Cut the Angle: Goal-Side Position

Set-up

One cone as the goal and four cones in a fan about eight steps in front of it, spread across where an attacker might stand. A ball is placed beside one of the four cones to show where the attacker has it, and the defender starts beside the goal cone.

What you need

• 1 soccer ball
• 5 cones or markers

The ground: 25 × 20 ft (about 8 × 6 m). One child can run it alone in a backyard. The space and equipment check lists every drill that fits the ground you have.

How to run it

1. Set up. One cone as the goal. Four cones in a fan about eight steps in front of it, where an attacker might stand.
2. The ball moves. Put the ball beside one of the four cones. That is where the attacker has it.
3. Find the line. Sprint to the straight line between the ball and the goal cone.
4. Two steps off. Stop about two steps from the ball, close enough to step in, far enough not to be turned.
5. Side-on. Turn side-on so the attacker is shown toward the outside, away from the goal.
6. Ten balls. Move the ball ten times. Count how many times they finish on the line, two steps off, side-on.

Coaching points

• Goal-side first. The line between the ball and the goal is where a defender lives.
• Two steps off the ball. Closer and the attacker turns you; further back and they shoot.
• Side-on, showing the attacker away from goal, so the next touch they take goes where you want it.

What to watch: They finish on the straight line from the ball to the goal, not level with the ball and not miles back. Side-on, with the attacker shown toward the outside.

Common mistakes

• Finishing level with the ball instead of on the goal-side line
• Getting too tight, close enough to be turned
• Staying too far back, which gives the attacker time to shoot
• Facing the attacker square-on so they can go either way
• Watching only the ball and losing track of where the goal is

What good looks like

A good target: 8 of 10 positions on the ball-to-goal line, two steps off, side-on.

Progressions and variations

Making it harder

• Level 1: Walk to each spot and check the line before moving
• Level 2: Sprint to the spot, eight of ten correct
• Level 3: A partner moves the ball to a new cone as soon as you arrive
• Level 4: A partner dribbles slowly between cones while you keep the line
• Level 5: Add a second goal cone and switch which goal you defend
• Level 6: Finish each position with a jockey toward the touchline

Alone, with a sibling, or in a group

• Solo: roll the ball to a cone yourself, sprint to the spot and freeze, ten times.
• Sibling: one moves the ball between cones with their feet while the other keeps finding the goal-side spot.
• Co-op: a slow attacker dribbles round the cones while a defender tracks them, swapping every minute.

Adjusting it by age

• U14: Keep the fan close and the ball still, and walk the first round so the line from ball to goal is understood before it is sprinted to.
• U18: Have a partner dribble between the cones in real time, and ask for the goal-side spot to be held while the defender steers them toward the outside.

For the parent running it

• Put the ball on a different cone each time and check where they end up. They should be on the line between the ball and the goal cone, close enough to step in.

On their own: Roll the ball out to a cone yourself, then sprint to the goal-side spot and freeze. Look back at the goal cone to check the line.

Safety

• Clear ground between the cones, and stop short of the ball rather than sliding in

More on training safely at home: Safety at Home.

Why it matters

None