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Home/Training Drills/Finishing Drills/Run at Goal and Have a Go
FinishingBeginner

Run at Goal and Have a Go

Have a go at goal. Run straight at the defender rather than stopping or turning back, and either beat them and shoot or pass to the free friend. Both are good. The point is to be brave and try.

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Live animationFIN
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
3
Recommended
Pitch
26 × 18 m
Setup space
Level
Beginner
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U6-U8
Any format

Setup & instructions

Mark a small area about 26x18m with one small goal and no keeper. Two attackers start with the ball against one defender. On the go, the player on the ball runs straight at the defender and tries to score, either by beating him and shooting or by passing to the free team-mate who then shoots. Do not require the pass, since at this age dribbling straight at goal is the right instinct and should be encouraged. Rotate the defender every go so nobody is stuck defending, and keep the queues tiny by running several small groups at once.

Setup time: 1 min

Tactical breakdown

The instinct a five year old brings to football is to get the ball and run at the goal, and the worst thing a coach can do is train it out of them too early in the name of passing. At the youngest ages, running straight at a defender and having a go is not a lack of tactics, it is exactly the right thing, and the confidence it builds is worth more than any pattern.

That is why this drill makes the pass optional rather than the point. Two attackers face one defender, so there is always a free friend, but the message is not find him, it is have a go, and passing is offered as one way to do that rather than the correct answer.

The reason matters. A young player who is coached to pass whenever a team-mate is free learns to give the ball away the moment anyone comes near, and by the time real decisions matter he has never learned to beat anyone. The player who is encouraged to run at people, and who loses it half the time doing so, is the one who becomes dangerous later.

So the defender is there to be run at, not feared. Coaching him to jockey rather than dive in keeps the attacker having genuine goes rather than being dispossessed instantly, and every attempt to beat him is a success whether it comes off or not.

The shot is the celebration. When the goal is in sight the young player should take it, and the loud, happy reaction to a shot, in or out, is what makes them want to do it again. There is no such thing as shooting too early at this age.

The one thing to guard is the queue. Two attackers and one defender is three children, and if the rest are lined up watching, the drill has failed on its own terms. Several small groups running at once, with the defender rotating every go, keeps everyone brave and busy.

How to run this drill

  1. Let them run at goal. The youngest players want to get the ball and attack the goal, and that instinct is correct. Do not train it out of them in the name of passing.
  2. Make the pass optional. There is always a free friend, but the message is have a go, not find him. Passing is one way to attack, never the required answer.
  3. Run straight at the defender. Not sideways to avoid him. Every attempt to beat a defender is a success at this age, whether it comes off or not, and it builds the player.
  4. Jockey, do not dive in. Coach the defender to stay on his feet so the attacker gets a real go rather than being dispossessed at once. He is there to be run at.
  5. Celebrate the shot. When the goal is in sight, shoot, and react loudly and happily whether it goes in or not. There is no shooting too early at this age.
  6. Kill the queue. Three children per group means the rest must not be watching. Run several small groups at once and rotate the defender every go.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Run straight at the defender, do not stop or turn back
  • Be brave, having a go is always the right choice here
  • If your friend is free you can pass, but you do not have to
  • Shoot when you can see the goal
  • Everybody gets lots of goes, nobody waits long

Common mistakes

  • Stopping or turning back instead of running at the defender
  • Passing sideways to avoid the duel rather than having a go
  • Waiting too long to shoot when the goal is there
  • Long queues, so most children are standing and watching

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add a second small goal so there is a choice of where to attack
  • Let the defender start a little closer so it is a harder run
  • Add a second defender once beating one is comfortable

Regressions

  • Defender jogs rather than tackles, so the attacker always gets a shot
  • Start the attackers closer to the goal
  • One attacker against no defender first, just to score
Equipment
Cones×2
Goals×1
Tactical principles
u6 attacking drillu7 soccer drillu8 first attackingrunning at goal youth2v1 to goal no keeperhave a go footballfoundation phase attackingyoung players dribblinggrassroots first attackingsmall sided attacking drill
Audience
U6-U8

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For
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© 2026 Teloframe (formerly FC Tactix). All rights reserved.
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