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Week 7: shooting

Rec practice for Wednesday, October 21. Focus is shooting: fun games for hard shots, and skill drills that add a shot to the end.

  • U7
  • U8
1

Fun games for hard shots

These are ideas. Feel free to change games and drills you've already done to add shots or hard passes.

Pick a side

  • A team at each end
  • 3 zones

Side 1: Hard shots: knock the cones

  1. Set up 3 zones with a team at each end.
  2. In the center zone, set up cones for players to shoot at and try to hit.
  3. Play for 1 minute. Most cones wins.

Coaches help reset cones and make sure the ball gets through the zone to the other side.

Side 2: Hard shots: kick it out

  1. Same field as knock the cones, but remove the cones.
  2. Dribble a ball to the line and try to kick it all the way out the other side.
  3. The team on the other side tries to stop the balls from going out.
  4. Kick it out of the other team's zone and you get a point.
  5. Play for a set time. Most points wins.

Make sure the field isn't too long.

2

Dribble or pass to shoot

Skill drills that use the passing and dribbling they've learned, with a shot added at the end.

Pick a drill

  • Pugg goals
  • Shooting lines
123

Field 1: Dribble or pass to shoot: field 1

  1. Two-way play, or have the same pattern each way.
  2. A player dribbles through the cones and shoots before crossing the line.
  3. They get their shot and go to the line next to that pugg.
  4. The line coming back passes to a player, who turns and shoots before crossing the line.
  5. Again, they get their shot and go to the back of the line next to that pugg.
1

Field 2: turn: Dribble or pass to shoot: field 2, turn

  1. Dribble past the line.
  2. Turn and shoot before crossing the line.
122

Field 2: pass: Dribble or pass to shoot: field 2, pass

  1. Pass to a partner.
  2. Run around another cone.
  3. Receive a pass back from your partner and shoot.
  4. The shooter goes to the back of line 2. The passer gets the ball and goes to the back of line 1.
3

Game at the end

Especially for U7/U8: put a line 5 yards out, and make sure all shots are from behind the line. You can let them play past the line, but then they have to pass backward for a shot — not a bad skill to learn.

Adapted from the rec director's Week 7 plan.