Passing
Triangle Passing 2: One-Two
Play a sharp one-touch 1-2: the wall player meeting the ball, a first-time lay-off into the passer's run, and a return weighted into the wall player's stride as he spins out.
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
4
Recommended
Pitch
30 × 26 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
Medium
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format
Setup & instructions
Mark a triangle of three cones 15 metres a side. Two players stand at the starting cone, one behind the other, and one at each of the other two. The front player at the start plays the ball up the side towards the next cone and follows his pass. The wall player comes off his cone to meet it and lays it back first time. The passer meets the lay-off about two thirds of the way up the side and slides it first time into the space round the outside of the cone, where the wall player is spinning out to collect it. The wall player plays it first time on to the next cone and the pattern starts again from there. The passer bends out wide and takes the wall player's place at that cone. Every pass is one touch.
Setup time: 2 min
Tactical breakdown
A one-two only works when both players arrive at the same moment. The wall player has to meet the ball, not wait for it, and the passer has to keep running after his pass so the lay-off finds him on the move. This triangle gives every player that exchange over and over, from both sides of it.
The pattern is short and one touch all the way. The ball goes up the side, the wall player comes off his cone and lays it straight back, and the passer meets it about two thirds of the way up. His return is the pass that decides whether the drill flows. It goes round the outside of the cone into the space the wall player is spinning into, so he takes it in stride and plays it first time on to the next cone. To his feet, the rhythm dies.
The spin matters as much as the lay-off. Once the wall player has set the ball, he turns out round the outside of his cone straight away. If he watches the pass he has just played, the return arrives in space nobody is running into.
The rotation keeps four players busy on three cones. The passer bends out wide after his return and takes the wall player's place at that cone, so everyone plays every role and nobody waits long. Reverse the direction after a few minutes so the lay-off and the spin come off the other foot.
How to run this drill
- Mark a 15 metre triangle. Three cones 15 metres apart. Two players at the starting cone and one at each of the other two.
- Play it up the side and follow. The front player at the start plays the ball up the side towards the next cone and keeps running after it.
- Come short and lay it back. The wall player comes off his cone to meet the pass and lays it back first time into the space ahead of the passer.
- Slide it into the spin. The passer meets the lay-off on the move and slides it first time round the outside of the cone, where the wall player is spinning out.
- Play on and rotate. The wall player plays it first time on to the next cone, and the passer takes his place at that cone. Reverse the direction after a few minutes.
Coaching focus
FROM SESSION PLANCoaching points
- The wall player comes to meet the ball, he never receives standing on his cone
- Lay it back into the space ahead of the passer, not to where he started
- The passer keeps running, so he meets the lay-off on the move
- Slide the return round the outside of the cone, into the spin, not to feet
- The wall player spins out round the outside of his cone as the lay-off goes
Common mistakes
- The wall player waiting on his cone, so the lay-off comes back late and square
- The passer stopping after his pass and meeting the lay-off standing still
- Playing the return to the wall player's feet instead of into his spin
- Spinning inside the cone instead of round the outside of it
Progressions & regressions
VARIATIONSProgressions
- Reverse the direction so the 1-2 is played with the other foot
- Start a second ball from the opposite cone
- Put a passive defender in the middle who can step into the lay-off
Regressions
- Allow two touches on the return pass
- Shrink the triangle to 12 metres a side
- Let the wall player wait for the return before he spins
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