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Football (soccer) drill library: Passing drills and ball circulation
Passing is a fundamental skill in football (soccer). Good passing skills are important in both offensive and defensive play. Passing exercises are a good way to develop players' teamwork.
Drills: Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing Game with Joker / Dice Five
2 teams + joker. For example, 2 v 2 or 3 v 3 (+ joker) depending on the area size. Teams play against each other, scoring a point for each successful pass through a gate goal. It's better to use cones...
PassingJokerGate goals
© CoachTruly.comPassing and Moving to Receive
In groups of four, play 3v1 (this can be scaled according to the group size, but with a smaller group it stays more active). The goal is to score by passing through a gate. If the defender manages to...
PassingGate goals3v1
© CoachTruly.comGame Opening
Mark the goalkeeper's area on the field (e.g., play on a full-size field, use cones/flat markers, or similar). The game starts with the goalkeeper's opening play. The goalkeeper can dribble or pass...
PassingOpening play
© CoachTruly.comPassing Drill in a Square
Three players and four cones. The pass is always given from outside the square, and after passing, the player moves to an empty cone. The ball and players move around the field in opposite directions....
Passing
© CoachTruly.comThree-field rondo
In this exercise, three equal-sized areas are created. In two areas, a 3v1 rondo is played where three players keep the ball away from one pressing player. In the third area, players pass freely, for...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in a square
One player is in the center of the area and three others go to the cones at the corners. The drill involves two balls. In the drill, the ball is passed to the player in the center, who turns and...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in large and small square
The area is divided into a larger and smaller square. In the smaller square, there is a 3v1 rondo, where the single player's goal is to win the ball or cause a bad pass that goes outside the smaller...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill with first touch
Passing drill with three players. The drill starts from inside the area, from where a pass is made to a player at one end. After this, move out of the area to the side and receive the pass coming from...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill for warm-up
Half of the players inside the area and half outside. 1min and then switch roles. Players in the middle get passes from the sidelines: 1. return the pass back to the sideline with one touch 2. two...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comCrosses from the wing for goals
Crosses from the wing to desired goal areas. The situation begins from a dribbling course, from where the ball is passed to the center. The player in the center continues the play with a wall pass in...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in pairs with gates
Create two opposite gates e.g. five meters apart (the longer the distance, the more difficult). Variations: 1. passes back and forth with one or two touches always through the gate 2. receiving the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in pairs
Exercise for directing the first touch. Remember to swap the players' starting sides to enable balanced use of both feet.
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in a square with five players
Five-player passing drill in a square. The situation begins with a pass from a corner to the center and a run after it to the center. The player in the center passes to the next corner and moves to...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill for directing the first touch
Pass from one cone to another and follow the movement. Direct the ball to the other side of the cone with the first touch. After the last cone, proceed to the dribbling track and start a new round. In...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comLong and short pass with three players
In this drill there are three players who execute a continuous passing pattern. The long pass should be played in the air. Drill sequence: 1. Player A makes a short pass of a few meters, accurately to...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill with finishing
1. The player at the end passes the ball through the gate to the player on the flank. 2. The flank player takes the first touch toward the player in the middle, who takes the first touch toward the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill with three players
Movement and wall pass. 1. The black player passes to the blue player and follows the pass moving approximately halfway to the cones. 2. The blue player returns the ball to the black player and moves...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comBreaking through the lines
The field area is divided into three zones. The purpose is to play the ball through the central zone to the other side. The central players cannot leave the central zone but cover passing lanes. If...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comBreaking through the lines 2
The goal is to progress through the opponent's line to score a goal. The ball starts with the blue team. There are three players from the blue team in the blue team's defensive area. There are three...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in triangle
Three passing exercises in a triangle. The drill involves four players. In image 1, pass the ball to the next cone and follow your pass. In image 2, move halfway toward the cones, pass the ball...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPass to the central player
Create two areas: a small area inside a larger one. Play 5v3. A target player is placed in the small area, to whom the team tries to play the ball and thus score a point. The defending team tries to...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comCorner game in pairs
Divide players into pairs and give half of the pairs a ball. The players' goal is to win the ball for themselves and play the ball to the areas in the corners by passing. If a pair succeeds in...
Passing
© CoachTruly.com3v1 target game
In this 3v1 exercise, the objective is to kick the ball so that it hits another ball placed on top of a cone and knocks it down. One player acts as a defender and tries to block the passing lane to...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comNumber Passing
Two teams in the area and players are assigned their own numbers. Players pass the ball to their own team in a specific numerical order, e.g. 1->4 or 4->1. Variations: One-touch passes Continuous...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comBuilding play through the goalkeeper
The game starts with the coach playing the ball to the goalkeeper. In the game, the yellow team has three defenders and a goalkeeper, and the opponent has two forwards (blue). The yellow team's task...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in two lines
Passing drills in two lines. When there are many players, groups can compete against each other on who has the most careful performances.
Passing
© CoachTruly.comFour player passing drill
The drill involves four players, two of whom are always in the middle. The players rotate in a circle, always passing with the players positioned at the ends (blue players). Roles are switched every...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comWarm-up with Passing
Area and player positioning: Two players are in the middle of the area. There are four corners around the area, three of which have one player each and the starting corner has two players. Drill...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing Drill in Triangle 2
1. Player positioning: There is one player at each cone. One player is positioned in the middle of the area. 2. Drill progression: The drill begins when the player at the cone passes to the player in...
Passing
© CoachTruly.com3v1 / 4v1 rondo
3v1 and 4v1 rondos. The player with the ball always has two passing options available. The player in the middle tries to win the ball, and the player who loses the ball/makes a poor pass goes in the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.com2v2 with target players
The goal of the drill is to keep possession of the ball within your team. There is a target player on each side of the area who actively moves to be available for a pass on their side. Players of the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comTarget player rondo
Rondo with a target player. The blue team's objective is to pass the ball to the target player (blue-orange), which earns the team a point. The yellow player tries to intercept the ball and prevent...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comThree teams 4v2
Create three teams of two players who play a possession game in a designated area. In the picture, the blue and yellow teams are on the same side. If, for example, the blue team's pass fails or the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comFirst touch while running
In this exercise, players work in pairs and pass the ball through cones. Maintain speed and direct the first touch always forward along the course. Switch sides.
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill with movements
Passing and movement in a triangle. Players in the smaller triangle move to the next cone after their pass. Variations: -One-touch passing -Two-touch passing -Players stand behind the cones and take...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comBall control in a square
This drill is done in pairs in marked areas. The purpose is to control the ball passed by your partner and keep it inside the marked area. After controlling the ball, pass it back to your partner....
Passing
© CoachTruly.com4v4 + 2 jokers
The drill requires two teams of four players and two jokers. One of the four-player teams is on the outer edges of the area and the other inside the area with the jokers. The goal is to maintain...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPass and Move
A passing drill done in a square with three players. After passing, move to the empty cone. Variations can include e.g. unlimited touches, directing the first touch toward the middle of the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in a square with pressing
1. The exercise starts from a corner where there are two players (red). 2. The player with the ball passes to another corner (to blue). 3. The player who passed (red) immediately starts pressing the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing and finishing drill
1. Pass from the end player (red) to the blue player, who plays back with first touch. 2. Red player then plays a longer pass to the black player. 3. Black player passes to the blue player, who gives...
Passing
© CoachTruly.com4v2 rondo in zones
Divide players into two teams of four and split the area into two equal parts. On one side, a 4v2 situation is played, where the team in possession tries to keep the ball as long as possible. On the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comFour Area Rondo
Players are divided into four different areas. The drill begins with players passing freely within their own area, using one or two touches. When the coach shouts a specific area color, the players...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comCrosses from the wing and finishing
In this drill, a pass is made from the central channel through a gate to a wing player. The winger crosses the ball to the goal either with the first or second touch. From two lines in the central...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing Drill
Points 1-4 in the picture are passes from the end player to the players on the sides and returns. Point 5 is a long pass to the other end. Point 6 is the end player's movement to the side. Points 7-8...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comFrom central area to the wing, cross and finish
1. The drill begins with a pass from the red player to the blue player in the center. 2. The blue player receives the ball and turns to pass to the black player making a run on the wing. 3. The black...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPass and move 2
1. Blue player runs between the orange cones and receives a pass from the red player. 2. Blue player passes back to the red player and moves to the side of the other orange cone. 3. Red player passes...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comFrom rondo to crossing and finishing
The drill requires two areas where rondos are played. Additionally, cones in the corners (blue in the image), from behind which the ball is crossed towards the goal. The drill starts with a 3v2 rondo...
Passing
© CoachTruly.com4v1 in two areas
4v1 rondo, where the goal after winning the ball is to play it to the other side. A goal is six consecutive passes to your own teammates. 1. Players are on the edges of the area except for the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in a square
1. Blue player passes to another blue player and moves after the ball to the same cone. 2. The blue player who received the ball passes diagonally to a red player, but now moves to the cone on their...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing Drill in Pairs 2
The drill is performed in pairs. Mark a spot with a cone for one stationary player (blue) and two points for the other player who moves back and forth (yellow). 1. The drill starts with a pass from...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comWarm-up with passing between two teams
In this drill, two players from both teams position themselves on opposite sides of the field. The goal is to progress from one end to the other by passing. The player who passes to the player on the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comSquare Game
Played with two teams 3v3-5v5. The objective of the drill is to play a pass through the area in the middle to your teammate. The opposing team tries to win the ball and score in the same way.
Passing
© CoachTruly.comBall control, dribbling and passing
Drill for warm-up. Create an area with cones placed around the perimeter. Depending on the number of players, there can be two to four balls. Players dribble and move around the cone in the center...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comHeading drill with three players
Players position themselves in a triangle. The starting player in black has the ball in hands and throws it to the yellow player, who heads the ball to the red player. Red now takes the ball in hands...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing in pairs with one player backing up
Players work in pairs, positioning themselves facing each other about 2 meters apart. The blue player passes the ball to the black player, who returns it with one touch. At the same time, the blue...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comHeader Challenge
Header challenge for the team. Divide players into two lines (or create a competition by dividing players into multiple groups), which are positioned facing each other. The black player throws the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill with finishing
Create a "zigzag" course for the exercise with one player per cone. 1. Blue passes to the red player and moves closer at the same time. 2. Red returns the pass to blue and runs around their own cone...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill in pairs with gates 2
Passing drill in pairs with gates. 1. Black player passes through their own gate to red. 2. Red makes a cross pass to black, who has moved to the side. Red player now also moves to the side. 3. Black...
Passing
© CoachTruly.com4v1 piggy in the middle with two areas
4v1 piggy in the middle with two areas. On coach's signal, groups leave their ball in their area and quickly move to the other area. The last player to reach the other area becomes the new piggy in...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing Drill in a Square
Players in a square. 1. The drill starts with the blue player's diagonal pass to the black player. 2. Black player passes to the yellow player. 3. Yellow player returns the pass to the black player....
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing and movement in pairs
The team is divided into pairs. Each pair has a ball. Players initially position themselves about 5-10 meters away from each other.
Players pass to their partner and move with continuous movement.
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill with four players
Two gates are placed at both ends of the area using cones. One player is also positioned at each end. In the middle, two players (blue) move from end to end. 1. Red player plays a longer pass to the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing drill with four players
A gate is placed in the center of the area with two players at each end. 1. The drill starts with a long pass through the gate to the other end. 2. The blue player plays a short pass in front of the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comThrow-in practice in pairs
Divide the team into pairs with one ball per pair. One of the players takes the ball in their hands and depending on the age group, the other player positions themselves 5-10 meters away. The player...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comWall pass and cross to finish
The drill starts from both ends simultaneously. From the end lines, pass to the player in the middle, who plays a wall pass into the running line of the end player. The end player dribbles towards the...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPassing in pairs with two balls
Players are divided into pairs and position themselves between the cones. Both players have a ball. Players pass simultaneously with two balls, either a) balls on the ground b) one ball in the air and...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comFigure Eight Rotation
In this drill, players pass in the order marked in the diagram and after each pass always move to the next cone.
Start with one ball and add a second one when the pattern is clear to the players.
Passing
© CoachTruly.comSpread the Play
In this drill all players are in the area. As a variation, you can use multiple balls if there are many players. All players are numbered and pass in order. After passing, always move to the cones on...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comAvoiding Offside
Passing drill for learning offside. Cones represent opposing players. The drill starts with the yellow player's movement between the cones, where a pass comes from the black player. The yellow player...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comThrough the Center to the Outside
In this drill, some players are positioned on the edges of the area and the rest are inside. The drill starts with a pass from the wing to a central player, whose task is to pass to another central...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPiggy in the Circle
Players are positioned in a circle. In the middle are the defenders (piggies) who try to intercept the ball. Players with the ball get a point every time they pass through the defenders to a teammate...
Passing
© CoachTruly.comPass with backwards run
The drill starts with passes from the end players. After making the pass, the end player (black) starts making a run behind the next player. The red players play wall passes between themselves and...
Passing
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