13 Soccer Attacking Drills To Improve Your Offensive Game

Practicing soccer drills for attacking lets you hone your offensive skills and develop those instinctive abilities that lead to victory on the pitch.

You can’t win a game of football without scoring goals. A good attacking strategy means making time and space for the attackers to do their thing, and it means ensuring that strikers pick the right shot and finish efficiently.

In this guide we include 13 of the best soccer drills for attacking, including everything from ball control, offensive tactics, to getting the ball in the back of the net.

13 Attacking Drills for Soccer

1. Dribbling and Shooting

Dribbling is an effective way to get the ball past defenders. It can open up space for the dribbler and drag defending players out of position. The dribbling and shooting drill teaches effective dribbling and also how to effectively shoot even when dribbling at full speed.

2. Two-Goal Shooting Drill

Attackers rarely have much time on the ball before they are pressured by defenders. Quick decisions and quick action are crucial to successful shooting. The two-goal shooting drill is fast-paced and teaches players to move with the ball before shooting quickly.

3. Finishing Challenge

Accurate shooting is important but it’s only part of the attacking equation. Strikers need to get into the right positions and learn to shoot with the ball at feet or as it’s played into them. The finishing challenge tests and teaches a good range of finishing setups. It helps with movement, technique, and shooting.

4. Combination Crossing Drill

This is another combination drill, like the finishing challenge above, but this time it includes crossing and finishing crosses. It can take some time to get players used to making the right movements during the drills, but once they’ve mastered it on the training pitch, it will become second nature on match day.

5. Wide Player Drill

Wide players can are considered some of the most skillful, flare players on the park. They are challenged with getting past or taking on defenders and then choosing the best ball to play. This wide player encourages the winger to decide which is the best ball to play, rather than the coach, so it accurately teaches the decision making that will be pivotal to attacking success.

6. Out From the Back Drill

Modern soccer teams don’t just attack from the front. Defenders are increasingly expected to be able to attack. This drill teaches players how to play out from the back and also teaches the rest of the team to be ready for killer passes from the defense.

7. Link Up Play

Link up play is when an attacker receives the ball from a defender or midfielder, with their back to goal. The aim of the drill, which involves 6 attacking players, a marking defender, and a goalkeeper, is to end up with a shot on goal and because it uses the team’s existing attacking strategy, it is good for matchday practice.

8. Crossing & Finishing Drill

This drill starts with short passing in the middle, before the ball is played to a wide player. The wide player crosses the ball, and the strikers aim to finish. Players rotate their position, to ensure they get well-rounded practice, and it teaches good delivery and finishing skills.

9. Man City 3 Combo Shooting Drill

The Man City 3 combo shooting drill is one that really encourages fast attacking. In a single run, one player takes on a mannequin, the next player shoots after a give and go, and the third player crosses for a shooting opportunity. Players rotate so everybody practices different styles and types of finishing opportunity.

10. Fast Feet, Sharp Shooting

The fast feet, sharp shooting drill combines dribbling between cones, turns, dribbling at speed, and finishing to help players become complete strikers that can take on players, get round defenders, and score goals.

11. Heads and Tails Drill

The heads and tails drill uses six crossing players, a striker, and a goalkeeper. The striker is situated in the 6 yard box while crosses deliver their choice of high cross, low cross, or driven cross. The aim for the striker is to make the right choice of header, volley, or strike, while also assessing the best shot according to the goalkeeper’s positioning.

12. Four-Way Finish Drill

This four-way finishing drill is a combination drill, in this case being deployed by Manchester United players, that encourages turning the defender, give and go passes, and crossing from either side of the pitch.

13. Shooting Skills Training Drill

This quick and one-touch passing drill teaches crisp passing and how to evade a marker to gain a shooting opportunity.

Soccer Attacking Drills – Final Thought

Training offensive drills for soccer not only teach the skills players need but they help with decision making and they lead to intuitive play.

After having practiced these attacking drills for some time your strikers and wingers will instinctively start to make the correct choice of shot type while defenders and midfielders will learn how to transition the ball from the back to the front.