward will be successful

III. 6v6 With Wide 2v1 Channels To Goal

Set Up

• 2 teams of 6 players and a goalie
• Wide channel that is from the outside of the 18 yard box to the side line

Procedure

• Teams play 6v6 and try to get the ball out wide
• The team that is defending cannot send anyone wide until the ball enters the wide channel
• When the ball enters the wide channel the defending team can send one player to create a 2v1 for the attacking team
• Teams must get the ball to one of the wide channels before they can score 

Make It Competitive

+1 point for a goal 
+3 points for a goal from a cross
+5 points for a header goal 

Get The Ball Wide & Finish - Training 5/10

I. Ladder Work

II.  Basic Crossing and Finishing

• Put players into groups of 3 send one player out wide and keep two in the middle
• Wide player puts a hesitation move on the dummy defender and crosses the ball in looking for a service to the head of an attacker
• When we come from the left Becks will do a hesitation move, but everyone else will cut the dummy defender back and serve with their right foot
• Create a magic box that is a 5x5 yard grid on top of the 6 yard box on the far post

Make It Competitive

+1 point for any goal that the ball hits the ground
+3 for any goal scored out of the air
+5 for a goal out of the air in the magic box 

III. 2v1 Lead Pass Out Wide To Cross and Finish

Set Up

• Teams of 4 players 
• 2 players are crossers out wide and 2 players are attackers in the middle of the field
• Grid is 15x15 yards on the outside of the field on top of the 18 yard box
• The defending team starts with one defender and one recovery defender

Procedure

• Players go 2v1 and attempt to beat the defender out wide across the end line
• When they beat the defender out wide they cross the ball into the box for their attackers
• Start with no defenders in the middle of the field, if we have success then add in one defender 

Make It Competitive

Attackers
+1 for a cross and shot on goal
+3 for a cross and a goal
+5 for a cross and a goal taken out of the air

Defenders
+3 points for stealing the ball and playing it into the pugg goal

IV. 4v4 Get It Wide Scrimmage

Set Up

• 3 teams of 4 players and a goalie in each goal
• One team is the crossing team and two teams are playing 4v4

Procedure

• The teams in the middle play 4v4 and must get the ball to a wide player
• After the team gets the ball wide the wide player plays in a cross and they try to score or they can play it back into a forward who can only take one touch and they can play someone else to go to goal
• The defending team can send one player out to defend the outside and create a 2v1 situation
• Play a 5 minute game as hard as they can

Make It Competitive For The Crossing Teams

Keep track of the goals created by the wide players so they are competing against each other and the other teams to see who can set up the most goals and have the fewest turn overs

+5 points for a cross that leads to a goal
-1 point if they make a pass and the person they pass the ball to turns the ball over
-3 points if they make a pass that is intercepted 

V. Scrimmage

Training 4/6 Keep The Ball Moving

• 30 min off field
• 75 min on 1/4 field
• 13 players

 Off Field Work

• Three person competitions
• Partner ball striking/ first touch work

I.  4v2 Possession With Two Goals (20 min)

Set Up

• 3 teams of 4 players
• 2 fields that are 15x15 with 2 cone goals on the outside of the grid
• Each team breaks into pairs and one pair is on each field

Procedure

• One team is the defending team.  If they win the ball they try to score on either of the two cone goals
• The other two teams combine to make the attacking team (4 total players)
• The attacking teams get a point every time they complete 5 passes in row

II. 4v4 (4v2) Keep Away to 4v2 Cross and Finish (25 min)

Set Up

• Three teams of 4 players
• Possession grid is 15x40 yards with two pugg goals for the defenders to score in
• The team on defense places two players in the possession grid and the other two players are on the line of the possession grid, ready to drop back and defend in the crossing grid
• Attacking team starts with all 4 of their players in the possession grid 

Procedure

• Attacking team plays 4v2 in the possession grid and must complete four passes
• After completing four passes they must break into the crossing grid 
  The fourth pass can be played into the crossing grid
• The wide players must stay wide unless they are making a run in to score on a cross
• Once the attacking team breaks into the crossing grid they have 5 seconds to score the goal
• If the defending team wins the ball they can score on one of the two pugg goals
  All defending players are free to go in any grid once they win the ball

Make It Competitive

• +1 point for completing 4 passes and getting into the attacking grid
• +2 points for completing the 4 passes and getting a shot on goal
• +4 points for a goal
• +5 points for a one touch goal

 III. 6v6 (6v4) To Goal (10 min)

• Play a scrimmage with the field set up width wise 
• Play with 3 touch max
• Have the players focus on creating width to open up the end line service

IV. Scrimmage or Finishing Activity

Training 3/31 Crossing and Finishing

I. 6v6 4 Goal Possession Game (20 min)

• Play 3 touch
• Concentrate on targets playing the wide players

II. Crossing and Finishing Technique (20 min)

• Groups of 2 players (6 teams)
• 1 group is the crossers, 1 group is the defender and goalie, 4 groups are the runners
• Player on outside does a move on a dummy defender
• 2 runners into the box versus 1 live defender

III. Crossing and Finishing Patterns (30 min)

Goal of the Activity:

• Attackers work on the pattern, crossing and finishing
• Defenders work on their footwork to defend crosses

Set Up

• Forwards- 2 go each time: Gaffer, Greely, Magic
• Wingers- 1 goes each time: Rt side: Kari, Kenzie Left Side: Jazzy
• Center Mids- 1 goes each time: Lydia, Sizzle
• Defenders- 2 go each time: Brownie, Stoker, Becks (Rotate Lydia and Kenzie in)
• Recovery Defender: Whichever winger is not going next out of the 3

Progression I

• One striker posts up against her defender and calls for the ball
• The center mid plays her the ball
• As the ball is played the other striker drops off of her defender to be an option for a drop pass
• As the ball is played forward the winger makes her run down the line
• The striker plays the ball through for the winger and turns to make a run to the far post
• The other striker makes a run to the near post
• The center mid makes a run to the top of the box
• As the ball is played out to the wing, the defenders drop in to defend the cross
• The recovery defender chases down the pass to the winger as soon as the ball is played to add pressure
• The winger receives the ball and chooses to play in an early cross or take the ball end line to cross

Key Points

• The passes in the pattern must be made crisply and with the proper weight on each pass in order to get the cross off before the recovery defender gets back to block the cross
• The strikers must work together to make their runs and must not end up flat
• The center mid needs to read the runs of the striker and decide to hold at the top of the box or run through and attack the cross
• The center mid and the forwards must work together and if the center mid is going to attack the cross one forward needs to drop off from the defenders
• One of the three attackers will be open if the runs are made properly.  The key is getting the winger to take a look up as she is going to the ball and play the right type of cross

Progression II

Set Up

• Same set up as before

Procedure

• The ball is played into the first target forward but this time she lays the ball off to the other forward, who has dropped off her defender, and she spins outside to create a passing lane 
• The second forward then plays a ball through (either via a split pass between the defenders or a chip pass over the top) to the winger
• As the ball is played the recovery defender chases down the winger and tries to block the cross
• The winger gets to the ball and finds a cross
• The forwards and the center mid work together to make their runs and finish the cross

Make It Competitive

Points for the Attackers- Max per turn is 6 points

• +1 point for a sharp pattern and good runs 
• +1 point for a shot
• +2 points for a shot on goal
• +5 points for a goal

Points for the Defenders- Max per turn is 3 points

• Defenders +1 point for the first touch on the cross
• Defenders +1 point for good positioning
• Defenders +1 point for a clear 

IV. 6v6 Wide Crosses Finishing Scrimmage (20 min)