Receiving
Finishing Back-to-Goal Receiving
Hold the ball up with a defender behind
Receiving
Attacking
First Touch
Finishing Back-to-Goal Receiving is a 18-minute receiving drill for 4-14 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 libraryReceiving
Attacking
First Touch
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Finishing
Duration
18 min
Players
4-14
Pitch size
34 x 26 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Finishing Back-to-Goal Receiving — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · 34 x 26 yards
Step 1 of 5Midfielder passes into the striker who has a defender behind them.
- 1. Midfielder passes into the striker who has a defender behind them.
- 2. Striker either sets the ball back or spins in behind.
- 3. The move finishes with a strike on goal.
- 4. Every sequence starts with a pass out and ends with a strike on goal.
- 5. Goals score one, first-time finishes score two, and rebounds must be followed in.
- 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
- -Hold the ball up with a defender behind
- -Decide between setting, spinning or turning
- -Link the striker to runners from midfield
Setup
- 1A central receiving zone in front of a goal in a 34 x 26 yards area.
- 2Set a goal at the end of the area with a keeper or a target zone if no keeper is available.
- 3Balls at the midfield start cone, bibs for defenders.
Coaching instructions
- 1Midfielder passes into the striker who has a defender behind them.
- 2Striker either sets the ball back or spins in behind.
- 3The move finishes with a strike on goal.
- 4Every sequence starts with a pass out and ends with a strike on goal.
- 5Goals score one, first-time finishes score two, and rebounds must be followed in.
Coaching points
- -Feel the defender before the ball arrives
- -Strong base, arm out to hold the space
- -Set with a firm, accurate ball
- -Head up before the strike — pick the side, then commit
Common mistakes
- -Standing still waiting for the pass
- -Taking a touch straight into the defender
- -Rushing the shot and leaning back over the ball
Where this drill fits
- More football receiving drills
- More football attacking drills
- More football first touch drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme