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Home/Training Drills/Passing Drills/Chipped Through Ball
PassingIntermediate

Chipped Through Ball

Beat a high defensive line with a lofted through ball. Runner: time the run to stay onside and arrive with the ball. Passer: recognise it early, chip it over the defender, and weight it into the runner's path.

Create your own drill
Live animationPAS
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
4
Recommended
Pitch
46 × 36 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format

Setup & instructions

A passer plays a chipped ball over a defender (or a marked line) for a runner making a run in behind to finish. Play it early, before the line reacts, and chip it high enough to clear the defender but soft enough to land in the runner's stride. The runner times the run to stay onside. Rotate passer and runner.

Setup time: 2 min

Tactical breakdown

Some passes are worth playing even though most of them fail, and a chip over a high line is the clearest example in football. The completion rate is low. The payoff when it works is a striker running at a goalkeeper with nobody between them, which is worth several sideways passes that keep possession and create nothing. Judge this pass on its expected return, not on how often it comes off.

Recognition is the first half and it has to be quick. A high line is only vulnerable while it is high, and defences drop the moment they sense the danger. A player who spots it, takes a touch to set himself and then looks up has usually watched the opportunity disappear during his own preparation.

The height is the technical point that decides everything. Waist or chest high clears the defender's head but comes down fast enough that he cannot recover under it. Too flat and it is intercepted, too high and it hangs, which gives the defender time to turn and the keeper time to come.

Weight is where these are lost most often. Overhit and the keeper collects it comfortably, underhit and the defender heads it clear. The target is the runner's stride, and getting that consistently is the reason to rehearse this rather than trust it.

The runner carries half the responsibility and usually gets none of the blame. Breaking too early is offside, breaking too late means arriving behind the ball. The run should bend, starting from a position level or slightly behind and curving in behind the line.

How to run this drill

  1. Recognise it before you touch the ball. A high line is vulnerable only while it stays high. Taking a settling touch first usually means watching the chance disappear.
  2. Play it early, before the line drops. Defences retreat the moment they sense the threat. The window is open when you spot it and closing while you decide.
  3. Chip it waist or chest high. High enough to clear the defender, low enough that it comes down fast. A hanging ball gives him time to turn and the keeper time to come.
  4. Weight it into the stride. Overhit is a comfortable collection for the keeper, underhit is a headed clearance. The precision is the reason to rehearse it.
  5. Bend the run to stay onside. Starting level or slightly behind and curving in behind the line beats a straight sprint, which goes offside a beat too early.
  6. Judge it on payoff, not completion rate. Most of these fail. The ones that work produce a clear run at the keeper, which is worth more than several safe sideways passes.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Recognise it early and play it quickly, before the line can drop
  • Chip it waist or chest high so the defender cannot reach it
  • Weight it precisely: not over-hit, not under-hit, into the stride
  • Runner times the run to stay onside and arrive with the ball
  • Runner attacks the space, does not check back onto the ball
  • Finish first time or with one touch to beat the recovering keeper

Common mistakes

  • Under-hitting the chip so the defender heads it clear
  • Over-hitting it so the keeper claims it or it runs out
  • Runner going too early and being caught offside
  • Passer taking a touch too many and letting the line drop off

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add a recovering defender chasing the runner down
  • First-time finish only after the chip
  • Passer chooses ground through ball or chip over the top

Regressions

  • Passive defender so the chip and run can be grooved
  • Runner starts the run later for an easier onside timing
  • Chip into space with no keeper before adding the finish
Equipment
Cones×1
Full Goals×1
Markers×1
Tactical principles
chipped through ballbeating a high linelofted through passtiming the runplaying over the topweighting a through ballstaying onsideu10 passing drillcounter to a high linethrough ball technique
Audience
U9-U10

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