Football Techniques

Lessons

Senior 4 · Physical Education

Football Techniques

5 lessons

Lesson 4 of 5

Shooting the ball

25 min

Placement beats power

A shot struck at full power straight at the goalkeeper is easy to save; a firm, low shot into the corner, just inside the post, is very hard to save, because the goalkeeper must dive the furthest and the lowest. Shooting is the meeting point of technique (striking the ball cleanly), decision-making (when and where to shoot) and geometry (how much of the goal you can see). This lesson refines the instep drive and the side-foot finish, and uses trigonometry to show why position matters as much as power.

Definition

Shot: an attempt to score a goal. A shot on target would enter the goal if not stopped.

Instep drive: a powerful shot struck with the laces through the middle of the ball.

Side-foot finish: a shot placed with the inside of the foot, used when accuracy matters more than power.

Volley: striking the ball before it touches the ground; half-volley: striking it just as it rises from the ground.

Shooting angle: the angle between the lines from the ball to the two goalposts; the larger it is, the more of the goal the striker can aim at.

Conversion rate: goals scored as a percentage of shots taken.

Technique of the instep drive

Phase	Key points
Approach	A short run from slightly to the side; look at the target, then at the ball
Plant	Supporting foot beside the ball, about a hand-width away, toes pointing at the target
Strike	Head and knee over the ball (this keeps the shot low); toes pointed down, ankle locked; strike the middle of the ball with the laces
Follow-through	Kicking leg swings through towards the target and you land on the kicking foot

For a side-foot finish close to goal, use the inside of the foot as in a pass, but firmly, aiming just inside a post. Strike below the centre only if you want to lift the ball, for example over a goalkeeper coming out.

The geometry of the goal

The goal is 7.32 m wide, so each post is 3.66 m from the centre. For a striker at distance $d$ from the goal line and $x$ to the side of the centre of the goal (with $x \ge 3.66$ or on the centre line), the angle the goal fills is

\theta = \tan^{-1}\!\left(\frac{x + 3.66}{d}\right) - \tan^{-1}\!\left(\frac{x - 3.66}{d}\right)

Worked example

Worked example 1: three positions. Use the formula (angles in degrees).

Penalty mark, $d = 11$ , $x = 0$ : $\theta = 2\tan^{-1}\!\left(\frac{3.66}{11}\right) = 2 \times 18.4^{\circ} = 36.8^{\circ}$
Edge of the penalty area, $d = 16.5$ , $x = 0$ : $\theta = 2\tan^{-1}\!\left(\frac{3.66}{16.5}\right) = 2 \times 12.5^{\circ} = 25.0^{\circ}$
Wide position, $d = 11$ , $x = 15$ : $\theta = \tan^{-1}\!\left(\frac{18.66}{11}\right) - \tan^{-1}\!\left(\frac{11.34}{11}\right) = 59.5^{\circ} - 45.9^{\circ} = 13.6^{\circ}$

Interpretation. From the same distance, moving 15 m wide almost divides the angle by three. A winger in that position usually does better to pass across the goal to a team-mate in a central position than to shoot.

Worked example

Worked example 2: is the team shooting well? Over five school matches, Team A took 40 shots, 18 on target, and scored 6 goals. Team B took 22 shots, 15 on target, and scored 6 goals.

Shots on target: A $\frac{18}{40} \times 100 = 45\%$ ; B $\frac{15}{22} \times 100 = 68\%$ .
Conversion: A $\frac{6}{40} \times 100 = 15\%$ ; B $\frac{6}{22} \times 100 = 27\%$ .

Both scored 6 goals, but Team B shot more accurately and chose better moments. Team A takes many shots from poor angles or long range; its coach should work on building attacks into central positions before shooting.

Video: "The Ultimate Guide to Shooting with Power and Accuracy in Football", Kreider Academy. Watch where the supporting foot is placed, the locked ankle and the landing on the kicking foot.

Tip

"Low and inside the post." Low shots near the posts are the hardest to save. Keep your head and knee over the ball to keep it down.

Warning

Common mistakes. Leaning back (the ball flies over the bar). Toe-poking (no control). Shooting from a tiny angle when a team-mate is free in the centre. Always aiming for power instead of placement. Safety: in shooting practice, no one stands behind the goal or retrieves balls until the shooting stops; goalkeepers in training wear gloves, and posts must be anchored.

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Practice

List four key points of the instep drive.
Why does keeping the knee and head over the ball keep the shot low?
When would you choose a side-foot finish rather than an instep drive?
Calculate the shooting angle from a point 20 m out on the centre line.
Calculate the shooting angle from a point 11 m out and 10 m to the side of the centre of the goal.
A striker takes 25 shots: 12 on target and 4 goals. Calculate the percentage on target and the conversion rate.
Use your answers to questions 4 and 5 to decide whether it is better to shoot from 20 m central or 11 m and 10 m wide.
A coach tells a winger to "always shoot when you get into the box". Evaluate this instruction.

Show answersHide answers

Supporting foot beside the ball pointing at the target; head and knee over the ball; toes down and ankle locked; strike the middle of the ball with the laces; follow through and land on the kicking foot.
The body's weight is forward and the foot strikes through the middle (not underneath) of the ball, so the force is horizontal and does not lift it.
Close to goal, when accuracy matters more than power: for example, placing the ball past a goalkeeper into a corner from 8 m.
θ = 2 tan⁻¹(3.66 ÷ 20) = 2 × 10.4° = 20.7°.
θ = tan⁻¹(13.66 ÷ 11) − tan⁻¹(6.34 ÷ 11) = 51.2° − 30.0° = 21.2°.
On target: 12 ÷ 25 × 100 = 48%; conversion: 4 ÷ 25 × 100 = 16%.
The angles are almost equal (20.7° and 21.2°), but the closer position gives the goalkeeper less time to react; the central position gives a straighter shot. Both are reasonable; the decision also depends on defenders and the goalkeeper's position.
Not a good rule: from wide positions the angle is small (13.6° at 15 m wide), so a cut-back or cross to a central team-mate is often better. The winger should shoot when the angle is good or the goalkeeper is out of position, and pass when a team-mate has a better angle.

Quick check

Where should the supporting foot be placed for an instep drive?

Remember

Instep drive: plant beside the ball, head and knee over it, toes down, laces through the middle, land on the kicking foot.
Side-foot finish for accuracy close in; aim low and just inside the post.
Shooting angle $\theta = \tan^{-1}\frac{x + 3.66}{d} - \tan^{-1}\frac{x - 3.66}{d}$ : central positions see much more of the goal.
Judge shooting by shots on target and conversion rate, not by the number of shots.

Sources and credits

The International Football Association Board, Laws of the Game 2026–27, Law 1: The Field of Play: goal width 7.32 m, penalty area 16.5 m, penalty mark 11 m, goal area 5.5 m.
Glossary of association football terms, Wikipedia contributors, Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0: shot types. Adapted by Ganzaa.
Photo: DFC 5336 A tense moment as a striker fires a shot on goal…, PattayaPatrol, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Video: "The Ultimate Guide to Shooting with Power and Accuracy in Football", Kreider Academy, embedded from YouTube.
Angle diagram and formula, tables, worked examples, practice and quick check: written by Ganzaa. Match figures are illustrative.

This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.

1Placement beats power

2Technique of the instep drive

3The geometry of the goal

Placement beats power

Technique of the instep drive

The geometry of the goal