Week 9 · U8
Finishing & shooting
Objectives — what the players will do
- 1Look at the goal and pick a spot before shooting
- 2Score with a placed inside-of-the-foot finish up close
- 3Strike with the laces for power when there is room
Play 1 — starts when the second player arrives
Shooting Gallery
Set several mini goals at different angles. Everyone with a ball: dribble, choose a goal, shoot, collect, go again. Maximum shots, zero lines — start firing the moment players arrive.
Practice — the one taught activity of the night
Walk-Up Finishing
Players dribble slowly toward a goal, look up, and place the ball with the inside of the foot. Score it out loud: a calm, placed finish = 5 points, a wild blast = 1 point, a miss = 0. Once placing looks calm, let them earn laces-power shots from farther out: lean over the ball, head steady, toe pointed down.
Bigger goals, closer range, and the ball starts still.
Add a passive defender jogging in from the side, or a rolled pass they must finish in two touches.
Play 2 — always finish playing the real game
4v4 — Low Goals Finish
Goals only count below knee height — placement beats power. Every scorer gets a celebration; teach them yours.
Key coaching points — in your own words
- ·Where is the biggest space in the goal right now?
- ·Can you tell me which corner you are aiming for before you shoot?
- ·What happens to the ball when you lean back?
- ·Placed or blasted — which finish did that moment need?
Shrink the goals or add defenders as the finishing gets calm and accurate.
Drop the point system entirely and just bank happy repetitions.
Game-day focus — watch for this on Saturday
Composure near the goal: look up, pick a spot, place it. Celebrate every shot on target, not just goals — and keep the diamond wide so shooters have space to work in.
Message to forward to your parents
This week is FINISHING — composure in front of goal. At home, set up a target (a bin, two cones) and practice aiming rather than blasting. Placement now, power later.
This week's two videos
Prep the night before; copy the activity on the field.
Fun Finishing | Shooting And Finishing Coaching Session | England Football Learning
Watch the night before to understand the idea
The FA's Joe Hopewell runs a full fun-first finishing session — a masterclass in how a grassroots finishing practice should look and sound. Watch how he frames challenges instead of drills; that is our Play-Practice-Play voice. Steal his session shape for your Week 4 Apply night.
Watch on YouTubeSoccerCoachTV - FUN 2 Goal Shooting Game.
A drill you can copy on the field
A two-goal shooting game that keeps a whole U8 group striking with zero standing in line. Watch before Week 1 and lift it straight into your first Play phase — every child shoots within seconds of arriving. Coach one cue only: laces through the middle of the ball.
Watch on YouTube