Initially organise players into groups of four with a ball. Tell them to kick the ball to each other, making sure they use the correct part of the foot (bony) and strike the ball in the “sweet spot”.
When players are confident in their kicking, mark out an area about 40m x 30m. Split each group of four into two pairs and position the pairs so that they’re facing each other across the area.
Use cones to mark out a 5m circular target zone about 5m in front of each pair. Players take it in turns to kick across the area into the target zone – get them challenging each other to see who can be most consistent in terms of distance kicked and accuracy.
If your players are consistent and accurate with their kicking, the next stage is kicking for a wide player who runs and tries to catch the ball. Have a player kicking towards a target zone and another player running from distance to reach the target zone and catch the ball. Again you are looking for accuracy and distance control.
You will need
A 40m x 30m area
Balls
Cones
Tackle tubes
Got more players?
Get as many players kicking to each other as space will allow.
What to tell your players
“Drop the ball onto the foot”
“Kick through the sweet spot”
“Follow through towards target”
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Stop the high ball “bombs” destroying the confidence of your players by creating training sessions that challenge the players to think under pressure.
One reason why players drop “high balls” is because they have so much time to think about them. They tense up at the prospect of dropping the catch. Experts seem at ease in comparison. And that probably explains why they seem to catch the most difficult kicks more often. MORE
This session works on developing running and passing skills against different defences. Players should run angles at a defensive overload and straight lines if they have an overlap. MORE
All players may need to catch a high ball - forwards from kick-offs, backs from open play. The principles of “fielding” include being aware of your support players and thinking about what to do next. This session builds on those principles. MORE
