Passing Drills/games?

Discussion in 'Coach' started by Wahoo, Feb 24, 2007.

  1. Wahoo

    Wahoo New Member

    Aug 15, 2001
    Seattle, USA
    Greetings all,

    I was wondering if any of you have favorite practice games/drills that are designed primarily to working on passing.

    I've often used ones like:

    Number the players
    They must pass the ball in sequential order (1-->2--->3-->4 etc)
    You can stop and make them go to 1 touch, or make sure the passer doesn't have to turn, or add a second ball, or reverse it... etc.

    You can even do this in a small sided game scenario


    I've also done many small sided games where you limit the players to 1 or 2 touch.

    Require a certain number of passes to score points.

    ------------
    But do any of you have favorite practice sessions for working on passing (and inherently receiving)?
    Anything from basic drills to game play?

    Thanks in advance
     
  2. dncm

    dncm Member+

    Apr 22, 2003
    Boston
    What age and level?
     
  3. Wahoo

    Wahoo New Member

    Aug 15, 2001
    Seattle, USA
    U13 - thanks I did forget to mention this.

    I should also admit I have about 10-12 different things I do, but am always looking for ways to make passing fun or gamelike. The kids learn so much better when they don't know they are learning -- they think they are playing!


    I'ave also used 5v2, 4v2, 5v3 when I want to work on certain types of scenarios.

    Also putting goals in the center of the field and a goal is scored when it goes through the goal and is received on the other side.

    I'll put the goals out wide if I want them to work on wing play.
     
  4. rca2

    rca2 Member+

    Nov 25, 2005
    I always worked on at least two skills at a time. Passing and collecting for instance obviously go well together. No one-touching though, if you want to work on collecting. The greatest number of touches is going to be with two players to a ball passing back and forth. Works for any age and skill level, as long as the paired players are well-matched. It takes a high degree of skill (from both players) to control hard passes in the air at short distances.

    My favorite small sided game is keep-away. It is the best way I know to teach how to make space and how to defend space. It involves passing and collecting, but the focus is on playing off the ball because of the higher number of players to one ball. It teaches both offensive and defensive tactics, requires tactical decision making, and improves passing, collecting, marking, tackling, and dribbling skills. It also rewards good work ethics. And indirectly works on shooting too since shooting is just passing into the goal. No I don't use goals or keep score. Praise is the reward. I follow it up with an intra-squad scrimmage.

    Edit: I wrote this without seeing your clarification. There are plenty of ways to dress up passing back and forth, like soccer tennis for instance.
     
  5. soccerboy9

    soccerboy9 New Member

    Jan 13, 2005
    Not really a game but more like a little warm up drill to get your players going or thinking.

    players form a circle with one or two players in the middle. The ball starts with someone on the outside. He plays the ball to the middle player and follows his pass. The middle player recieves the ball takes a touch and plays it to the person next to the person who gave the ball. You always follow your pass. you can add restrictions such playing with one touch or always with your left or right foot. after a while switch directions.
     
  6. dncm

    dncm Member+

    Apr 22, 2003
    Boston
    Try this one as a warmup or main body activity: 5 players(A) are passing/sharing one ball with their feet in a predetermined space. Another 5 players(B) are sharing a different ball but they can only throw the ball with their hands. B's can run with the ball while they hold it in their hands if they want.

    Objective: By passing/throwing the ball with their hands only, B's try to throw their ball and hit A's ball. They cannot kick or touch A's ball - only B's ball can hit A's ball. A's try to see how many passes they can complete before(if at all) getting hit by B's ball.

    First off, really, really fun. The B's will start off unsure of a strategy and will try and run with their ball, throw too late to a teammate close to the A ball as A passes it away, throw too far away and miss.

    The A's will learn to get their head up and see where the B ball is and can they play their A ball as far away as possible from the B ball(pressure). Also, encourages A's to recognize when they are not under pressure(ie B's threw their ball out of bounds and are trying to get a new ball). At this point you can encourage the A's to do something for extra points - whatever you like. Other variations: Divide field in 3rds or even fourths - can A play the ball to all 3 or 4 parts of the grid before getting hit by B's ball.

    Switch and reverse roles.

    Also, pretty economical as it encourages some goalkeeping - when we play, the players hope they get the goalkeepers on their team.

    It really is a lot of fun and encourages a lot of visual cues and thinking on the part of both teams players to try and solve problems. Try without giving any help to either team in terms of strategy and see how they respond.

    Try this game too: instead of playing in sequence 1-2-3..., have some players in groups of 6 or 8(not too big) in red pinnes, some in no pinnies. Then create color sequences for passing - red, red, white, white, red, red, white, white...

    The only restrictions are(these are important or the activity breaks down): the ball cannot even stop moving, and the players can never stop moving, and the ball has to stay in bounds. If any of these are broken, the group loses a point.

    If they lose the sequence, don't STOP and make them start again (although you may need to initially until they get the hang of it) - just encourage them to keep playing and get back into sequence quickly - let them try and solve the problem themselves.

    Gets the players thinking "what's next".

    Other variations: change up sequence, add a third color pinnie, etc.

    Also, I normally only say something like you have to make a certain # of passes to score for keepaway only type of games that have no direction. In directional games with goals, we want to score as quickly as possible, and if that means we can do it with one killer pass then so be it.

    Instead I would suggest these variations:
    1. In a keepaway game(5v2, 6v3, 4v1) - enforce that players HAVE TO take 2 touches. If they take 1 touch or more than 2 touches, that does not count. By Forcing them to have to take 2 touches becomes very challenging: They have to really think ahead how they will prepare the ball based on where the pressure might be coming from and the fact the defending player knows they have to take 2 touches.

    2. Only allow a limited # of touches in the teams back third and middle third. Maybe leave unlimited touches in the forward third although you can create scoring rules to promote, ie: If you can score with 1 touch(ie from a cross) = 5 points, 2 touches = 3 points, all others = 1 point.

    3. Limit one or 2 players(ie functionally train central midfielders) to limited # of touches. Don't keep this rule for the whole exercise and limit it to the those same players - although we maybe don't want wide players or forwards to be limited on touches - we need that creativity from them, so again try using some form of "scoring" as a way to promote like in #1.

    4. Dividing the field in 3 channels(right, center, and left) Changing point of attack - if we can do it in one pass from left to right(vice versa), get 5 goals, if it takes us going through the middle channel 3 goals.

    Good luck.
     
  7. GKbenji

    GKbenji Member+

    Jan 24, 2003
    Fort Collins CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Two games I like and that are a lot of fun.

    #1. This is a timed variation on Monkey in the Middle. You will need teams of 4-5 players; the game is played between two teams so you will generally have several games going at once. Mark out an appropriately sized square, with Team A in the square and Team B single file on one side of the square. Coach has a timer, and a set number of balls (usually one per player on each team, so 4-5 balls).

    Coach starts time and plays a ball in to Team A. One player from Team B goes in to defend. Team A plays keepaway from the B player. When player B wins the ball, or the ball leaves the square, the B player is out, the coach plays in a new ball to Team A and the next B player enters to defend. When all the balls are gone, time is stopped. That is Team A's possession time. Switch roles and Team B tries to possess the balls for longer than Team A did.

    Variations: 1) Any touch by the defender and they are out and the next ball gets played in; 2) Use larger teams and defend with two players at a time.

    #2. Again similar to Monkey in the Middel but with a more competitive and speed-of-play focus. Divide into teams of 5-7 players. You may put each team in a bounded area if you like. Each team sends one of their players into the middle of the other group to defend. Teams count consecutive passes until the defender wins (or touches) the ball (or the ball goes out of bounds) and then have to start over. Howver, when the defender wins the ball, they must immediately race back to their team and swap with a teammate, who goes over to defend against the other squad. After a period of time, the team who has the highest number of consecutive passes wins.

    Not only will they get work on passing & receiving, but there is strategy at work, to move the ball quickly when the defenders are swapping out.

    Variations: 1) Two defenders who may swap at the same time, or one at a time; 2) May not pass to the player who passed you the ball.
     
  8. Tony in Quakeland

    Jan 27, 2003
    Pleasant Hill, CA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not exactly what you're asking, but I had success with this with my U12 girls:

    - Use cones to mark out a good sized rectangle.
    - Inside the rectangle have a small sided scrimmage of 4 v 4 reds and against the blues.
    - Outside of the rectangle station a red and a blue player on each side and on each end line (so four more players per team).
    - The object is to bring the ball down the field and 'score' by completing a pass to your player outside the end line (the short side of the rectangle).
    - Inside the rectangle the teams fight for possession and try to move the ball down field (you can score across either goal line.)
    - HOWEVER you can pass to your teammate outside the box. That teammate can only take a step or two and MUST attempt to pass the ball back to a teammate inside the rectangle.
    - The opposing players outside the rectangle DO NOT fight for possession. (So the red and blue player on the right sideline do not try to steal or interfere with passes.)
    - Keep track of goals then switch players inside the rectangle for those outside the rectangle.

    What this game does is it adds a scoring element to keep away. It also trains players to look for wide help and trains the outside players to move in support of the ball. It also encourages the players to provide support for in bounds passes and also shows them how effective give and goes can be.

    So basically it's keepaway with more structure and a game like flow. The reason I bring it up here is that you have to be able to pass and receive effectively to succeed.
     
  9. EJDad

    EJDad New Member

    Aug 26, 2004
    Simple warm up used by the Norwegian National Women's team:

    -Make a rectangle (size determined by ability/numbers of players)

    -Split the team up into groups of 3 (it is ok if there is one group of 4) each with a ball

    -Teams pass the ball among themselves, each group using all of the space (they can't just stay in their little corner.) Balls and players should be criss-crossing all over the space.

    -Put a quick forfeit (a tuck jump etc) for the entire group of 3 whenever the ball hits a player not on their team, another ball, goes out of bounds, stops rolling or, in your opinion is not "quality." Key is they do their "punishment" quickly and get on with playing. Have them keep track and compare for a little competetive game

    -You can put restrictions (1 touch, mandatory 2 touch,etc)

    This game adds "pressure " without having to have defenders. Make the space tight (the Norwegians did the 18 player team in a 12x12 grid) so space is hard to find. Players need to be careful with the ball but also need to move to get into constantly changing passing lanes. Works for all levels of players
    Their are a million subtleties (first touch into space, playing the way you are facing, thinking one or two passes ahead, etc)that come up in this game in addition to just requiring good technique and the players enjoy it.
     
  10. Wahoo

    Wahoo New Member

    Aug 15, 2001
    Seattle, USA
    Thanks all...

    I'm always on the lookout for new things for my kids to try/do -- keeps it more fun I think.
     
  11. Stinky Shinguards

    Jul 8, 2006
    IL, Chicago suburb
    Club:
    Newcastle United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Great game! Used it in our indoor practice today and it was fantastic fun. Encourages quick play, looking up, accurate passing and receiving. Loved it and will definitely use again! Thanks for sharing dncm!
     

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