Passing
Square Passing 3: One-Two
Groove a first-time one-two: the wall player coming to meet the ball, a lay-off into the passer's stride, and a ball into the spin that lets him play on without a touch.
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
5
Recommended
Pitch
28 × 28 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
Medium
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format
Setup & instructions
Mark a square of four cones 15 metres a side. Two players at the starting cone, one behind the other, and one at each of the other three, all just outside their cone. The front player at the start plays it up the side to the next cone and follows his pass. The player there comes to meet it and lays it back first time; the follower meets the lay-off on his way up the side and plays it first time into the wall player's path as he spins out round the outside of his cone. The wall player plays it first time up the next side to start the next one-two, and the follower takes his place at the cone. One touch all the way round. Go one way for a few minutes, then reverse.
Setup time: 2 min
Tactical breakdown
The one-two is the simplest combination in football and the easiest to play badly. Almost every bad one starts with the wall player, who waits on his cone for the ball instead of coming to meet it. Then the lay-off has to be played square, the passer has to stop for it, and the return comes back as two touches instead of one. This square fixes that by making the wall player's movement the trigger: he leaves his cone as the ball is played up to him, meets it, and lays it straight back into the passer's stride.
The passer never stops. He follows his pass up the side, meets the lay-off about two thirds of the way along and plays it first time. By then the wall player has spun out round the outside of his own cone, so the return goes into his path, not to his feet, and he plays it first time up the next side. That one-two is the next rep, and the follower takes his place at the cone.
Everything is one touch apart from the opening carry, so timing is the whole drill. If the spin starts before the lay-off has gone the runs cross, and if it starts late the ball beats him and he has to check back. Coach the timing, not the technique.
Five players on four cones means the cone with the ball always has two in it. Go one way until the rhythm holds, then reverse so the other foot does the work.
How to run this drill
- Mark a 15 metre square. Four cones 15 metres apart. Two players at the starting cone, one behind the other, and one at each of the other three, all just outside their cone.
- Play it up and follow. The front player at the start plays it up the side to the next cone and follows his pass. The player there comes to meet it.
- Lay it back first time. The wall player lays it back first time. The follower meets it on his way up the side and plays it first time into the wall player's path.
- Spin out and play on. The wall player spins out round the outside of his cone, plays it first time up the next side, and the follower takes his place at the cone.
Coaching focus
FROM SESSION PLANCoaching points
- Wall player: come to meet it, never wait on the cone
- Lay it back first time into the follower's stride, not his feet
- Follower: keep running and play the return first time
- Spin out round the outside of the cone as the lay-off goes
- Ball into the spin weighted so he can play on without a touch
Common mistakes
- The wall player waiting on the cone, so the lay-off is played square
- Stopping after the first pass and receiving the return standing still
- Spinning out before the lay-off has gone, so the runs cross
- Playing the ball into the spin behind him, so he has to check back
Progressions & regressions
VARIATIONSProgressions
- Move on to the third man version, where the lay-off finds a different player (Square Passing 4)
- Reverse the direction so the other foot does the work
- Add a second ball from the opposite cone
Regressions
- Two touch on the ball into the spin
- Shrink the square to 12 metres so the passes are shorter
- Walk the pattern through once without a ball
Explore more drills
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