Crossing
Early Cross Practice: 1-to-1 Session
Deliver before reaching the byline
Crossing
Attacking
Finishing
Early Cross Practice: 1-to-1 Session is a 14-minute crossing drill for 1-2 players, suitable for Under 10 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 libraryCrossing
Attacking
Finishing
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
1-to-1
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Individual Development
Small Group
Duration
14 min
Players
1-2
Pitch size
Half pitch
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Early Cross Practice: 1-to-1 Session — Marked area · Half pitch
Step 1 of 4Wide player must cross from inside the early zone.
- 1. Wide player must cross from inside the early zone.
- 2. Runners attack the space behind the imaginary back line.
- 3. Six reps each side.
- 4. Run as an individual session: coach serves, one player works through the reps with rest built in.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- C = coach / server
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Deliver before reaching the byline
- -Attack the space behind the defence
- -Recognise when the early ball is on
Setup
- 1Crossing zone marked between halfway and the edge of the box on each flank.
- 2Two runners starting centrally.
- 3Keeper in goal.
Coaching instructions
- 1Wide player must cross from inside the early zone.
- 2Runners attack the space behind the imaginary back line.
- 3Six reps each side.
- 4Run as an individual session: coach serves, one player works through the reps with rest built in.
Coaching points
- -Look up before the delivery to see the runs
- -Bend the ball away from the keeper
- -Runners start behind the ball then sprint beyond
- -Detailed feedback after every rep
- -Quality of contact over volume
Common mistakes
- -Taking an extra touch and losing the moment
- -Runners starting ahead of the ball
- -Flat, driven ball with no shape