Passing The Soccer Ball

Warm-up: passing in pairs

Players get in pairs and pass and move within a designated area.

Begin with free-style passing then make it more directed by telling them to run around a cone that is on the outside of the grid after they pass and before they receive the ball back from their partner.

Key coaching points

• Technique of passing ball

• Eye Contact

• Passing to correct foot

• Passing to feet or space

• Pace of pass

Some of the questions that can be asked during this activity (not drill) are:

• If a player without the ball is running toward you, where you should pass the ball? Answer: To their feet. As the coach, you may have to give them the choice of saying either “feet or space”.

• If a player without the football is running away from you, where you should pass the ball? Answer: To space. As the coach, you may have to give them the choice of saying either “feet or space”

• How do I know my partner (teammate) is ready to receive a pass? Answer: Because they are looking at you. (Eye contact)

Even in the warm-up, you have asked them good questions, without you necessarily having to show or tell them. Ask them! You will be surprised at what they can tell you.

Then play some SSGs. One of my favorites is the 1-0 game.

The point of this game is to get into a winning position and then keep the ball away from the opposition for a set period of time. It provides young players with many opportunities for making decisions relating to running into space or a supporting position.  

When players are participating in this game, you will find many moments as a coach to ask them the following questions:  

• If a player with the ball has pressure, where do you run support or space? Answer: support

• If a player with a ball doesn’t have pressure, where to you run support or space? Answer: space

You are planting a seed in their mind of where they run during a match. As a player, you can only run to either support or space. The amount of pressure that is on the ball determines where you run when you are close to the ball.

The entire training session then is continuing to ask them these questions, not demanding anything, but asking them constantly what are their thoughts?

Passing in soccer