Shooting Warmup
Three teams race shooting challenges from the edge of the 18 — hit the back of the net on the fly, then hit the crossbar — every player shooting in order with their own ball.
This warm-up works long-range passing, accuracy, and finishing — and the shoot-and-retrieve hustle doubles the whole thing as fitness.
Starting at Core — your team is set to mixed.
15 min tonight · Three equal teams
- Ages 8+
- Three equal teams
- 15 min as the drill is written
- Cones, 1 ball per player, full-size goal
Grab Cones and a ball for every player — plus your full-size goal.
Build Place cones at the top of the 18 and in each corner of the 18 — a shooting station per team.
Place One team behind each cone, every player with the ball they're responsible for all day.
- 1
Organize the players
Divide into three equal teams and send each to a cone. Every player keeps their own ball for the whole exercise. Have each team number off from one — that is their shooting order.
“Three teams, three cones. Number off — that's your order, and your ball is yours all day.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk the first challenge — the shot must hit the back of the net in the air; a bounce before it goes in doesn't count. After every shot, that player retrieves their own ball fast and hustles back, because the team shoots in order — if number one is off chasing a miss, everyone waits for them.
“Back of the net, on the fly — no bounces. Shoot, chase your ball, hurry back — your team's waiting on you.”
- 3
Play
Run each exercise for four minutes or until a team completes it ten times — first the no-bounce goal, then hitting the crossbar. Teams shoot as fast as they like as long as it's the right player with the right ball. Watch the technique and have every shooter aim for a particular area of the goal.
“Fast as you want — right order, right ball. Pick your spot and hit it!”
Look for A picked target — shooters aiming for a particular area of the goal, not just swinging for power.
- 4
Switch and repeat
Award the round to the team with the most completed exercises, then rotate teams to a different cone and angle. Change the service in later rounds — volley out of the hands, half-volley, or juggle twice and volley. The team with the most wins at the end skips the penalty — push-ups, sit-ups, or sprints.
“Rotate — new angle! This round it's volleys out of your hands.”
If the balls never get there in the air, let players take a touch first or move the cones closer — then work back to the full distance.
Go deeper · 3 notes
Why it works
The order rule makes every shot accountable — a miss and a slow jog back cost the whole team, so accuracy and hustle both matter — and the challenges themselves demand real striking quality: the back of the net on the fly, then the crossbar.
What they learn
Long-range passing and shooting, accuracy, finishing, and proper shooting technique — with leg strength and fitness built in.
What's next
Shooters and Shaggers — the same no-bounce finishing, now a pair competition through an arc of five cones.
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.