Crossing and finishing exercises can fulfil two key roles during preseason training. Firstly, they have the ability to engage and excite players with the practice of scoring goals from close range. Secondly, they also have the capability of adding tempo and speed to a session, which can help with moving from general fitness levels to match sharpness. It's not just about the speed in the wide areas however. In these exercises below we also place a premium on players getting into the box and positioned for a finish on goal. In this week's MSC Breakdown, we take a look at three crossing and finishing exercises that coaches can incorporate at every level.
Below is a YouTube breakdown detailing three exercises. If you enjoy this content, please subscribe to our MSC YouTube page.
Zinedine Zidane Crossing & Finishing Exercise (Real Madrid)
Players are organized in groups of three in both wide areas
Ball One: 3 player combination for cross and finish into one goal
Ball Two: Immediately after the finish, the second forward sprints to other goal and finishes from pass from a coach
Next side goes immediately and first group recovers
Thomas Tuchel End to End Finishing Pairs
Exercise takes place in a 25x40 yard area
Attacking players are positioned in pairs behind both goals with wide players on each side alongside two coaches and a supply of balls
Exercise starts when ball when one of the wide players passes to the coach and then goes for the return down the line
At the same time, the attacking pair from the same side which the wide player started from, sprint towards the furthest goal
As the wide player shapes up to cross, the attacking pair change their positions to lose their marker and look to score from close range
The opposite side then goes and the exercise continues to flow
6v6+2 Crossing Game
Exercise takes place in a 25x40 yard area
Two 5x10 yard zones are located in each corner
Two wide players on each team are positioned in each corner
Players can move anywhere on the pitch, but corner players are limited to the wide zones
One point for a regular goal
Two points for. a goal from a cross
Minimum of two attacking players must be in the box for the goal to stand from a cross
