Soccer Passing Fundamental Sessions To Teach Soccer Passing Angles and Creating Space

Focus:

Intermediate Level Teams- To benefit from these sessions teams must have achieved the following prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of control and passing

• Players possess the fundamental motor skills to play accurate passes and receive passes

• Basic understanding of support and space

All sessions try to offer incremental difficulty increases which allow players to succeed while also pushing them harder as the session goes on.

Note:

Soccer sessions may take longer to master depending on age and ability of your group, please allow extra time to develop understanding if necessary. ‘4 weeks to improve your teams passing ability’ is a guideline and based on teams practicing each session twice per week. All sessions follow on from your teams’ usual warm up.

Typical flow:

• No Pressure

• Passive pressure

• Full Pressure

SESSION 1: SOCCER WALL PASSES IN 3’S

Dimensions:

Two cones 15 yards apart (adjust depending on ability) with a line of cones half way between the two

How to:

Have a player stand on each cone with a player in the middle. The objective is to complete a wall pass around the cones and play a pass to the opposite end. The line of cones is to show a defenders range of motion. The player with the ball plays a pass into the player by the cones and moves wide to receive a return pass past the defender, the move is completed by passing to the player on the opposite side, the player follows their pass and joins the other line, the pattern continues.

Rotate the midfielder every few minutes.

Coaching Points:

Make positive runs, after passing to the player in the middle move quickly to receive a return pass, be careful not to overrun the play though, this could be the difference between and offside call and a goal in a game.

Make accurate passes to achieve more success from this drill.

The midfielder has to be ready to move to either side to make the wall pass with their team mate. Communication between passer and receiver is very important.



SESSION 2: ROUND THE CLOCK

Dimensions:

40 x 40 Square separated into four 10 x 10 squares. Two even teams starting in squares diagonally opposite one another, one ball per team.

How to: Each team must pass their ball unopposed around their 10 x 10 area for a coach defined number of passes. Generally doubling the amount of players you have gives you a good number of passes to make, example: 4 players 8 passes per square.

Once the team have made their passes they can move clockwise to the next square and make 8 more passes there. Play continues until one team catches the other, if the game is particularly close, until the teams get back to their starting square.

Coaching Points:

Accuracy often prevails over speed; careful considered passes will be more effective than fast passes that are difficult to control.

Move to help your team mates play a simple pass.

Progressions:

Offside- players must not cross the line into the next area until the ball has been passed into there. Another player must run onto it and collect it.

Have one player from each team go into the opposing teams’ square as a defender. They must attempt to slow them down by blocking their passes. NOTE the defender cannot directly challenge players, they can only intercept and block passes.



SESSION 3: ADVANCING UP THE FIELD

Dimensions:

20x 30 Yard field separated into three even channels length ways. Teams of three players occupying a ‘lane’ each at either end.

How to:

One team of three must work the ball down the field creating a ‘W’ and ‘M’ shape.

If you numbered the lanes 1, 2 and 3 the passing sequence would be as follows:

1-2-1-3-2-3

Once the team reaches the other end, the team at that end can begin moving

See the video for further instruction

Coaching Points:

Pass the ball in front of the moving player to allow the receiver to continue the movement up the field.

Be aware of your team mates positions, don’t stray too far ahead or behind. Ensure an even flow to the move.

Take a touch to control the ball if necessary, a poor pass will disrupt the flow of the move.

Progressions:

A team sets off from either end at the same time, play through the oncoming team (pass the soccer ball in any order, no sequence)

SESSION 4: EXPLOITING SPACE- 3 GOAL CONDITIONED GAME

Dimensions:

35 x 35 field. Use three cones to make a triangle in the middle of your area, each side is a goal. The inside of the triangle belongs to the goalkeeper who must defend all three goals.

How to:

Team objective is to work the space around the goal into a scoring opportunity. Once a goal is scored play resumes. Encourage players to move off the ball and anticipate play. If the goalkeeper gets the ball, distribute to open space. This is open play so allow the game to flow as much as possible.

Coaching Points:

Move the ball around the field, get used to playing the ball out of the congested areas and into open space/players. Once the ball is in the open try to exploit the space and take any available opportunities.

Play resumes even after a goal is scored, try to capitalize on poor goalkeeper/defensive setup by moving the ball quickly round the field to create gaps and opportunities.