Soccer drills: First to the ball

First to the ball:

Here is an amazing soccer drill you can do during your hardest day of work during the week. You can work speed, technique and finishing all in one exercise. This drill will also be fun since it will allow your players to compete against each other and therefore bring the intensity up. Don't forget to involve properly the keepers as well.

Activity flow:

1. One player per group starts out in the middle next to the coach (pictured here blue #1 and green #2)

2. Another player from each team is positioned on each corner of the penalty area (blue #3 and green #4)

3. The coach begins by passing towards the goal

4. The players next to the coach race after the pass and the first player to reach the ball passes to the goalkeeper

5. The goalkeeper passes to the teammate of the player who made the pass (shown here blue #3), who then takes a shot

Organization:

1. Set up a playing field as wide as the penalty area

2. Divide the field into two zones

3. Two goals with goalkeepers

4. Six cones5. Extra balls with the coach

Coaching points:

1. Quick reactions to visual cues

2. Short, explosive dribbling at maximum speed

3. Quick and light-footed changes of direction

4. Do an intensive warm-up before this exercise

Variations:

1. Make it a competition:

a. First to the ball = one point

b. Scoring a goal = two points

Duration:

• 15 mn

Age:

• U11 - U16

Number of players:

• min: 6