Soccer Crossing Drills | Crossing & Finishing Drills for Soccer | Soccer crossing & finishing drills

Crossing drills are important to incorporate into your soccer training. Not only do they help build confidence in front of a goal, but they also get teams in scoring opportunities and allow them to score more goals. The more players practice crossing drills in game-like situations, the better they will get at the crossing during an actual game. However, there are so many crossing drills out there that it can be difficult to know where to begin. There are also multiple types of crossing that good players should be familiar with. If you’re feeling a bit lost, Playform is here to help! We’ve gathered the best individual and team crossing drills from around the internet which will improve your confidence in crossing. 

Index

• How can I improve my crossing in soccer?
• How do you practice crossing in football?
• How do you practice crossing?
• What is team crossing in soccer?

Purpose of Soccer Crossing and Finishing Drills

• Gets teams in scoring opportunities.
• Builds confidence in front of the goal.
• Allows teams to score more goals.

Soccer Crossing and Finishing Drills Requires

• Game-like situations
• Multiple players to establish the build-up.
• Proper pressure.
• Mental attitude of attackers.

10 Soccer Drills For Crossing And Finishing You Need Know

Crossing and finishing 

This crossing drill is best used as part of a warm-up. It supports the development of a range of important skills such as decision-making, timing, teamwork, and communication. Start by dividing your team into three equal teams, the Whites, Blues, and Reds. The Blue team must keep the ball away from the Whites and they can use the Reds as support. However, if the Whites manage to take control of the ball, possession is then swapped. The focus of the drill is to use a quick combination in the middle in order to move the ball to the outside. Play should last for 6 minutes with each time taking turns as the neutral team. Including a minute of rest between each game, the drill should be 20 minutes in total.

Create better crossers 

Just like the name suggests, this soccer practice drill is all about helping players to become better crossers. The drill is set up on a pitch of 40×40 yards with 10×10 yard boxes in two opposite corners. It requires 11 players in total and you’ll also need balls, bibs, and cones. There will be one player in each of the boxes who will be the crossers. The main area of the pitch will have the remainder of the team playing 6V3. The 6 players must make three passes before passing to one of the players in one of the boxes. The crosser must then pass to the other crosser with two touches to score a point. If this drill wasn’t enough to improve your crossing skills, don’t worry. The Playform app has many drills specifically targeted towards improving your crossing skills.

Team Crossing and Finishing 

If you’re looking for a soccer practice drill that combines teamwork and crossing skills, this is the perfect one. It begins with the crossing player with possession of the ball on the half-way line. They then come forward and play one-twos with the players in the cones while continuing their run down the wing. After they have received the second pass, the crosser will cross into the box. In the box, two attackers attempt to beat the two defenders and the goalkeeper in order to score.

1-2 and Cross 

Sometimes simple drills are the best ones and this drill is an example of that. It begins with Player one with the ball in the middle of the field. They play a 1-2 pass to player 2 and then pass out wide to player 3. Next, both players 1 and 2 run towards the penalty area and prepare to receive across. Meanwhile, one of the defenders will go out wide and put pressure on the crosser. Player 3’s job is to cross the ball into the box whilst players 1 and 2 attempts to reach it before the defender and score. The key to this drill is that players have to maintain good quality passing and defenders should maintain pressure on attackers at all times. If you need to brush up on your passing skills before attempting this drill, check out the range of individual practice drills available on the Platform app. By incorporating Playform’s drills into your training, you’ll be able to improve your passing accuracy in no time.  

2 player crossing drill

This drill begins with players on the wing running with the ball down the side of the pitch before crossing for an attacker. Attackers will begin further back than the wingers and in line with the corner of the penalty area. At the coach’s signal, the attacker must sprint to reach the area and get on the other end of the cross. Good crossing technique is the key to this drill and the coach should encourage players to communicate with each other. For example, the attacker should shout where they want the ball crossed in to. After all, good communication is a key part of any soccer game. 

Coaching points for soccer crossing drills 

Crossing drills are most effective when they are used in conjunction with these coaching points in mind. One of the most important points is to keep your head up before crossing. This will allow you to see the attacking options you have and what will give you the best chance of scoring a goal. Next is to use a skill to create space for yourself to allow you to deliver the cross. This will allow you to dodge the defenders who will try to prevent you from crossing the ball. The last coaching point we want to mention is to touch the ball with your feet before you cross. This will allow you to maintain your balance and generate the necessary power to deliver the cross. Doing this also enables you to make an earlier cross which is more likely to catch defenders off guard. 

Conclusion 

Once you’ve tried all these soccer drills, download the Playform app for even more individual soccer drills to incorporate into your training program. Whether you’re looking to brush up on your crossing, heading, dribbling or shooting skills, Platform has a soccer drill that will help you get better at your chosen skill. Platform also makes training fun, allowing you to challenge your friends for the top spot on the leaderboard. With Platform, reaching your fullest potential as a soccer player is only a few clicks away.