Combination Shooting with Dummy Run

Attackers Defenders Neutral Goalkeeper Pass Run Dribble Shot

This combination shooting soccer drill for U12 to U16 players is built around one of the game's slyest moves: the dummy. Two teammates check toward the ball together, the front player steps over it and lets it run through their legs, then spins around a stick to meet a first-time lay-off and finish. Everything happens inside and around the 18, so players learn to combine and strike in the exact space where matches are won.

Find similar exercises in our shooting drills collection or filter by age with drills for U14 teams.

Setup

• Split the team into four even groups.
• Two groups form lines on the endline, roughly 5 yards outside each goalpost.
• The other two groups form lines about 30 yards from goal, mirroring the endline lines.
• Plant a training stick on each side of the 18-yard box, level with the width of the goal.
• All the balls start with the two lines 30 yards out.

How It Works

1. On one side, two players from the endline line check out toward the player with the ball, staying 5 to 7 yards apart from each other.
2. The top player passes firmly into the front checking player.
3. The front checker dummies the ball, stepping over it and letting it run through their legs to the back checker.
4. The front checker immediately sprints around the stick, looking for the return.
5. The back checker plays a first-time ball into the middle, between the sticks.
6. The front checker arrives and shoots first time on goal.
7. Rotate: shooter joins the top line, back checker becomes front checker, and the passer joins the endline group.
8. Alternate reps between the left and right sides of the goal.

Coaching Points

• This drill lives or dies on finishing; demand that shots end up in the net, not the fence.
• Checking runs need focus: correct spacing, correct timing, eyes on the ball.
• Keep passes and shots to one touch to preserve the speed of the pattern.
• Coach clean striking technique and insist every effort is on target.

Variations

• Add a goalkeeper so finishes must beat a real opponent.
• Swap sides regularly so players finish off both feet.
• Add a passive defender chasing the shooter around the stick to force a faster release.