Finishing
Overload Cutback Finish
Finish from cutbacks along the ground
Finishing
Crossing
Attacking
Premium
Overload Cutback Finish is a 18-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
Overload
Duration
18 min
Players
5-18
Pitch size
39 x 32 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Overload Cutback Finish — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · 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 spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
- 5. A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.
- Cones mark the area
- Full goal
- GK = goalkeeper
- C = coach serving, S = second server
- Ball
- Cones mark the keeper's starting positions
- Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
- Keeper distributes back to the server
- 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.
- 2Split the group so the attacking side always has one spare player, and park the spare bibs on the halfway cone.
- 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 spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
- 5A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.
Coaching points
- -Cut back behind the defensive line
- -Runner delays then arrives
- -Side-foot the finish, don't blast it
- -Find the free player quickly before the defence shuffles across
Common mistakes
- -Runners arriving before the cross
- -Cutbacks aimed at the keeper
- -Spare player standing still instead of offering an angle
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