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Equipment, Setup & Instructions

Equipment

Setup

Area: 44x55 yard area (half pitch) split into a central 4v4 zone with a 10-yard-wide channel marked by cones along each touchline.
Goals: One full-size goal on the end line, facing the central area.
Team Red: 6 red outfield players start with 4 spaced evenly across the central 4v4 zone and 2 positioned as defenders, one in each flank channel.
Team Red GK: 1 yellow goalkeeper positioned on the goal line of the full-size goal.
Team Blue: 6 blue outfield players start with 4 spaced evenly across the central 4v4 zone and 2 positioned as attackers, one at the start of each flank channel near the halfway line.
Equipment: 4–5 cones marking each of the two 10-yard-wide flank channels along the touchlines, plus a supply of spare footballs stacked behind the goal with one ball ready to start play.

Instructions

Play 4v4 in the middle area and 1v1 in each flank channel (one channel on the left, one on the right).
The scoring requirement is a goal can only be scored after the ball is served from a channel.
When the ball is played into a channel, the channel player must play 1v1 until the attacker breaks into the offensive side of the channel.
Once the attacker breaks into the offensive side, the defender should allow the cross.
In the middle, the four players move as receiving runners: near-post, far-post, a trailing runner, and a supporting runner.
The next ball is played in when the play ends (goal, out of play, or the ball is cleared), with the supply team restarting from behind the goal.

Coaching Points

Cross the football from the flank with correct technique and decision-making.
Choose when to serve low (on the ground) versus when to knock it back.
Drive the cross with pace when the runner can attack it early.
Encourage attackers to time and commit to runs across the face of goal.
Use near-post, far-post, and supporting runs so the crosser has options.
Encourage the channel attacker to beat the defender enough to earn the right to cross.

Variations

Make it harder:

• Add an extra attacker in the middle (5v4 or 5v5) to increase traffic and finishing pressure.

• Limit the channel 1v1 to a shorter time window (e.g. must cross within 3 touches).

• Require a specific cross type (e.g. only driven crosses, or only low crosses) for the goal to count.

Make it easier:

• Reduce the middle to 3v3 so players can learn the crossing/runner timing with less congestion.

• Allow the defender to play normally until the attacker reaches a marked “crossing” cone line, then switch to allowing the cross.

• Use a smaller scoring target (e.g. only goals scored from runners within 6–8m of goal count) to simplify the finish.

End-Line Flank Crossing Game

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