Passing
Triangle Passing Variation 6: Third Man Circuit
Groove the timing of a third man run off a 1-2: the wall player meeting the ball, the first time set, and a run that starts on the combination, not on the through ball.
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
7
Recommended
Pitch
33 × 33 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
Medium
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format
Setup & instructions
Mark a triangle of red cones about 15 metres a side. Put a yellow cone 5 metres beyond each corner, on the line of the side that runs into it. One player on every cone and one more on the ball beside a corner. He passes into the red at the next corner and follows his pass. The red comes short off his cone and sets it back first time, into the space around the middle of the side. That 1-2 is the trigger for the yellow at that corner: he checks away, then runs round the corner. The ball is slid into his path first time, and he plays it first time into the next red. Rotate as you go: the passer takes the red cone, the red jogs out wide and takes the yellow cone. Every pass is one touch.
Setup time: 3 min
Tactical breakdown
Most passing patterns teach the pass. This one teaches the run, and specifically the moment a run should start. The yellow player's cue is not the ball coming towards him: it is a combination between two other players. When the red sets the ball back, the third man is already going, and the through ball meets him at full speed round the corner.
That is why the wall player matters as much as the runner. A red who waits on his cone turns a quick 1-2 into a slow one, and the runner either arrives too early and has to stop, or sets off late. Coming short to meet the pass makes the set sharper and gives the passer a ball he can play first time from around the middle of the side.
The circuit keeps all seven players working. Each rep moves three of them: the passer follows to the red cone, the red jogs out wide to the yellow cone, and the yellow carries the pattern on to the next corner. Everyone plays every role, and the set and the through ball come off both feet as the ball goes round.
One touch is the standard, not a progression. A controlling touch on the set or the through ball breaks the timing the drill is built around, so if quality drops, allow two touches for a block and then take it away again.
When it is working, the ball never stops, and the yellow is already running before the set has reached the passer.
How to run this drill
- Mark a red triangle and three yellow cones. Red cones about 15 metres apart in a triangle. A yellow cone 5 metres beyond each corner, on the line of the side that runs into it. One player on every cone and one on the ball beside a corner.
- Pass into the next red and follow. A firm first-time pass into the red at the next corner, then follow it up the outside of the side.
- Come short and set it back. The red steps off his cone to meet it and plays it back first time into the space around the middle of the side, so the passer never has to wait.
- Go on the 1-2. The yellow at that corner checks away as the set is played, then runs round the corner. His cue is the combination, not the through ball.
- Slide it into his path. First time, into the space ahead of the runner so he takes it in stride. He plays it first time into the next red and the pattern repeats.
- Rotate as you go. The passer takes the red cone, the red jogs out wide and takes the yellow cone. After a few minutes, reverse the direction round the triangle.
Coaching focus
FROM SESSION PLANCoaching points
- The red comes short to meet the pass, never receives standing on his cone
- The set goes back into the space ahead of the passer, not to where he started
- The yellow goes on the 1-2, not on the through ball
- Check away first, then attack the space round the corner
- Weight the through ball into the runner's stride, not his feet
Common mistakes
- The red waiting on his cone, so the set comes back late and square
- The yellow running before the 1-2, then having to check and wait
- Playing the through ball to feet, which kills the runner's momentum
- Forgetting the rotation, so the same player sets every ball
Progressions & regressions
VARIATIONSProgressions
- Add a passive defender in the middle of the triangle the through ball has to beat
- Reverse the direction so the pattern runs the other way round
- Add a second ball starting at the opposite corner
Regressions
- Allow two touches on the set or the through ball
- Shrink the triangle to 10 metres a side
- Let the yellow start his run once the set has been played
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.