Dribble and shoot soccer drill
Dribble and shoot is a drill in which a player dribbles through a cone gate and shoots at a small goal before reaching a shooting line. It trains striking a moving ball with the laces and looking at the goal before the shot.
Soccer is called football in most of the world. This guide is part of Futbol Island’s free football lessons for kids aged 7 to 12.
Dribble and shoot: setup diagram
At a glance
| Detail | For this drill |
|---|---|
| Ages | U6 to U10 (ages 5 to 10) |
| Players | 4 to 12, in two or more lanes |
| Space | 20 x 20 yd (18 x 18 m) |
| Equipment | One ball per player; a small goal or two cones per lane; cones for gates |
| Time | 8 to 10 minutes |
| Skill | Shooting and finishing |
Change the size of the area to fit your group: bigger makes it easier for the player with the ball, smaller makes it harder. Everyone who goes out comes straight back in, and nobody runs laps.
How to run it
- Build two lanes, or more: a start cone, a gate 10 yards out and a small goal 8 to 10 yards beyond the gate. No goalkeeper for U6 and U8.
- The player dribbles through the gate and shoots before the next line of cones.
- The shooter fetches their own ball and jogs back down the outside. The next player goes as soon as the shot is taken.
- After a few turns, shoot with the other foot.
- Make it a team game: which lane scores ten goals first? Then add a rule that a goal counts double if the shooter looked up before shooting.
Coaching points to say out loud
- “Look at the goal, then at the ball.”
- “Toe down, laces through the middle.”
- “Standing foot beside the ball.”
- “Low and in the corner.”
Make it easier or harder
Easier
Shoot a still ball first, then a ball rolled gently forward by the player’s own touch.
Harder
From U10, add a goalkeeper in a bigger goal. Or a defender starts five yards behind the shooter and chases, so the shot has to come early.
Common mistakes
- One line of twelve children and one goal. Two or three lanes triple the number of shots.
- Leaning back and scooping the ball over the goal. Head and chest stay over the ball.
- A big last touch that runs away. The touch before the shot goes a step ahead, slightly to the side of the kicking foot.
Why it matters in a game
Most shots in a game come while a player is moving with the ball and a defender is chasing. The step after the shot matters too, and our lesson on reacting to a shot teaches it: follow in, because the ball may come back.
The lesson that teaches it: Watch What Happens After the Shot.
Do it at home
A goal can be two trees, two shoes or a chalk square on a wall. Ten shots with each foot, moving the ball first every time.
Questions about Dribble and shoot
How do I teach a young child to shoot?
Laces, not toes: point the toe down, lock the ankle, put the standing foot beside the ball and kick through its middle. Then practice with a ball that is rolling.
Do U6 and U8 players need a goalkeeper for shooting?
No. Games at these ages are played without goalkeepers, so shoot at small goals. A coach standing in goal and moving slowly is fine for fun.
How far out should kids shoot from?
About 6 to 8 yards at U6 and U8, and 10 to 12 yards at U10. The ball should reach the goal with pace along the ground.
Lessons that teach this idea
- Watch What Happens After the Shot (7v7 lesson)A wide midfielder reads a loose rebound or a goalkeeper’s controlled ball before deciding whether to approach or recover.
- Carry or Pass? (7v7 lesson)Watch which route the defender leaves open.
- Arrive at the Far Post (Futsal lesson)Time support across goal, and keep another option when that route is covered.
Related drills and guides
- World Cup shooting game (drill)It trains finishing in a crowd, quick shots and reacting to rebounds.
- Lay-off and shoot (drill)It trains striking a ball that is rolling across or toward the shooter, and the set-up pass that makes a shot easy.
- Follow the shot (drill)It trains the habit of following in after every shot, so the attacker reaches the loose ball first.
- Clean Your Room (drill)It trains striking a ball with the laces or the inside of the foot, and running to the next ball.
- Striker in soccerThe player who finishes chances
- Winger in soccerThe wide attacker who takes players on
- Soccer field size by ageField, goal and game length for each age group
- U6 soccer drills: fun games for 5 and 6 year oldsNine games for 5 and 6 year olds, a ball each, with what to avoid
- U8 soccer drills for 7 and 8 year oldsTen drills for 7 and 8 year olds: dribbling, 1v1, first passing and 3v3
- U10 soccer drills for 9 and 10 year oldsTen drills for 9 and 10 year olds: rondos, first touch, 2v1 and first goalkeeping
- Soccer shooting drills for kidsShooting and finishing drills without long lines, for U6 to U12
- U6 soccer practice plan: kicking and shootingA 45-minute plan that uses this drill
- All shooting and finishing drillsStriking at goal, and what to do after the shot.
Futbol Island is a free football (soccer) learning game for kids aged 7 to 12. Every idea on this page is taught on a pitch with moving players, then checked with a quick quiz.