Football Shooting Drills For Kids
If you’re looking for football shooting drills for beginners or drills to improve shooting in football for kids, you’re in the right place!
Football is a wonderful sport that can help children develop physically, mentally, and emotionally. One of the most exciting parts of the game for any player, and especially for kids, is scoring goals.
Here are some dynamic shooting drills for football that will enhance your child's scoring potential. Let’s get into some of the best shooting drills in football for young players.
The Cone Weave and Shoot Drill
The child starts at the beginning of the line and dribbles the ball through the cones, focusing on maintaining control. At the end of the cones, the child takes a shot at the goal. This drill works on dribbling skills and precision shooting.
Step 1: Shooting Drill Setup
Choose a flat and open space for this shooting drill.
Set up a line of cones about 2-3 metres apart. The line should be about 20 metres long, but you can adjust this based on the child's age and skill level.
Place a goal or a target at the end of the line of cones.
Step 2: Dribbling
The child starts at the beginning of the line of cones with a football at their feet.
The child should then dribble the ball through the cones, weaving in and out without knocking any cones over.
The aim is to maintain close control of the ball while moving as quickly as possible.
Step 3: Shooting
Once the child reaches the end of the cones, they should continue to control the ball towards the goal.
When they're in a shooting range, they should then take a shot at the goal.
If there's no actual goal, designate a target for the child to aim at.
Step 4: Repeat
After the shot, whether it's a goal or not, the child retrieves their ball and returns to the start of the line to repeat the drill.
Encourage the child to try and beat their own time through the cones, and to improve their shooting accuracy with each round.
The Pass and Shoot Drills
Have one player stand at each cone and a third player as the goalie. The first player passes the ball to the second, who controls the ball and shoots. These Shooting drills for football reinforce passing, ball control, and shooting under pressure.
Step 1: Shooting Drill Setup
Start by setting up two cones about 10 metres apart. These will be the positions for the two players involved in the drill.
Position a goal or target another 10 metres away from the second cone. Adjust the distance based on the skill level and age of the children.
You will need at least one ball for this shooting drill, and a goalkeeper in the goal if possible.
Step 2: Passing
The first player (Player A) starts with the ball at the first cone.
Player A passes the ball to the second player (Player B) who is standing at the second cone.
It's crucial for Player A to make an accurate pass and for Player B to control the ball well for the shooting drill to proceed smoothly.
Step 3: Controlling and Shooting
After receiving the pass, Player B should control the ball and prepare for the shot.
Player B then takes a shot at the goal.
The aim is to make a swift yet controlled transition from receiving the pass to taking the shot.
Step 4: Repeat
After Player B takes the shot, he retrieves the ball and returns to Player A's position.
Player A moves to Player B's position.
The shooting drill then repeats with roles switched: Player B passes the ball to Player A, who controls it and takes a shot.
This rotation keeps the drill dynamic and allows both players to practice both passing and shooting.
Step 5: Progression
As the children become more comfortable with the drill, you can add a defender to increase the pressure on the player shooting.
You can also increase the speed of the shooting drill to simulate match conditions more closely.
The Shooting Relay Race
The Shooting Relay Race is a fun and competitive shooting drill that not only improves a player's shooting skills but also their dribbling, speed, and teamwork. By adding the element of a race, children can also learn about handling pressure and strategizing under competitive circumstances.
Step 1: Shooting Drill Setup
Choose a flat, open space for this drill.
Create two identical lines of cones about 20 metres long.
Place two goals or targets at the end of each line of cones.
Divide the kids into two teams, with an equal number of players on each team.
Step 2: Starting the Race
The first player from each team starts at the beginning of their team's line of cones with a football.
On your signal, these two players begin to dribble the ball through their respective line of cones.
Step 3: Shooting
Once they reach the end of the cones, they should continue to control the ball towards the goal.
When they're in a shooting range, they should then take a shot at the goal.
If there's no actual goal, designate a target for them to aim at.
Step 4: Tagging the Next Player
After taking the shot, each player must retrieve their ball and sprint back to the start of the line.
They then tag the next player in line, who starts the shooting drill for the second round.
Step 5: Repeat
This process repeats until all players from each team have completed the course and taken a shot at the goal.
The team that finishes first is declared the winner.
Step 6: Review
After each relay, discuss with the kids how they can improve their speed, ball control, and shooting.
Encourage them to cheer for their teammates and maintain a positive attitude throughout the shooting drill.
The Knockdown Challenge
The Knockdown Challenge is a fun and interactive way to improve shooting accuracy and power.
It also adds an element of competition which can motivate the kids to put in more effort and concentrate on their technique. Remember to offer encouragement and pointers to help the children improve their shooting skills.
Step 1: Shooting Drill Setup
Choose a flat and open space for this drill.
Set up several cones or light plastic bowling pins in front of the goal. If you don't have a goal, you can set up a designated shooting area instead.
The cones or pins should be spread out, offering different targets for the player.
Step 2: Preparing for the Drill
The player starts with a ball at a suitable distance from the cones or pins, depending on their skill level.
Step 3: Shooting
The player shoots the ball towards the cones or pins, attempting to knock them over.
The aim is to knock down as many cones or pins as possible with each shot.
Step 4: Resetting and Repeating
After each shot, the player retrieves the ball, the cones or pins are reset, and the shooting drill starts again.
The player should aim to improve their accuracy and power with each subsequent attempt.
Step 5: Making It Competitive
If you have more than one child participating, you can turn the drill into a competition.
Each child takes turns to shoot, and the one who knocks down the most cones or pins wins.
The Rapid Fire Drill
The Rapid Fire Drill is an excellent way to improve a player's shooting skills under quick succession and under pressure. It also helps to enhance their ball control and decision-making abilities. Feedback is important during this drill, so ensure to highlight what they're doing well and areas where they can improve.
Step 1: Shooting Drill Setup
You'll need a good number of footballs for this drill, at least five or more depending on the player's stamina and age.
The coach or parent stands near the goal with the collection of balls.
The player stands ready near the penalty area or an appropriate distance from the goal based on their skill level.
Step 2: Rapid Shooting
The coach rolls or passes a ball to the player, who then quickly shoots at the goal.
Immediately after the player shoots, the coach passes another ball to the player.
The player then quickly shoots this ball as well, aiming for speed and accuracy.
Step 3: Continuation and Pace
Continue this process until all the balls have been shot at the goal.
The idea is to keep a rapid pace to challenge the player's ability to quickly control and shoot the ball.
Make sure the pace is suitable for the player's age and skill level.
Step 4: Collection and Repeat
After all the balls have been shot, the player and the coach collect the balls and return to their starting positions.
The shooting drill is then repeated.
The aim is to get the player to shoot accurately and quickly, even when under pressure.
Step 5: Progression
To increase the difficulty level, the coach can vary the pace, direction, and type of pass to the player.
You can also introduce a goalkeeper to the drill to make it more challenging.
The Goalkeeper Challenge
The Goalkeeper Challenge is a great shooting drill for kids to practice shooting in a fun, challenging, and competitive environment. It simulates real match scenarios, making the drill even more effective. Remember, always provide constructive feedback, and encourage the player to experiment with different shooting techniques.
Step 1: Shooting Drill Setup
Choose a flat, open space for this kids shooting drill.
Set up a standard goal, complete with a goalkeeper. If a standard goal is too large based on the child's age and skill level, you can adjust the size.
Line up several balls about 10-20 metres from the goal. Adjust the distance according to the skill level of the child.
Step 2: The Challenge
The player (or striker) starts with the ball at their feet.
They then take a shot at the goal, trying to score past the goalkeeper.
The aim is to shoot with power and accuracy to beat the goalkeeper.
Step 3: Rapid Repetition
Immediately after taking the shot, the player moves to the next ball and prepares to shoot again.
This process continues until the player has shot all the balls.
Step 4: Scoring
Keep a count of how many goals the player scores out of the total attempts.
This will give the player a target to beat in the next round or in the next training session.
Step 5: Repeat
Once all the balls have been shot, they should be collected and lined up again for another round.
The player should aim to improve their accuracy and scoring ratio with each round.
Step 6: Progression
To increase the difficulty level, introduce variables such as varying the shooting distance or changing the position of the balls to mimic different match scenarios.
