Passing football drills

The endless Y passing drill: in and back, up to an arm, diagonal across, switch over the top and into the runner, every pass first time, six players.

A one-touch triangle circuit for seven players: every 1-2 at a cone sends the player on the outside marker round the corner onto a through ball.

A first-time passing pattern for eight players: a wall pass, a bounce round one side, a switch and a set into a forward run, with a rotation.

Short passing does not raise a heart rate. Adding a long diagonal is what turns a passing circle into an actual warm-up.

Aerial control is decided while the ball is still travelling. Players who wait to see where it lands are already choosing a surface too late.

An eight player Ajax passing square: two at every cone, two balls on the same beat, meet it outside the cone and follow your pass to the back of the line.

Eight stations, two balls kept on opposite sides. A ten metre transfer, a short set, then another transfer, with no pause to watch your own pass.

The centre back receives from his keeper, opens up, and picks one of two targets forty five metres away. The touch before the pass decides whether either is available.

A five player passing square warm-up: meet the ball outside the cone, take it round with your first touch, pass with your second and follow your pass.

Three passes, and only the third is hard. Up into feet, back first time, then a through ball weighted so the runner never breaks stride.

A twelve metre pass, a one-two at the midpoint, then twelve metres back. Simple enough to run in the first five minutes of any session and still worth doing.

A five player passing square, one touch: play it up, get the lay-off back, slide it into his path as he spins round the cone, and take his place.

Receiving square is the safe option and that is exactly the problem. You cannot lose the ball backwards, and you cannot play forwards either.

Three players, four cones, one open corner: pass along the side, run round your cone into the open corner, and keep the ball moving with two touches.

A four player triangle passing warm-up: receive outside the cone, take it round with your first touch, pass with your second and follow your pass.

Fifteen seconds is the realistic budget for explaining anything to seven-year-olds. Pairs and one ball is what fits inside it.

A one-touch diamond passing pattern for six players: ten passes through a central pivot, lay-offs into runs, a long switch, and a station rotation.

Using a defender's own commitment against him. Once he steps towards the ball he cannot also cover the space behind his shoulder.