Passing Layoffs Square

Dimensions: Create a 30 x 15 yard rectangle using 6 cones 30 x 15. (1 Cone every 15 yards) adjust the length to suit the ability of players or to adapt the range of passing and running. Keep a supply of soccer balls nearby.

How to: A player on one corner starts with the ball. Each player must pass and follow their pass. The objective is to make 1-2 give and go passes with a team mate whilst moving around the area to the next cone along each time.

Coaching Points: Focus on passing technique, there are a number of passing techniques being played here: Passes into feet, lay off passes, long and short give and go’s. It’s important that players are able to determine which pass should be played in each situation, allow some trial and error here even after explanation. It’s important that players develop their own range of passing through errors that they make along the way. Consistent errors should be addressed through example as well as explanation.

Progressions: Add another soccer ball in the opposite corner and have two soccer balls moving at one time.

Passing To Other Colors

Dimensions: 35x35 Yard Square

How to: Divide players into three, different coloured teams, each team colour has a ball, this game can be used as a warm up to help to get the players looking up and seeing the field for their best passing option. The task is to pass to a person wearing a different colour to you. For example, If a blue player has the ball, his passing options are any available player on the Red or Yellow team.

Coaching Points: Keep Your head up, you need to not only be aware of who you can pass to, but also who is a good passing option at any given time. Do not pass to someone who already has a ball at their feet.

Help others out, make yourself available for a pass, make it known physically and vocally that you are ready to receive the ball, communication is key to success.

Encourage players to think about their passes and challenge themselves, make sure players don’t fall into a pattern of passing to the same people in the same places because they know that option is available. Try to always liken training situations to real game scenarios

Progressions: Same pattern, no talking- This will emphasise the need to look up for passes, and also force free players into good space.

Passing Through Players

Dimensions: 10 x 10 Yard square, 3 players occupy 3 of the 4 cones leaving one cone free. One player occupies the middle of the 4 cone square. Two players on the outside have a soccer ball each.

How to: One player outside passes the ball into the player in the middle. The player in the middle must find the player without a ball and pass off to them. The player who passed the ball must move to the available free cone. The other player with the ball then passes into the middle player and moves to the free cone. The player in the middle passes off to the free player.

Coaching Points: Stay alert and on your toes ready to receive a pass, be ready to move to a new position but try to predict the path of the next path, be careful not to interrupt play by running where the pass will be played.

Player in the middle must work hard to check their shoulders and remain positive when receiving the ball.

Remember that the pass position and open player position will be constantly changing; work hard to stay alert to changing surroundings as you should do in a
game.

Switching Play

Dimensions: 40 x 30 yard area played width ways. Two coned off channels placed 10 yards in on either side (the field will be separated into three 10 x 45 yard sections)

Two teams of attackers split evenly into the two outside channels, the defending team are placed in the middle section (two or 3 defenders max, we are still trying to encourage success from the team in possession)

How to: Players must stay within their channels. The team in possession must attempt to work an opportunity to pass through to their team mates in the other section. Points are scored each time the ball passes successfully to the other side.

Coaching Points: Try to pass the ball on the ground through the players. Move the ball quickly to create gaps in the defence, exploit the areas when they are available.

Be patient, don’t try and force a pass that isn’t available. Build play by using your team mates.

Progressions: When playing with even numbers in each channel (6v3) the group responsible for losing the ball switches with the defending team.

Team competition: 2 minutes to make as many through passes as possible, each team gets an opportunity to be the defensive team and protect their total.