Underload 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 30 x 26 yards area.
2. 2Add one extra defender to the working area and mark their start position with a flat cone.
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 attacking group starts a player short, so every entry pass has to be sharp.
5. 5Defenders score a point for every clean turnover; attackers need three clean end actions to win the round.

Progressions

• +Add a second extra defender
• +Raise the demand once the group is consistently successful

Regressions

• -Even the numbers up again
• -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

• -Attackers get one 'free pass' per round they can call
• -Run the practice on the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

• -Blasting every free kick
• -No runners on the delivery
• -Trying to beat two players instead of releasing early