Finishing
Dribble In and Shoot
Score lots of goals. Dribble toward the goal, look up, and shoot when you can see it. There is no keeper, so just have a go, and go again straight away with another ball.
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
4
Recommended
Pitch
22 × 16 m
Setup space
Level
Beginner
Skill required
Intensity
Medium
Physical demand
Age band
U6-U8
Any format
Setup & instructions
Set small goals with no keeper, a start cone about 18m from each and a line of markers about 6m out to shoot before. Every child has their own ball, two to a goal, going about half a go apart. Each dribbles in and shoots before the line, then fetches the ball out of the goal, dribbles it back round the outside to the start cone and goes again, aiming for the other corner next time. Run several goals at once so nobody waits and the whole group is scoring continuously. Encourage shooting with the laces or the inside of the foot, and both feet, but do not overload them with technique, the volume of happy repetitions is the point. Move the start cone closer if they are not reaching the goal.
Setup time: 1 min
Tactical breakdown
A five year old learns to shoot the same way they learn anything else, by doing it a great many times and enjoying it, not by being taught technique. So the single most important number in a shooting session for this age is how many shots each child actually takes, and everything else serves that.
That is why this practice is solo and continuous. Every child has their own ball, dribbles in, shoots, and goes to get another, which means there is no queue and no defender in the way and no goalkeeper saving everything, just a constant stream of strikes at the goal. A child who takes forty shots in ten minutes learns more than one who takes four and listens to eight minutes of coaching.
Removing the keeper is deliberate. At this age a goalkeeper turns a joyful scoring drill into a frustrating one, since most shots would be saved and the reward that makes a child want to shoot again disappears. Empty goals mean goals, and goals mean they keep having a go.
The coaching is light on purpose. Look up before you shoot and use both feet across the session is about as much as a young child can hold while doing, and technique is caught over time from the repetition rather than taught from the touchline. The advice that overwhelms a young player is worse than no advice at all.
The one dial to adjust is distance. If shots are not reaching the goal the run is too long, so move the start closer until every child is scoring, because a shot that falls short teaches nothing and a goal teaches them to do it again.
And celebrate loudly. There is no shooting too early and no shot too ambitious at this age, and the happy noise around a goal is the thing that turns a child into someone who wants the ball and wants to score, which is the entire point.
How to run this drill
- Count the shots, not the coaching. A young child learns to shoot by doing it many times and enjoying it. The most important number is how many strikes each one actually takes.
- Keep it solo and continuous. Every child on their own ball, dribble in, shoot, fetch another, repeat. No queue, no defender, no keeper in the way, just a stream of shots.
- Take the keeper out. A goalkeeper saves most shots and removes the reward that makes a child want to shoot again. Empty goals mean goals, and goals keep them going.
- Coach light. Look up before you shoot, use both feet. That is about all a young child can hold while doing. Technique is caught from repetition, not taught.
- Adjust the distance. If shots fall short the run is too long, so move the start closer until every child is scoring. A goal teaches them to do it again; a short shot does not.
- Celebrate every goal loudly. There is no shooting too early at this age. The happy noise around a goal is what turns a child into someone who wants the ball and wants to score.
Coaching focus
FROM SESSION PLANCoaching points
- Look up at the goal before you shoot
- Shoot when you can see it, do not wait
- Try both feet across the session
- There is no keeper, so just have a go
- Score, fetch a ball, and go again straight away
Common mistakes
- Head down, so the shot has no aim
- Waiting too long to shoot when the goal is there
- Only ever using the stronger foot
- Long queues, so keep several goals running at once
Progressions & regressions
VARIATIONSProgressions
- Move the start cone further back so it is a longer run
- Add two small goals so there is a choice of where to shoot
- Add a simple move before the shot once the strike is comfortable
Regressions
- Move the start cone closer so every shot reaches the goal
- Use a bigger goal so more shots go in
- Shoot from a standing ball first, then add the dribble
Explore more drills
LIBRARYReady 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.