Equipment Needed
- Several cones
- Balls
- 1 goal with keeper (optional)
Setup
- Place two small cone 'gates' inside the goal — one near each post, leaving the middle third open.
- Set a cone 16 to 18 yards out as the starting point for the approach.
Instructions
- Player dribbles from the starting cone toward the top of the box under control.
- On the coach's call of 'left' or 'right,' the player takes a touch to set up and shoots through the named gate.
- Rotate through the line quickly to keep repetitions high and rest between shots short.
- Track makes through the gates versus shots that miss the target entirely.
Coaching Points
- Plant foot points at the target gate, not at the goalkeeper.
- Strike through the middle of the ball for a low, placed shot rather than lofting it.
- Keep the shooting motion the same regardless of which gate is called — disguise beats power.
- Encourage a calm final touch before the shot rather than rushing the strike.
Variation
Add a passive defender closing down from behind to add time pressure, or add a live goalkeeper and remove the gates once shot placement is consistent.