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Home/Training Drills/Passing Drills/Third-Man Combination
PassingIntermediate

Third-Man Combination

Break lines by finding the third man. Play into feet to fix the defence, time the supporting run to arrive as the layoff is played, and set the runner into space, not to feet.

Create your own drill
Live animationPAS
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
4
Recommended
Pitch
44 × 36 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format

Setup & instructions

A deep player has the ball, a forward shows to feet, and a third player waits to run from deep. Play into the forward, time the run to arrive as the ball does, and lay it first time into the runner's path to finish. Reward first-time layoffs and third-man finishes. Progress from unopposed to a defender screening the pass.

Setup time: 2 min

Tactical breakdown

Defenders track two things: the ball, and the opponent in front of them. The third man is the player who is neither, which is the entire reason this combination beats an organised block when a direct pass will not.

The sequence hides the intention. A pass into a forward's feet is a signal every defender reads, and the block reacts to it by stepping in and tightening around him. That reaction is not a failure of the pass, it is the purpose of it. While the defence is collapsing onto the ball, a third player is arriving from a position nobody is watching, and the lay-off releases him into space that existed only because the defence moved.

What makes it fail in practice is almost always the timing of the run rather than the quality of the passes. Starting too early means arriving before the defence has committed, so the block is still intact and the runner is simply marked. Starting after the lay-off means the ball waits for him, and a waiting ball lets defenders recover their shape.

The other frequent error is setting the ball to the third man's feet. He is running into space, and a pass to feet asks him to stop in the exact moment his momentum is the advantage. It should be played ahead of him.

The forward's role deserves stating clearly: his job is to be a magnet, not a scorer. Holding the ball for half a second longer than feels comfortable is what draws the defenders in far enough for the pattern to work.

How to run this drill

  1. Play into the forward's feet to fix the block. The pass is a signal the defence will react to. Their collapse onto the ball is not a problem, it is the mechanism the combination depends on.
  2. Hold it half a second longer. The forward acts as a magnet rather than a finisher. Releasing immediately means the defence never commits and the space behind them never opens.
  3. Start the third run as the pass travels. Not before, or the block is still intact and the runner is marked. Not after the lay-off, or the ball waits and the defence recovers its shape.
  4. Set it first time into his path. The lay-off is played ahead of the arriving player, not at his feet. Passing to feet asks him to stop in the moment his momentum is the whole advantage.
  5. Attack the space the defence vacated. The runner goes into the area the block just left to press the ball. That space exists for about a second and a half.
  6. Rehearse it against a set block. Add four defenders holding a line. Unopposed, the pattern always works and teaches nothing about when the moment to play it actually arrives.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Play into feet to fix the defenders on the first two players
  • Third man times the run to arrive as the layoff is played, not before
  • Lay it first time into the space ahead of the runner, not to feet
  • Weight the pass so the runner can take it in stride
  • Scan before you receive so the finish is one movement
  • Disguise the run: arrive late from behind the defence

Common mistakes

  • The runner arriving too early and being marked or offside
  • Laying the ball to the runner's feet instead of into space
  • Forward taking a heavy touch and killing the tempo
  • No disguise, so the defence reads and tracks the third man

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add a defender screening the forward to force a sharper layoff
  • First-time layoff and first-time finish only
  • Third man finishes, then becomes the forward for the next rep

Regressions

  • Unopposed, with a walk-through of the run timing
  • Allow the forward two touches to set the layoff
  • Slow the pattern until the timing of the run is right
Equipment
Cones×3
Full Goals×1
Tactical principles
third man runthird man combinationbreaking a low blockcombination playpassing patternplaying through the linestiming the runpossession to penetrationtechnical passing drillu10 passing drill
Audience
U9-U10

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