6 Football Shooting Drills You Can Run in Your Own Garden

The best football shooting drills for a garden are the ones you can repeat without stopping to fetch the ball. This set has six: a distance ladder, a one-touch return, two-footed rounds, low-corner lanes, a pass-and-shoot pair and a turn-and-shoot. Every distance is measured in goal widths, so the same plan works whether your frame is a Junior or a Standard Open Goaaal®. The width figures come from the published size specs for our own goals, which are 2.4 m for the Junior and 2.7 m for the Standard.

Three checks before the first shot

Anchor the goal. The FA's goalpost safety guidance (page checked 30 September 2026) says goalposts of any size, portable ones included, must be anchored securely to the ground or have a weighted back bar, and that a portable goal which is not properly assembled and secured may overturn. Follow the assembly instructions for your goal, peg out the guy ropes and never let anyone climb or swing on the frame. Building an Open Goaaal takes two people, so book a helper before you open the box.

Check your lawn length. The Standard frame needs a flat grass area at least 8.2 m wide and 2 m deep, and the Junior needs 6.4 m by 1.6 m. Both need a little clear space behind the goal so the backstop net can do its job, and the garden size guide walks through the fit in more detail. The drills below use a run of up to three goal widths in front of the frame, which the table in the next section turns into metres.

Plan the time, not the shot count. The NHS guidance for ages 5 to 18 (page last reviewed October 2024) is an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a day across the week, and it advises children to do exercise suited to their age, ability and experience and to start new exercise slowly. A 30 minute session on its own would cover half of that daily average, so run the drills by the clock and let younger players build up to it.

Measure in goal widths, not paces

A pace means something different to a seven-year-old and to a parent, but a goal width is the same for everyone. Mark three spots in a line in front of the goal, one, two and three goal widths out. Here is what that comes to for the two frames whose listed specs we checked for this article.

The lawn length is a rough sum: the third mark plus the depth the frame itself needs (1.6 m for the Junior, 2 m for the Standard). Have a different size? Measure your goal's width and multiply by one, two and three.

Drill 1: The distance ladder

Shoot from all three marks in turn and count what you hit. Take five shots from Mark 1, five from Mark 2 and five from Mark 3, then walk back down the ladder. Score one point for every shot that reaches the net without touching a post. Write the total on a phone note or the back of your hand, because beating last week's number is the whole game. Close marks ask for placement and far marks ask for a clean strike.

Drill 2: The one-touch return

Strike, let the net send the ball back, and hit it again without stopping it. Start on Mark 1 and take ten rounds. The ball will not come back to the same spot every time, and dealing with that is part of the drill: expect the return to vary with how the ball arrived, and read it before you swing. If the ball lands awkwardly, take a touch, reset and carry on. Stopping to think is fine here, chasing the ball is not.

This is the drill where a rebound net earns its place. An Open Goaaal combines a goal, a rebounder and a backstop in one 3-in-1 frame, so a miss stays inside the garden and the ball comes back rather than heading for the road or the neighbours' (there is more on keeping the football in your garden). The Standard model is the main size for a garden with the space for it, and the Junior model is the entry frame for smaller yards.

Drill 3: Two-footed rounds

Give each foot the same number of shots, and give the weaker foot the first go. From each mark take five shots with the weaker foot, then five with the stronger one. Keep a separate score for each foot for the week. It will feel slow and a little embarrassing at first, which is exactly why it belongs in a session you are running on your own.

Drill 4: Low-corner lanes

Aim only at the bottom corners of the goal. Put a marker on the ground just inside each post, such as a cone, a water bottle or a folded tea towel. Shoot along the ground at one corner, then the other, and only count a shot that reaches the net on the marker's side of the goal. Hunting a corner rewards a controlled strike over a hard one, and the markers give you something concrete to aim at.

Drill 5: Pass and shoot for two

One person rolls the ball across the front of the goal and the other hits it first time. Stand the passer to one side, roughly level with the post. The shooter starts on Mark 2, waits for the pass to arrive and strikes without a touch to set it up. Swap after eight shots. It is a good one for a parent and child to run together, because the passer does not need any football skill beyond a steady roll.

Drill 6: Turn and shoot

Start with your back to the goal, then turn and shoot. Stand on Mark 2 facing away from the frame with the ball at your feet. Roll it a couple of paces, turn on the spot and strike before you have time to think about it. The drill copies the moment when the ball reaches you with the goal behind your back. Take six turns, then go back to the ladder to cool down.

How to run a whole session

A 30 minute session fits all six drills with time to spare. Spend the first five minutes on the distance ladder as a warm-up, then give drills 2 to 6 four or five minutes each. Finish with one more ladder and compare it to the first. Younger players can start with the gentler kids' shooting drills and move up to this set. Two habits make the week easier: move your shooting marks a couple of paces each session so one spot does not wear into a bare patch, and keep a score sheet by the back door.

Here is the sum behind the case for keeping the ball close. The numbers are made up to show the arithmetic, not measured. If a shot takes 5 seconds and fetching the ball takes 25, each attempt costs 30 seconds, so a 30 minute session holds 60 attempts. Cut the fetch to 5 seconds and the same half hour holds 180. Time your own fetch with a phone stopwatch and put your own numbers in.

Frequently asked questions

What are good football shooting drills for a garden?

Drills that need only a goal, a ball and a few markers work best: a distance ladder, a one-touch return, two-footed rounds, low-corner lanes, a pass-and-shoot pair and a turn-and-shoot. Each one above has a count you can beat next session.

Can I do shooting drills on my own?

Yes. Drills 1 to 4 and 6 are all solo, and the session is much smoother if the ball stays in play. Drill 5 needs a second person to pass.

How much space do I need?

Allow the frame's own footprint plus up to three goal widths in front of it. For the Junior that is roughly 8.8 m of lawn length, and for the Standard roughly 10.1 m. The frames themselves need 6.4 m by 1.6 m and 8.2 m by 2 m of flat grass respectively.

How long should a session last?

Thirty minutes is the length this plan is built around, and you can shorten it for younger players. The NHS advises starting any new exercise slowly and increasing it bit by bit, so build up to the full session.

Do the goalposts need to be fixed down?

Yes. The FA says goalposts of any size must be anchored securely to the ground or have a weighted back bar, in line with the manufacturer's instructions. Use the guy ropes that come with your frame and check them before each session.

Measure in goal widths, run the ladder at the start and end of every session, and write the totals down. After a fortnight you will have your own numbers to beat.

This article is general information, not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. For a persistent or worsening symptom, or any concern about your health, speak to a qualified healthcare professional.

Ready to set up a garden goal of your own? The Open Goaaal® frames are built from 1.5 mm painted steel and come with a 1-year warranty. Start with the Standard model.

More from the Coach's Blog

• 5 Kids Football Drills to Improve Shooting
• Football Finishing Drills to Help with Crossing and Scoring
• What Size Football Goal Do I Need for My Garden?
• 5 Practical Ways to Keep Football in Your Garden
• 5 Best Ways to Use a Football Rebounder

Browse all football training articles

By The Open Goaaal Editorial Team. Last reviewed 30 September 2026.