Counter Free Kick Zone Practice

Objective

• -Practise deliveries and strikes from set positions
• -Decide between shooting and delivering
• -Rehearse the routine with a wall in place

Setup

1. 1Three marked free kick zones around the edge of the area with a pole wall in a 38 x 34 yards area.
2. 2Place two mini goals on the halfway line for the counter-attacking side to aim at.
3. 3Balls at each zone, poles for the wall, keeper in goal.

How to play

1. 1Take three kicks from each zone in turn.
2. 2Central zones are struck at goal, wide zones are delivered.
3. 3Runners attack every delivery.
4. 4The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
5. 5Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.

Progressions

• +Counter must be finished inside five seconds
• +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful

Regressions

• -Award the counter goal for simply carrying over halfway
• -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

• -Swap the counter goals for a dribble-through gate
• -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

• -Blasting every free kick
• -No runners on the delivery
• -Dribbling into traffic when the counter is on