Small-Sided Games

Finishing Halfway Line Game

Coach the whole team moving up and down together

Small-Sided Games
Team Shape
Transition

Finishing Halfway Line Game is a 20-minute small-sided games drill for 8-18 players, suitable for Under 9 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, bibs, mini goals. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.

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Small-Sided Games
Team Shape
Transition
Small-Sided Game
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Finishing

Duration

20 min

Players

8-18

Pitch size

40 x 30 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Finishing Halfway Line GameGKCS12340 x 30 yards

Finishing Halfway Line Game — Goalkeeping set-up — serve, save, reset · 40 x 30 yards

Step 1 of 5Goals only count when every attacking player has crossed halfway.

  1. 1. Goals only count when every attacking player has crossed halfway.
  2. 2. Defending teams must have everyone behind the ball to earn a clean-sheet point.
  3. 3. Play four-minute games with short breaks.
  4. 4. Every sequence starts with a pass out and ends with a strike on goal.
  5. 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

  • -Coach the whole team moving up and down together
  • -Keep the shape compact between the lines
  • -Reward organised, connected play

Setup

  1. 1A pitch with a clearly marked halfway line in a 40 x 30 yards area.
  2. 2Set a goal at the end of the area with a keeper or a target zone if no keeper is available.
  3. 3Balls with the coach, two sets of bibs.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Goals only count when every attacking player has crossed halfway.
  2. 2Defending teams must have everyone behind the ball to earn a clean-sheet point.
  3. 3Play four-minute games with short breaks.
  4. 4Every sequence starts with a pass out and ends with a strike on goal.
  5. 5Goals score one, first-time finishes score two, and rebounds must be followed in.

Coaching points

  • -Push up together when the ball goes forward
  • -Recover together when it is lost
  • -Stay compact between the lines
  • -Head up before the strike — pick the side, then commit

Common mistakes

  • -Strikers not tracking back
  • -Defenders staying deep when the team attacks
  • -Rushing the shot and leaning back over the ball

Where this drill fits

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