Passing
Combination Play, Switch of Play and Pass into Space
Combine quickly in tight spaces, switch the point of attack with the right weight, and time movements so the ball is played into space and taken in stride.
Duration
15 min
Total drill time
Players
8
Recommended
Pitch
Full Pitch
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
Medium
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format
Setup & instructions
Mark an area about 26 by 22 metres. Put a starting line at the bottom, each player with a ball, standing one behind another. Put a wall player on a cone in the middle, a wide player on each side with a mannequin a couple of metres inside him, and a target player on a cone at the top. Every pass is first time. The starter plays into the wall player and runs forward, and the wall player lays it back into his run. The starter plays out to the right-hand wide player, who comes down to meet it. Meanwhile the wall player slides across to the right, and the wide player plays it inside to him. The wide player then runs up past his mannequin, and the wall player plays it up to him. He switches it to the left-hand wide player, who comes up off his mannequin and plays it into the target player checking towards the ball. As soon as he has passed, the left-hand wide player sprints forward round his mannequin into space, and the target player sets it into his path. He takes it in stride and carries it back to the end of the starting line. Rotate after every rep: starter to wall player, wall player to the right, right to the top, top to the left, and left back to the line. The next starter can play in as soon as the switch is on its way.
Setup time: 5 min
Tactical breakdown
In a game, a team that only combines on one side gets crowded out. This pattern links the two things that beat a compact block: quick combinations in a tight space to draw players in, then a switch to the side they have left.
The first half is a wall pass and a bounce round the right. The starter plays in and gets it back on the run, then the wall player slides across and the right-hand wide player comes off his mannequin to receive again. Every pass is short and first time, so the timing of each movement matters more than the pass itself.
The switch is the hinge of the drill. It has to be weighted so the far wide player can play it on first time. A soft switch makes him take a touch, and the rhythm the first half built is gone.
The second half is about playing into space rather than to feet. The far wide player plays into the target player checking towards the ball and immediately runs forward. The set goes into the space ahead of him, so he takes it in stride and carries it away. That pass-and-go is the same movement that gets a full back or a winger in behind in a game.
The rotation gives everyone every role over a few rounds: playing in, the wall pass, the bounce, the switch, the check and the run into space. Because the next rep can start as soon as the switch is on its way, two balls are often moving at once, which keeps everyone working and their heads up.
How to run this drill
- Set out the area. About 26 by 22 metres. A starting line at the bottom with a ball each, standing one behind another. A wall player on a cone in the middle, a wide player each side with a mannequin just inside him, and a target player on a cone at the top.
- Wall pass in the middle. The starter plays into the wall player and runs forward. The wall player lays it back into his run first time.
- Bounce it round the right. The starter plays out to the right-hand wide player, who plays it inside to the wall player sliding across. The wide player runs up past his mannequin and gets it back.
- Switch it to the far side. The right-hand wide player switches it to the left-hand wide player, who comes up off his mannequin to play it first time.
- Set it into the run. He plays into the target player checking towards the ball and sprints forward into space. The target player sets it into his path and he carries it back to the end of the line.
- Rotate one station each rep. Starter to wall player, wall player to the right, right to the top, top to the left, and left back to the line. The next starter plays in as soon as the switch is on its way.
Coaching focus
FROM SESSION PLANCoaching points
- Weight the switch so the far wide player can play it first time and keep the rhythm
- The target player checks towards the ball at the moment the switch is played, not before
- The left-hand wide player moves forward the instant his pass leaves his foot, to create the option into space
- Lay-offs and sets go into the runner's path, a yard in front of him, never to where he stood
- Open your body before the ball arrives so the next pass is already on
- Minimal touches and continuous movement first, then build the speed of execution
Common mistakes
- The switch played too soft, so the far wide player has to take a touch and the tempo drops
- The target player checking too early, so he arrives before the ball and has to stand
- The wide player waiting to see the set before he runs, so the pass into space has nowhere to go
- Passes played to feet when the receiver is moving, which stops his run
- Players forgetting the rotation and staying at the station they just played from
Progressions & regressions
VARIATIONSProgressions
- Run it the other way round: bounce round the left and switch to the right
- Weak foot only for a whole round
- Finish with a shot into a goal at the bottom instead of the carry back to the line
- Swap a mannequin for a passive defender who can step into a passing lane
Regressions
- Allow two touches on the switch and the set
- Shrink the area to about 20 by 16 metres
- Play the basic version first: stop after the wall pass and the bounce round the right
- Walk the movements through without a ball until the timing is right
Explore more drills
LIBRARYReady to run this drill?
Save it to your private drills, then change the animation, adjust positions, swap equipment, or drop it into a session block. Or start from a blank pitch and build your own.