Football Crossing Drills

1. Unopposed crossing technique

Contact, shape and delivery

Set up

Two wide stations 30 yards from goal with a ball supply. Players take one touch out of their feet and cross into a target zone six yards from goal.

Coaching points

Plant the standing foot beside the ball, open the hips and strike across the bottom half for lift. Cross away from the keeper, into the space between keeper and defenders.

Make it harder

Add a defender's cone to cross around, or move the delivery point wider so the angle is harder.

2. Cutback crossing

Low pull-backs from the byline

Set up

Wide players drive to the byline and pull the ball back to the penalty spot, where two runners arrive from deep to finish first time.

Coaching points

Get level with the goal before pulling it back, and pass firmly along the ground. Runners arrive late and stay onside.

Make it harder

Add a recovering defender at the penalty spot so the cutback has to be earlier and firmer.

3. Near post, far post runs

Timing runs into the box

Set up

One crosser and three attackers who split the box: near post, penalty spot, far post. Rotate roles every three crosses.

Coaching points

Attack the ball, don't wait for it. Near-post runner goes first to drag the defence, far post arrives from outside the box.

Make it harder

Add two defenders so runs must be disguised and the crosser has to pick a zone.

4. Overlap and cross

Creating the crossing position

Set up

A wide 2v1 into a 25-yard channel. The winger drives inside and releases the overlapping full-back to cross first time.

Coaching points

Overlap on the carrier's first touch. The cross is often better first time — a second touch lets the defender block.

Make it harder

Make it 2v2 in the channel so the pair must decide between the overlap, the underlap and crossing early.

5. Two-wing crossing game

High volume crossing and finishing

Set up

Crossing stations on both wings alternate deliveries into a 2v2 finishing box. A new cross comes in every eight seconds.

Coaching points

Attackers reset between crosses instead of ball-watching. Defenders clear away from goal, keepers call early.

Make it harder

Vary the cross type on your call — whipped, cutback, floated to the far post — so decisions change each time.

6. Whipped cross to attack

Driven crosses into the danger zone

Set up

Crossers deliver from just outside the box, aiming to whip the ball between the six-yard line and penalty spot for a runner arriving at pace.

Coaching points

Strike with the inside of the foot across the ball, keeping it below head height. The runner meets it — a whipped cross needs contact, not a header from a standing start.

Make it harder

Add a keeper who can come and claim, so the crosser must keep the ball out of reach.

7. Switch then cross

Crossing after moving the ball across

Set up

Teams must move the ball from one wide zone to the other before a cross is allowed. Only crosses count for goals.

Coaching points

Switch first time when the far side is free, and the far winger should already be high and wide. Cross before the defence slides across.

Make it harder

Add a time limit of six seconds from the switch to the cross to force quicker decisions.

8. Crossing game to goal

Crossing in a full game context

Set up

7v7 with wide channels either side. A goal from a cross counts double, and only attackers in the channel may deliver.

Coaching points

Get width early and cross with a target in mind. Reward the runs into the box as much as the delivery.

Make it harder

Make channel players free from tackles so delivery quality is the focus, then remove that protection.

What are the best football crossing drills?

Start unopposed to fix the technique, then add runners, then defenders. The eight crossing drills below follow that order — technique, cutbacks, timed runs, overlaps, and finally full crossing games where goals from crosses count double.

How do I coach better crossing technique?

Three details cover most problems: get the touch out of the feet before crossing, plant the standing foot beside the ball, and aim away from the keeper into the space between keeper and defenders. Cutbacks along the ground score more goals at grassroots level than high crosses.

What age should you coach crossing?

From U11-U12, once pitches are wide enough and players can strike the ball far enough for a cross to be realistic. Younger age groups get more from cutbacks and 1v1s in wide areas.

How many players do I need for crossing practice?

Six is enough for a two-station crossing drill with runners. With ten or more you can run crosses from both wings into a 2v2 box, which keeps everybody active and adds real pressure.