Finishing
Combination Cutback Finish
Finish from cutbacks along the ground
Finishing
Crossing
Attacking
Combination Cutback Finish is a 16-minute finishing drill for 5-18 players, suitable for Under 9 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, full goals. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryFinishing
Crossing
Attacking
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Combination Play
Duration
16 min
Players
5-18
Pitch size
39 x 32 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Combination Cutback Finish — Crossing and finishing — wide delivery into the box · 39 x 32 yards
Step 1 of 5Wide player drives to the byline and cuts the ball back.
- 1. Wide player drives to the byline and cuts the ball back.
- 2. Two runners attack the near post and penalty spot.
- 3. Alternate sides each rep.
- 4. The first pass must go into the bounce player before the practice opens up.
- 5. A sequence only scores when three different players have touched the ball.
- Cones mark the area
- Full goal
- GK = goalkeeper
- Dashed lines = wide crossing channels
- Ball
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Finish from cutbacks along the ground
- -Time the run to the penalty spot
- -Improve first-time contact from wide service
Setup
- 1Wide starting cones with a marked cutback zone by the byline in a 39 x 32 yards area.
- 2Add a neutral bounce player on each side line inside a marked yard-wide channel.
- 3Balls in both wide areas, keeper in goal.
Coaching instructions
- 1Wide player drives to the byline and cuts the ball back.
- 2Two runners attack the near post and penalty spot.
- 3Alternate sides each rep.
- 4The first pass must go into the bounce player before the practice opens up.
- 5A sequence only scores when three different players have touched the ball.
Coaching points
- -Cut back behind the defensive line
- -Runner delays then arrives
- -Side-foot the finish, don't blast it
- -Third player movement — the pass is set up by the run before it
Common mistakes
- -Runners arriving before the cross
- -Cutbacks aimed at the keeper
- -Two players combining over and over while the third stands still
Where this drill fits
- More football finishing drills
- More football crossing drills
- More football attacking drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme