Back to goal: hold it up
Transcript
With your back to goal, hold it up, then turn. Here's the game. You need a server, a defender, a ball, a small goal and an area twenty metres by fifteen. Watch. Shield it, feel them, turn the other way. First, sit low and wide, with the ball on your far foot. Not this. Standing tall lets them reach the ball. Then, when they lean one way, turn the other. Arms out for balance, never push or pull. Our target is four rounds of four, resting ninety seconds. After any knock to the head, if in doubt, sit them out. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
A back-to-goal 1v1: receive with a defender behind you, shield the ball low and wide on your far foot, then turn the other way when they commit to one side. The FA describes shielding as a barrier between your opponent and the ball.
Set up
- A server in front
- A defender behind you
- A ball
- Small goal, 20 x 15 m
How it works
- Warm up first. Mark an area 20 m wide and 15 m long with 4 cones, with a small goal in the middle of one end (or 2 cones 3 m apart). Use a size 5 ball.
- Stand about 7 m out with your back to the goal. The defender starts 2 to 3 m behind you, goal side. The server stands on the far line with the ball.
- The server passes to your feet and the defender closes you down. Take it on the foot furthest from them, get low and wide, and shield it.
- When they lean round one side, turn the other way and shoot along the ground. If they stay tight and you cannot turn, lay it back to the server.
- Rotate roles (server, attacker, defender) every 4 goes.
Coaching points
- Low and wide, far foot. Sit low with your knees bent and your feet wide, side on to the defender, and keep the ball on the foot furthest from them, so your body stays between them and the ball (FIFA: move it with your furthest foot). Arms out for balance only.
- Turn away from their lean. Feel where they are, with a quick look over your shoulder. When they lean round one side, turn the other way and attack the goal: England Football says play forward as early as you can. If they stay tight, lay it back to the server.
Not this
Standing tall with straight legs. You lose your balance easily, and the defender can reach round you to the ball.
Dose
- 4 rounds of 4 goes
- 90 s rest between rounds
Our target: 4 rounds of 4 goes with 90 s rest between rounds, rotating roles every 4 goes (the Football Reach target, not an FA rule).
Harder / Easier
Harder
The defender may tackle for real, always on their feet and never through your back, so you have to feel them and turn faster.
Easier
The defender only follows you and does not try to win the ball, until the shield and the turn feel natural.
Safety
- If in doubt, sit them out: anyone with a suspected concussion stops straight away, does no training for at least 24 hours and plays no matches for at least 21 days (UK concussion guidelines).
- Arms out for balance only: no pushing, pulling or holding. The Laws of the Game allow shielding only while the ball is within playing distance and the opponent is not held off with the arms or body.
- Defenders stay on their feet: no slide tackles and no tackling through the back of the player. Keep the ball on the ground.
- Peg or weight the goal down so it cannot tip over. Flat grass with space all round, never a road or driveway.
- Under 16: if your knees or heels hurt when you run, stop and tell an adult; a GP or physio can help.
Sources
- England Football Learning - turning session: turning to penetrate (12-16) (opens in a new tab)
- The FA Boot Room - learning to hide the ball (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA Training Centre - strength through shielding (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA Training Centre - centre-forwards linking attacks (opens in a new tab)
- The IFAB - Law 12, shielding the ball (opens in a new tab)
- England Football - UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport (opens in a new tab)
- The FA Boot Room - growth and the physical corner (opens in a new tab)
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
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