Combination Shooting Drills
A triangle of one-touch passes builds up quickly to a layoff into space and a first-time shot on goal — then the combinations grow harder, series by series.
Building up quickly for a shot means one-touch combinations to feet — and finishing means good body mechanics and a strike on target.
Starting at Core — your team is set to mixed.
20 min tonight · 3 per triangle, plus a rotating keeper
- Ages 9+
- 3 per triangle, plus a rotating keeper
- 20 min as the drill is written
- Cones, balls, full-size goal
Grab Cones for two triangles, a large supply of balls per triangle, and your full-size goal.
Build Create two triangles about 15 yards from each other and approximately 5 yards outside the penalty box — adjust the distance from goal for the age and skill level of your players.
Place A player on each cone, the remaining players lined up outside the triangle area, and a keeper in the full-size goal.
- 1
Organize the players
Put a player on each cone of both triangles, line the rest up outside the triangle area, and put the keeper in the goal — the keeper rotates out after every 3 or 4 shots.
“One on each cone, everyone else in line. Keeper — you're out after four shots, fresh gloves in.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk combination series 1 — player 1 starts by passing to player 2, player 2 passes to player 3, and player 3 lays a ball into space near the top of the penalty box for player 1 to hit a first-time shot on goal.
“One, two, lay it off — then hit it first time. Nobody stops the ball.”
- 3
Play
Run the series and hold the standard — good passing combinations to feet playing in one touch, good fluid movement with the body under control, and a finish on target with good body mechanics behind the strike.
“One touch, to feet! Get your body over it — hit the target.”
Look for The strike — body mechanics under control and the first-time finish on target.
- 4
Switch and repeat
Move to combination series 2 — player 1 to player 2, player 2 to player 3, player 3 back to player 1, and player 1 lays off into space for player 3's first-time shot. Switch the sides players shoot from so they finish left- and right-footed, and be creative with your own combinations — they're limitless.
“New series — one extra pass, then the layoff. Other side next, so both feet work.”
If shots aren't coming off, slide the triangles closer to goal while they play — the right distance for their age and skill puts the finish in reach — then push them back out.
Go deeper · 2 notes
Why it works
The triangle makes the build-up automatic — one-touch passes to feet and a layoff into space — so every rep ends in a first-time strike on goal, and the combination ideas make the drill more difficult progressively as the series change.
What they learn
Combination play and finishing — one-touch passing combinations to feet, good fluid movement with the body under control, striking with good body mechanics, and putting first-time shots on target.
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.