TeloframeTeloframe
Features
For CoachesFor ClubsPricingLibraryDrills
Sign inStart free
Teloframe

The Coach OS for football. Plan, run, observe, reflect, develop, one loop, one tool.

Product
Tactics boardDrill editorSession plannerMatch dayPlayer developmentClub workspaceAI assistantExport and sharingAll features
Explore
Tactics librarySession plansDrill libraryFormationsGuidesVideo tutorials
Use cases
Coaches and academiesContent creatorsSession planner softwareTactics board software
Company
PricingFAQContactOpen Teloframe
© 2026 Teloframe. Built for serious staff.PrivacyTermsSafeguardingSecurityDPASubprocessorsCookies All systems normal
TeloframeTeloframe
Features
For CoachesFor ClubsPricingLibraryDrills
Sign inStart free
/
/
/
Teloframe

The Coach OS for football. Plan, run, observe, reflect, develop, one loop, one tool.

Product
Tactics boardDrill editorSession plannerMatch dayPlayer developmentClub workspaceAI assistantExport and sharingAll features
Explore
Tactics librarySession plansDrill libraryFormationsGuidesVideo tutorials
Use cases
Coaches and academiesContent creatorsSession planner softwareTactics board software
Company
PricingFAQContactOpen Teloframe
© 2026 Teloframe. Built for serious staff.PrivacyTermsSafeguardingSecurityDPASubprocessorsCookies All systems normal
TeloframeTeloframe
Features
For CoachesFor ClubsPricingLibraryDrills
Sign inStart free
Home/Training Drills/Set Pieces Drills/Defending a Free Kick
Set PiecesIntermediate

Defending a Free Kick

Defend a free kick as a unit. Set the wall to protect the near post, position the keeper to cover the open side, and save the shot that beats the wall.

Create your own drill
Live animationSET
Duration
8 min
Total drill time
Players
2
Recommended
Pitch
44 × 36 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
Medium
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format

Setup & instructions

Set a wall (players or mannequins) to protect the near post, with the keeper positioned to cover the open side of the goal. Take direct free kicks from the edge of the box, over and around the wall. The keeper commands the wall's position, covers the open side, and saves. Vary the angle and distance, and add a charge-down runner as a progression.

Setup time: 2 min

Tactical breakdown

Walls do not exist to block shots. A wall exists to make the goal smaller, so that the keeper stops having to defend fourteen feet of goal and only has to defend the half of it he can see. Once that is understood, most of the arguments about wall size and positioning answer themselves.

It follows that the keeper sets the wall, not the captain and not the nearest defender. He is the only person on the pitch who can see whether the wall is covering the part of the goal he is not standing in front of, and he should be moving it by voice and by hand until it does. A wall arranged by a defender guessing is usually a yard out, and a yard is the difference between covering the near post and leaving a gap over the shoulder.

The most common and most damaging error is the keeper hiding behind his own wall. Standing in the middle of the goal, or worse behind the wall, means he can see neither the strike nor the flight until it emerges. His position should be on the open side, the half the wall is not protecting, with a clear line to the ball.

Wall discipline is the last piece. Players who jump and turn away are conceding the ball under the wall, which is a genuine and increasingly popular free-kick option. Standing firm, arms down, eyes on the ball, is harder than it sounds and worth drilling specifically.

How to run this drill

  1. Let the keeper set the wall. He is the only one who can see whether it covers the half of the goal he is not defending. A wall arranged by a guessing defender is usually a yard out.
  2. Protect the near post and the line over it. The wall covers the side nearest the ball, including the airspace above it, because bending it over the near end of the wall is the standard solution.
  3. Keeper stands on the open side. Position on the half the wall is not covering, with a clear sight of the ball. Hiding behind the wall means seeing the strike far too late to react.
  4. Match the wall size to the distance and angle. More players for a central kick in range, fewer from wide where the shot is unlikely and bodies are needed marking runners in the box instead.
  5. Hold the wall, do not jump and turn. Feet planted, arms down, eyes on the ball. Players who jump and twist away concede the ball underneath the wall, which is exactly what good takers aim for.
  6. Rehearse the second phase. Most free kicks are not scored directly. Practise clearing the rebound and stepping out together, because a blocked shot leaves everyone flat and static.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Keeper commands the number and position of the wall
  • Wall protects the near post and the line over it
  • Keeper covers the open side, not hiding behind the wall
  • Set position and ready hands: expect the shot around the wall
  • Wall holds and jumps together, does not break early

Common mistakes

  • Keeper hiding behind the wall, late to see the shot
  • Wall too small, leaving the near post exposed
  • Wall breaking or ducking as the shot is struck
  • Keeper set on the wrong side of the goal

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add a charge-down runner off the end of the wall
  • Vary the angle so the wall and keeper must reorganise
  • Live attackers rehearsing a worked routine to defend

Regressions

  • Set the wall unopposed and rehearse the keeper's position
  • Serve the shot to a set side to groove the save
  • Walk the wall set-up and the keeper's command first
Equipment
Cones×1
Full Goals×1
Mannequins×3
Tactical principles
defending a free kicksetting a wallfree kick wallgoalkeeper wall setupdefending set piecesset piece drillnear post wallkeeper positioningdefensive set pieceu10 defending drill
Audience
U9-U10

Make it yours

Save this drill to your private library, then tweak the animation, swap equipment, or drop it into a session.

Explore more drills

LIBRARY
All Set Pieces drillsAll drill collectionsSet Pieces for U9-U10

Ready to run this drill?

Save it to your private drills, then change the animation, adjust positions, swap equipment, or drop it into a session block. Or start from a blank pitch and build your own.

Library Create your own drill
Teloframe

The Coach OS for football. Plan, run, observe, reflect, develop, one loop, one tool.

Product
Tactics boardDrill editorSession plannerMatch dayPlayer developmentClub workspaceAI assistantExport and sharingAll features
Explore
Tactics librarySession plansDrill libraryFormationsGuidesVideo tutorials
Use cases
Coaches and academiesContent creatorsSession planner softwareTactics board software
Company
PricingFAQContactOpen Teloframe
© 2026 Teloframe. Built for serious staff.PrivacyTermsSafeguardingSecurityDPASubprocessorsCookies All systems normal