TEAMMATE
Where are they going?
Notice their body shape and run. A player checking toward you may want it to feet; a runner moving beyond pressure may want it into space.
THE FIELD GUIDE / 03
PASSING.
THE BALL MOVES.
THE GAME OPENS.
A good pass is a decision made visible. See your teammate, the opponent, and the space between them. Then play the ball your teammate can actually use.
READ THE FIELDFIG. 01 / THE NEXT BALL
ONE BALL.THREE POSSIBILITIES.
PLAY THE PICTURE, NOT JUST THE PATTERN.SCROLL TO READ THE GAME ↓
01 / BEFORE YOU PLAYLOOK UP.
LOOK UP.
THEN PLAY.
Passing starts before your foot meets the ball. Take a quick picture of these three things, then update it as the play changes.
OPPONENT
What can they reach?
Look at the defender between you and your target. A direct ball through their feet is not the same option as a pass around their outside shoulder.
SPACE
What opens next?
Find the gap your pass can use and the space your teammate can use after receiving. The best-looking pass is not always the most useful one.
02 / MAKE THE CALLFEET.
FEET.
SPACE.
OR GO.
There is no automatic “right” pass. Make a choice that fits the movement in front of you.
Help them keep it.
Use this when your teammate is holding a position, checking toward the ball, or needs a controllable touch. Aim for the foot away from nearby pressure when you can.
Help them move.
Lead a teammate who is already running or can attack an open lane. Put the ball where they can arrive before a defender, not so far that they have to chase a lost cause.
Make the defender choose.
If there is space in front of you and no useful passing lane yet, take a touch forward. Carrying can draw a defender and open a pass; look up again as you move.
03 / MAKE THE BALL USEFULTHE PASS HAS
THE PASS HAS
A SHAPE.
SEE MORE THAN THE BALL.
Open your body enough to see the target and the pressure. Plant your non-kicking foot beside the ball; let the contact and follow-through point along your intended line.
MOVE THE LANE.
A step to the side or a first touch across your body can take a defender out of the passing line. You do not have to pass from the exact spot where you received it.
PLAY WHEN IT HELPS.
Release as a teammate moves into an opening, not after it closes. Put enough pace on the ball to reach them, but not so much that their first touch becomes a rescue mission.
04 / TAKE IT TO THE FIELDDRILLS WITH
DRILLS WITH
A DECISION.
Use shoes or cones as markers and an appropriate open space. Each exercise starts simple and adds a new read, not just more speed.
DRILL / 01ANGLE + ACCURACY
GATE, THEN PLAYER
- SETUP
- Make a gate with two shoes or cones. Put a partner about six to ten steps beyond it; keep the gate a few steps in front of you. One ball.
- HOW
- Pass through the gate to your partner. After each return, move a step left or right before passing again. Plant beside the ball, face the intended line, and use the inside of your foot.
- NOTICE
- Does the ball travel through the middle of the gate and arrive at a pace your partner can receive? Are you changing your body angle rather than reaching across yourself?
- PROGRESS
- Have the partner move to a new receiving spot after every pass. Look up to find them before striking.
DRILL / 02WEIGHT + TIMING
FEET OR RUN
- SETUP
- Mark a starting line and a wide end gate about eight to twelve steps away. A partner starts between them and alternates checking toward you and running through the gate.
- HOW
- Watch the partner first. When they check in, pass to their feet. When they run, lead them into the gate. Reset and switch roles after a short round.
- NOTICE
- Did you release the ball while the run was happening, or after the moment had gone? Did the pass to space slow the runner down or give them a stride to meet it?
- PROGRESS
- Let the runner choose either movement without announcing it. The passer must read the movement before playing.
DRILL / 03READ THE DEFENDER
PASS OR CARRY
- SETUP
- Set two small passing gates left and right, with a central dribble gate a few steps ahead. A partner stands between you and the gates as a passive defender.
- HOW
- The defender shades one passing gate. Look up: pass through the open outside gate or carry through the middle if the defender stays wide. Retrieve the ball and rotate.
- NOTICE
- Are you deciding from where the defender is now, not where they were a second ago? Can your first touch give you a better passing angle?
- PROGRESS
- Allow the defender to move at walking pace and close one option. Keep the area big enough to see and choose, not just react blindly.
DRILL / 04RECEIVE + RELEASE
TWO-TOUCH WINDOW
- SETUP
- Work with a partner six to eight steps away. Place one marker to each side of the receiver. Leave plenty of room around both players.
- HOW
- Pass to your partner. They call “left” or “right” while the ball travels; receive across the body toward that side and pass back on the next touch. Swap the caller each round.
- NOTICE
- Is the receiving touch setting up the pass, or leaving the ball underneath the player? Can the passer adjust the weight so the return is playable?
- PROGRESS
- The passer points to a side instead of calling it. The receiver must look up, open their body, and play.
05 / READY-TO-PLAY SESSION16 MINUTES.
16 MINUTES.
PLAY IT FOR REAL.
One ball, a partner, a few markers, and room to pass safely. The minutes are a guide. Take a breather or repeat a block if the decisions need more time.
- 03MINBLOCK / 01
FIND YOUR LINE
Warm up with easy partner passes through a gate. Move sideways after each pass; make the receiving angle change.
- 05MINBLOCK / 02
READ THE RUN
Play Feet or Run. Alternate checking in and running onto the ball. Keep the passes at a pace the receiver can use.
- 05MINBLOCK / 03
MAKE A CHOICE
Play Pass or Carry with a passive defender. Pause briefly between rounds to name the option you saw.
- 03MINBLOCK / 04
FREE COMBINATION
Put two gates in the area. Pass, move to a new angle, and receive again. Work both feet; finish with a clean final pass.
No partner today? Use a permitted wall and two marked targets for angle and weight work. Save the movement-reading games for a partner session.
06 / FIX THE NEXT REPIF THE PASS
IF THE PASS
ISN'T WORKING.
Change the picture or the contact. You do not fix every mistake by kicking harder.
THE PASS KEEPS GETTING CUT OUT
Look at the defender’s reach before playing. Move the ball or your body to create a new angle; do not force the same straight line.
THE RECEIVER HAS TO WAIT
Play earlier into the path of a moving teammate. Match the weight to their speed and the distance ahead.
THE BALL BOUNCES OFF A TEAMMATE
Take pace off a short pass. Give a firm pass when the distance or situation calls for it, but make it receivable.
PASSING FROM A CLOSED BODY
Get side-on enough to see the target and the space around them. Place the non-kicking foot beside the ball and follow through toward the intended line.
07 / FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE LINEBETTER QUESTIONS.
FOR THE PLAYER /WHAT DID
FOR THE PARENT /GIVE THEM
BETTER QUESTIONS.
BETTER PASSES.
WHAT DID
YOU SEE?
Before the ball comes, glance at the teammate, defender, and open lane. After a pass, ask whether it helped the receiver do something next. A missed pass can still teach you what to notice.
GIVE THEM
A PICTURE.
Be the moving target, not a constant stream of instructions. Check toward the player, then make a run. Ask “feet or space?” after the action and let them explain the choice they made.
08 / QUICK ANSWERSPASSING
PASSING
FAQ.
How do I know when to pass instead of dribble?
Pass when a teammate has a useful option and you can reach them before the lane closes. Carry when space is available in front of you or moving the ball will create a better passing angle. Look up again after the first touch; the answer can change quickly.
Should I pass to feet or into space?
Look at your teammate’s movement and the defender. A player checking in or holding position often needs the ball to feet. A teammate running into an open lane may need a pass in front of them. The ball should help their next action.
What is the best way to practice passing alone?
Where a wall is permitted and the space is suitable, pass to a marked target and receive the rebound from different angles. Add a glance at a second marker before each pass. A partner is better for reading real movement, but solo work can build clean contact and control.
Is passing harder with the weaker foot?
It can feel less familiar. Start with short, unhurried passes on both sides, then change your angle and distance. Accuracy and a useful next touch matter more than hitting every ball hard.
How can a parent help without coaching every pass?
Be a reliable passing partner, change your position, and ask what the player noticed: “Were you aiming at me or the space ahead?” Keep feedback specific and let the player make the next choice.
THE NEXT BALL IS YOURSSEE IT.
SEE IT.
PLAY IT.
Take the session outside. Read the movement, choose the line, and give your teammate a ball they can use.
START THE SESSION