Flighted Balls in the 18

One line serves a flighted ball across the face of the goal, the next brings it down with one good touch and lays it off, and the third buries the shot.

Comfort in the penalty box only comes from practicing there — and this puts chipping, trapping, and shooting all inside the 18.

Ages 9+Three equal lines, plus a goalkeeper20 minCones, pinnies, balls, full-size goal

Set up · 3 actions · before the kids arrive

Grab: Cones, an ample supply of balls, and your full-size goal.
Build: Nothing to build — the penalty box is your grid. The stations are its two corners near the end line and the top of the box near the semi-circle.
Place: Group A at one corner with the ball supply, Group B at the other corner, Group C at the top of the box, and the goalkeeper in the goal.

Show me the setup picture

Three lines around the penalty box — one at each corner near the end line, one at the top by the semi-circle — with the ball supply at Group A and the keeper in the goal.

One thing to remember: Chipping, trapping, and shooting inside the 18 — quality flighted balls, control touches, and comfort finishing in front of the goal.

How it runs — the whole game in one sentence

A serves a flighted ball across the face of the goal to B; B controls it out of the air and passes to C; C shoots — and everyone rotates one line forward.

1Organize the players▾
Coach does
Split the team into three equal lines — Group A at one corner of the box with the balls, Group B at the opposite corner, Group C at the top near the semi-circle. Keeper in the goal.
Coach says
Three lines — A with the balls, B across from them, C at the top. Keeper, you're in.
2Show the jobs▾
Coach does
Walk one sequence — the first player in A serves a flighted ball across the face of the goal to B; the first in B takes it out of the air with a good control touch and passes to C; the first in C takes a shot on goal.
Coach says
A — flight it across the goal. B — bring it down with one good touch, then feed C. C — finish it.
3Play▾
Coach does
Keep the sequence rolling and hold the quality bar on all three jobs — the flighted serve, the control touch, and the shot. This is where the box stops feeling scary, so keep the focus on finishing the ball.
Coach says
Quality serve, quality touch, quality shot — finish it strong!
Look for: The control touch — the ball taken out of the air and put down where the next pass is easy.
4Switch and repeat▾
Coach does
Rotate players A to B, B to C, C to A, so everyone serves, controls, and shoots. When the sequence is clean, restrict the touches — one-touch.
Coach says
Rotate — serve, control, shoot, you'll do all three. Clean round? Next one's one-touch!

If it's not working

If the serves never make it across, walk the stations in a few steps while they play — a shorter flight and a closer shot — then spread back out as the quality comes.

Want to go deeper? Optional — not needed to run the game.

Why are we doing this?

If you need your team to feel comfortable inside the penalty box, you have to practice there — and this sequence puts every touch in the box: a chip across the goal, a trap out of the air, and a shot, with the rotation making sure everyone owns each job.

What are they learning?

Chipping, trapping, and shooting inside the 18 — quality flighted balls, control touches, and comfort finishing in front of the goal.

How can I change it?

Harder: Restrict the number of touches — one-touch.

Next: Small-Sided Finishing Game — the same finishing, now inside a live game with rebounds.