What To Do With Three Players

Strikers and goalkeepers work well together in threes. Quick shooting keeps your goalkeeper on his toes and tunes your strikers into the best place to put their shots to beat the opposition keeper, says David Clarke.

Setting this one up is easy

Use a small area with two cones for goal posts. You can vary the width of the goal to test shooters and goalkeeper. You need lots of balls and someone to retrieve the wayward ones!

1. The first player takes a shot at the goalkeeper.

2. The goalkeeper tries to save, immediately gets up and turns around ready for the other player to shoot.

You can do lots of things with 3 players

Make it more difficult for your goalkeeper by making him stand next to a post before each shot.
Reduce or increase the size of the goal.
Add a player to follow shots in and put pressure on keeper.

Key coaching tips

Tell your attackers to shoot often and shoot quickly so that they really make the keeper work hard.Get them to shoot hard and low near the goalkeeper’s body and into the corners to force him to adapt.
Tell your goalkeeper to be on his toes. It is down to you, the coach, to make sure his shot stopping technique is good.