Wall pass and rebound finish (Fox in the box)
Pairs run up the pitch, play a wall pass and shoot; the keeper deliberately spills the rebound so the second player can pounce on it inside the box.
Step 1Subida en pareja
1 / 3
El 1 conduce y el 2 acompaña en paralelo.
Objective
Teach the second attacker to follow every shot and anticipate where the rebound will drop, and the shooter to aim across goal to create second chances.
Organisation
Two adjacent 20x15 yard pitches, each with a goal and a goalkeeper. Up to 12 players in pairs; those waiting act as ball boys. Balls at the far end of each pitch.
Development
- 1The first pair starts from the far end: player 1 dribbles and player 2 runs alongside, 6-8 m away.
- 2At the edge of the box player 1 plays a wall pass with player 2 and receives the return on the run.
- 3Player 1 shoots, with the instruction to hit across the keeper towards the far post.
- 4The keeper is told not to hold the ball: he parries it forward or to one side.
- 5Player 2, who has followed the play the moment player 1 shaped to shoot, finishes the rebound inside the box in one or two touches.
- 6The pair moves to the second pitch and swaps roles (now 2 shoots and 1 hunts the rebound) while the next pair starts on the first pitch.
- 7Keepers rotate every 4-5 minutes so everyone takes a turn in goal.
Coaching points4
- The rebound player moves towards goal as soon as he sees the shooter shape to shoot, not once the ball has bounced out.
- Read the keeper: if he goes to ground the ball comes out low and towards the side of the shot.
- The shooter aims across goal so any rebound falls away from the keeper.
- Second ball with the body over it: low, firm finish, no need for the top corner.
Common mistakes3
- The second player stands and watches the shot from the edge of the box.
- A slow wall pass or one to the wrong foot that breaks the shooter's stride.
- Keepers holding the ball and killing the second phase.
Variations3
- A defender at each post tries to clear the rebound before the finisher.
- The keeper chooses whether to hold or parry: the second player must react to whatever happens.
- Wall pass with a fixed third player on the edge of the box instead of the partner.
Progressions2
- 6v6 game situation on 30x40 yards: three defenders shoot from their own half and two attackers live off rebounds; keepers do not hold shots.
- Rebound thrown by the coach from behind the goal for more varied trajectories.
Regressions2
- The keeper rolls the rebound by hand to a known area.
- No wall pass: dribble, shoot and finish the rebound.
Tips
- Tell the keepers beforehand that their job is to produce playable rebounds, not to show off.
- Plenty of balls and active ball boys so the drill never stops.