Soccer drill to convert crosses to goals

Arriving in the box in the right place at the right time is a particular strength of the world’s top strikers and attacking midfielders. Use the following soccer coaching tips and drills to get your players to turn crosses into goals and add to the potency of your team's attack.

During the soccer drill get your players to work on these skills:

Are your attackers meeting the ball as it arrives, or are they waiting for the cross? Perfect timing will make the defender’s job of marking almost impossible.
Ask the wingers to supply a variety of crosses at different angles, heights and speeds to encourage the attackers to make different runs.

Set up the drill

Good build-up play will allow wingers to exploit width, putting them in a position to get the ball into the box for your forwards to attack. This soccer drill shows your players how to turn these opportunities into goals by getting players on the end of crosses.

Use an area the size of two penalty areas.
One goal either side.
Wingers start at either corner on one side of the area, attackers on the opposite side.

drill to improve timing of attackers to meet crosses

In diagram 1 the first winger carries the ball the length of the playing area and crosses the ball. Attackers set off just after and try to get on the end of the cross and score. The players join the back of the queue and the soccer drill repeats in the opposite direction.

In diagram 2 you can advance the drill from diagram 1 by adding a pair of defenders. This will increase the pressure on the attackers to find a yard of space and on the wingers to improve their crossing accuracy skills.

The coach passes into the two attackers who combine to move the ball wide to the winger.
The attackers must then try to lose the defenders and score from the winger’s cross.
After attacking, you defend and the previous defenders break out to attack the opposite goal.

For more crossing soccer drills, click here .

Soccer coaching tips

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