A worked practice for your team
Square a ground pass to a clear finisher
Compare the carrier’s screened shot with a teammate’s open route, then choose a controlled square pass or a direct ground finish.
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Check the problem
The carrier shoots into a blocked route while a teammate is free beside them, or passes automatically when their own target is open. Make the two shooting lines visible and let the actual picture decide.
Set up the space and roles
Use a 14 × 16 m rectangle with a 2 m outer buffer, giving an 18 × 20 m clear footprint. Twelve cones mark four corners, a two-cone shooting line 6 m from the far end, two 2 m empty target gates and a two-cone screen 3 m from that end. The screen starts in front of the left target. Carriers 1/2 start level behind the shooting line, opposite the two gates. Server 3 stands behind both; observer 4 stays behind the line at a side. Use one ball and no goalkeepers.
Keep the rotation clear
After every two attempts, move 1 left carrier → right carrier → server → observer → left carrier, with 2/3/4 following the same cycle. Carry the cycle across round pauses in both blocks. A scoring player receives no extra turns, and everyone takes each role after eight attempts.
See the practice in three steps
Schematic views, not to scale. Player numbers match the roles below. Dark arrows show passes, dashed green arrows show movement and solid green arrows show carries. Use the written dimensions when marking your area.
1. Two finishers, one screened target
2. Transfer the shooting opportunity
3. Keep a direct finish when it is open
Your complete 30-minute plan
Briefing, planned role changes, water and reflection are included. Add rest or stop when needed; shorten active play rather than rushing a transition.
00:00–03:00 · 3 min
Check, explain and walk the layout
Show the left carrier’s screened route and the right teammate’s clear target. The left carrier sends a short square ground pass behind the shooting line, then stops; the teammate settles, checks and finishes. Nobody walks through either shot corridor during a live attempt.
03:00–08:00 · 5 min
Prepare the movement
Server 3 delivers to either carrier. They exchange a gentle square pass and return to the server without shooting. Check that the pass stays behind the line and reaches the teammate without a chase. After two deliveries, rotate all roles so every child sees both carrier positions.
08:00–17:00 · 9 min
Focused practice and role changes
Use three rounds of 2 minutes 40 seconds plus 20 seconds of rest. Before each round, the adult places the screen in front of one target while everyone is stopped. Server 3 alternates deliveries to left and right. The receiving carrier may finish through a clear own target or square to the teammate if that improves the route. A checked ground finish through either clear gate earns one shared point. The observer names the available route without calling the answer before the decision.
17:00–19:00 · 2 min
Water and reset
Stop every ball, offer water and rest, and check the same station and its clear buffers. Walk to the next roles while the ball remains still. Extra rest takes priority; shorten the next playing block if needed.
19:00–28:00 · 9 min
Use the choice in a game
Keep the same four roles and three timed rounds. The adult may move the screen to either target or off both corridors between attempts, with the ball still. Score one for a clear finish; there is no passing bonus. If the square pass is loose, the receiver settles it or returns to the server. After a shot, miss or ball out, all four stop; the finisher retrieves only once the ball stops and the adult signals clear, then walks back outside the corridors.
28:00–30:00 · 2 min
Reflect and choose the next step
Ask why the square pass improved that attempt, and when a direct finish was already available. Repeat if players pass solely to satisfy an imagined rule.
Watch for a useful change
- Carrier compares both target routes before choosing.
- Square pass stays behind the line and within the teammate’s reach.
- Finisher waits for the passer to stop outside the shot corridor.
Make it easier
Keep the screen on the same side and begin with a still ball. Walk through the square pass before adding the finish.
When ready
Vary which carrier receives first and move the screen only between attempts. Keep unlimited touches and an empty target area.
Ask why the square pass improved that attempt, and when a direct finish was already available. Repeat if players pass solely to satisfy an imagined rule.
If conditions change
Stop active play when the surface, weather or available clear space is unsuitable. Use an indoor area only if it can hold the full written footprint and buffers. Otherwise keep the ball still, walk through the roles without pressure, and reschedule the live game. Extra rest takes priority over finishing the timetable.
Need a different group size or duration?
The worked example above uses the stated numbers. The related complete session has its own checked customizer, maps and rotations.
Open Finish Under TimeCoaching principles and further reading
The last pass can be chosen to help a teammate receive in a useful scoring position.
Sources reviewed for this practice on 25 October 2026. Session Pitch created this worked example, timing, role instructions and diagrams; it is not a reproduction of the linked sessions. No FA or FIFA endorsement is implied. Live coaching effectiveness has not been evaluated.