Good passing drills have three things in common: lots of touches, short queues and a clear next step as players improve. Here are three drills that work for most ages – press Play to see how each one runs.
Pass and follow in a triangle
A classic warm-up that gets everyone moving. Players pass and then run after their pass to the next cone.
Pass and follow in a triangle
Player 1 passes to 2.
Place three cones in a triangle, 8–12 metres apart. One player per cone; extra players queue behind.
- Receive on the back foot
- Look up before you pass
- Pass along the ground with the inside of the foot
Wall pass and finish through a gate
This drill trains the core of attacking play: pass and move straight away. Finish through a cone gate so it is clear when the attack works.
Wall pass and finish
Number 7 passes to the wall, number 9.
One player (9) stays as the wall. The attacker (7) starts with the ball and plays a one-two before dribbling through the gate.
- Run the moment you pass
- The wall plays ahead of the runner
- Swap roles after every go
Rondo 4 v 1
Four players keep the ball in a square while one defender tries to win it. Rondos train passing under pressure and are often the team’s favourite.
Rondo 4 v 1
The ball starts with player 1.
10 × 10 metre square. Four attackers on the edges, one defender in the middle. When the defender wins the ball, they swap with the player who lost it.
- Angle yourself so you can always receive
- Two touches maximum
- Count passes in a row – can you beat your record?
How to fit the drills into a session
- 1Start with the triangle as a 10-minute warm-up.
- 2Run the wall pass while players are warm and focused.
- 3Finish with the rondo – it is training and a game at once.
- 4Save the drills in the app so you can reuse them next week.
In SquadSpace you can draw drills yourself in Plan training, add them to a session and let players watch the animation in the app before they get to the pitch.
Frequently asked questions
From what age do these drills work?+
The triangle and the wall pass work from about age 7 with shorter distances. The rondo works best from 9–10, but you can run it as 5 v 2 for younger players.
How many balls do I need?+
One ball per group is enough, but keep a spare at each station so you don’t lose time chasing balls.