Passing
Square Passing 1: Pass and Follow
Warm up the first touch and the pass together: meet the ball outside the cone, take it round in one touch, and follow every pass at match pace.
Duration
10 min
Total drill time
Players
5
Recommended
Pitch
26 × 26 m
Setup space
Level
Beginner
Skill required
Intensity
Low
Physical demand
Age band
U6-U8
Any format
Setup & instructions
Mark a square of four cones 15 metres a side. Two players stand 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 passes along the side to the next cone and follows his pass. The player there steps across to meet the ball just outside his cone, takes his first touch round the outside of it, and plays on to the next cone with his second. The follower runs outside the line of his pass and takes the place of the player he passed to. Go round one way for a few minutes, then reverse.
Setup time: 2 min
Tactical breakdown
Pass and follow round a square is the session opener almost every team uses, and for good reason. The ball keeps moving, so does everyone who touches it, and the pulse comes up without anyone being told to run. Five players on four cones means one cone always has two in it, so the rotation never waits for a gap.
The detail that makes it worth doing properly is where the ball is received. The player on the cone does not wait behind it. He steps across and meets the pass just outside the cone, on the line the ball is travelling along, and his first touch takes it round the outside of the cone towards the next side. That is the same movement a full back makes to receive from a centre back and play down the line: meet it early, open up, move it on.
The second touch is the pass. Two touches is the right standard for a warm-up, enough time to get the body shape right without the rhythm stalling. Start unhurried and build the tempo, so the ball is moving at close to session pace by the end of the ten minutes. Going hard from cold is how a hamstring goes in a passing drill.
Following the pass matters as much as the pass. The passer runs outside the line of the ball so he never blocks it, and arrives at the next cone facing the square, ready for his turn. Go round one way for a few minutes, then reverse so the other foot does the receiving.
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.
- Pass to the next cone and follow. The front player at the start passes along the ground to the next cone, then follows his pass, running outside the line of the ball.
- Meet it outside the cone. The player at the next cone steps across to meet the ball just outside it, takes his first touch round the outside of the cone and passes on with his second.
- Take his place and keep it going. The follower takes the place of the player he passed to, facing the square. Build the tempo over ten minutes, then reverse the direction.
Coaching focus
FROM SESSION PLANCoaching points
- Meet the ball outside the cone, never wait behind it
- First touch round the outside of the cone, towards the next pass
- Pass with the second touch, firm and along the ground
- Follow your pass straight away, outside the line of the ball
- Arrive at the cone facing the square, ready for your turn
Common mistakes
- Receiving standing behind the cone, so the next pass has to go round it
- A first touch inside the cone that cuts the corner
- Watching the pass instead of following it
- Arriving at the cone facing away from the ball
Progressions & regressions
VARIATIONSProgressions
- One touch: play it on first time from outside the cone
- Reverse the direction so the other foot does the work
- Add a second ball from the opposite cone with eight players (Square Passing 5)
Regressions
- Allow a third touch to settle the ball
- Shrink the square to 10 metres a side
- Walk the rotation through once without a ball
Explore more drills
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