How to score more goals

To enhance your team's chances of hitting the back of the net, get them to have more shots and be more accurate.

The game’s all about scoring goals, so if you encourage your players to take more shots and aim the ball at the areas goalkeepers find most difficult to reach, your chances of success will improve. Some experts believe the best and quickest way of getting your team to take more shots – and therefore score more often – is to adjust their ATTITUDE to shot taking…

Attitude problem

Many young players won’t shoot when in a goalscoring position.

Why? There are two reasons:

They are frightened of missing

To overcome the fear factor…

* Praise players for taking on a shot – this will boost their confidence and make them more likely to try a shot next time they get a chance.
* Prevent team mates from moaning when someone misses – this will help confidence and improve team spirit.
* Tell players it’s better to shoot and miss than not to shoot at all.

REMEMBER: IF YOU DON’T SHOOT, YOU DON’T SCORE!

They lack confidence in their technique

There is only one way to improve technique and that’s to practice! Fortunately, the techniques used in shooting are the same as those used in passing, so as a player’s ability to move the ball progresses – through use of the sidefoot, instep (laces) and even outside of the foot to swerve the ball – so will their shooting.

Shooting specifics to look for include:

* Observing the keeper’s position – have they left a gap the attacker can exploit?
* Selecting the best technique – sidefoot for greater accuracy, or instep (laces) and good “follow through” for power?
* Non-kicking foot alongside the ball
* Head down, eyes on the ball when striking
* Body over the ball
* Contact with the middle to top half of the ball
* Composure

The keeper won’t like it

“Hitting the target” is obviously the most important aspect of shooting, but your team’s chances of scoring more goals will improve if they…

* Shoot wide rather than high – there’s more chance of getting a deflection that will wrong-foot the goalkeeper.
* Shoot low – it’s harder for a keeper to reach shots along the ground because it’s further for them to travel to get down.
* Shoot across the keeper – it’s tougher for them to hold these shots, and means they could divert the ball back into the path of another attacker.

Shooting sessions

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Keep it realistic – use appropriate portable goals (or corner flags the correct width apart) and introduce defenders.
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Vary the service – players should strike balls coming towards, away and across them, plus volleys (bouncing balls), first time etc.
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Make sure you have plenty of balls and rotate ballboys!