Pre-Season Set Piece Review
Set pieces account for roughly 30% of goals at all levels.
◆Why this drill works
Set pieces account for roughly 30% of goals at all levels. Pre-season is the best time to install, reinstall, or upgrade set piece routines — players are fresh, there is no match pressure, and mistakes in training have no consequence. This session covers attacking corners, attacking free kicks, and defensive wall organisation in one block. Reviewing all the major set-piece categories together at the start of pre-season means every routine gets refreshed before the pressure of a competitive match exposes any gaps, and it gives the goalkeeper the chance to re-establish authority over wall and zonal organisation while there is no scoreline on the line. Scoring quality of execution rather than outcome in the early reps is deliberate — a routine can be run correctly and still not result in a goal, and coaches who only reward the goal risk reinforcing sloppy patterns that happened to work once.
◇Variations and progressions
- Video review — film several reps and review them with players between sets, reinforcing the visual picture of correct positioning.
- Weather variation — practise deliveries in wind or wet conditions if available, since set-piece technique changes noticeably in poor weather.
- Multiple routine rotation — cycle through three or four named routines per set piece type so the team has genuine options rather than one predictable pattern.
- Opposition scouting simulation — assign a "scouting" defending team that has to guess the routine before it runs, sharpening disguise on the attacking side.
▦The drill in three phases
▶How to run it
- Attacking corners: 3 reps of the named corner routine each side. Coach calls quality, not outcome.
- Attacking free kicks: two routines drilled 5 reps each from three different positions.
- Defending corners: GK organises the wall or zonal marking setup. 5 reps defending each routine.
- Defending free kicks: wall organisation drill. GK calls number, position, WALL SET. 5 reps.
- End with a competitive set piece shootout: attacking team earns 1pt per goal from set piece. Defending team earns 1pt for a clean defensive execution.
✦Coaching points
Praise when you see
- Attacking routines called by name before every rep — naming it precedes executing it
- Wall and defensive set-up organised within 8 seconds — GK leads without hesitation
- Quality of execution maintained even in reps that don't produce a goal
Correct when you see
- Attacking runners starting too early — 'time the run to the delivery'
- Wall disorganised or players arguing about positions — GK's word is final
- Celebrating a scrappy goal from a poorly-run routine as if the execution was correct
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