Combination Shooting & Finishing Drill
Passes work down a diamond of cones and into a checking shooter, who takes a touch with their back to the goal, turns tight, and finishes.
Combination play is timing — and finishing it takes a touch with your back to the defender, then a quick, tight turn and a shot on goal.
Starting at Core — your team is set to mixed.
15 min tonight · A diamond of passers and shooters, plus a keeper
- Ages 9+
- A diamond of passers and shooters, plus a keeper
- 15 min as the drill is written
- Cones, balls, full-size goal
Grab Cones for the diamond, a ball for each player at the far cone, and your full-size goal.
Build On a half field, set two cones about 18 yards from goal and about 5 yards apart, perpendicular to the goal, as a small window; a cone level with each side of the penalty box about 10 yards from the top of the box; and one more in the middle about 10 yards from the side cones — a diamond, window nearest the goal.
Place A keeper in the goal, the first shooter between the window cones, a player on each side cone, and everyone else at the cone farthest from goal with a ball each.
- 1
Organize the players
Put the keeper in the goal, the first shooter between the window cones, a player on each side cone, and line everyone else up at the farthest cone with a ball each.
“Shooter in the window, one of you on each side cone. The rest of you — far cone, ball each.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk the first pattern — player 1 passes to player 2 and follows his pass; player 2 passes through the window to player 3, who is checking through the cones, then follows his pass and checks into the middle. Player 3 takes a touch with their back to the goal toward the far side and finishes with a right-footed shot.
“Pass and follow — every time. Shooter, check to the window, touch with your back to the goal, turn, and hit it.”
- 3
Play
Keep both sides rolling — as player 2 plays into the window, the new player 1 passes to player 4 and follows; player 4 plays into the next checking shooter, who turns tight to the back side and finishes left-footed. Push for crisp passes, well-timed movement, and speed — and every rep finishes on goal.
“Crisp passes — play with speed! Finish on goal, every time.”
Look for The turn — clean and quick, the shooter keeping his back to goal until he comes out of the turn for the shot.
- 4
Switch and repeat
Keep everyone following their pass through the positions so the sides keep alternating. For harder rounds, play all touches one-touch, move the cones farther apart and work flighted balls into each player, or add a passive defender pressing the shooter's back — the shooter must not expose the ball.
“New round — one touch, everything. Don't let that ball slow down.”
If the pattern keeps breaking down, freeze it and ask — who is your pass to, and where do you go after it? Let them answer, then play on.
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Why it works
The pattern only flows when the passes are crisp and the movement well timed — and each rep ends the way the game asks: a touch with your back to the defender, a quick, tight turn, and a finish on goal, alternating feet side to side.
What they learn
The timing of combination play, receiving with your back to the defender, and a quick, tight turn and finish — with crisp passes and speed throughout, right- and left-footed.
Where does this come from?
SoccerXpert — their published drill library.
A published drill library. Useful and widely used, but not a governing body — so it fills gaps rather than leading.