Attack vs. Defense Shooting and Defending Drill

Attackers Defenders Neutral Goalkeeper Pass Run Dribble Shot

This attack vs. defense soccer shooting drill for U9–U14 is a kid favorite because nobody ever stops moving. Each player dribbles at goal, shoots, and then immediately turns into the defender against the next attacker coming the other way. Run at pace, it delivers finishing reps, 1v1 defending, and transition training all at once.

Find similar exercises in our shooting drills collection or filter by age with drills for U12 teams.

Setup

• Mark a zone about the width of the penalty box, starting 25–30 yards from goal.
• Place a cone at each of the two far corners of the zone - these are the starting points.
• Put a goalkeeper in the goal.
• Split the remaining players into two groups (e.g. red and yellow), one line behind each cone, every player with a ball.

How It Works

1. On the coach's signal, the first red player dribbles at speed toward the edge of the box and shoots early.
2. The moment the red player shoots, the first yellow player attacks - and the red shooter sprints across to defend them.
3. After the yellow player's attempt, they defend the next red attacker in turn.
4. The attack–then-defend rotation repeats through both lines for the whole drill.

Coaching Points

• Dribble with real speed - this simulates a forward running at a retreating defense.
• Get the shot off quickly and on target, even with a defender closing.
• No turning back or slowing down: in a game, hesitation lets the defense recover.
• Sharp transition - the second your shot is gone, you are a defender.

Variations

• Rotate two goalkeepers, swapping every five attacks.
• Add a passing gate the attacker must dribble through before shooting.
• Keep team score: goals count one point, and the first team to ten wins.