Small-sided games Passing

Gates Passing Game for Soccer

The gates passing game scatters five small gates around a box. A team scores by passing through any gate to a teammate who controls the ball on the other side. With goals in every direction, there is always somewhere to score, and players have to look up to find the one that is free.

AgesU7 to U16
Players6 to 14
Space35 × 30 m
Time15 min
IntensityMedium

Animate it in DrawTactics

It develops movement to get on the far side of a gate before the pass, the weight of a short pass and the habit of switching to an open gate when one is guarded. It is a busy, fun game that suits younger teams, and it works as a lively passing practice for older ones.

Setup

Mark a 35 × 30 m area and set out five gates about 2.5 m wide: one in the middle and one in each quarter of the area. Play 4 Reds against 4 Blues, 8 players in all. A team scores when a player passes through any gate and a teammate controls the ball on the other side. After a score, the scoring team keeps the ball and goes for another gate.

Equipment10 poles or tall cones (5 gates, 2.5 m wide), Cones to mark the area, Bibs, Supply of balls

How it works

A Red passes to a teammate, and a Blue presses the receiver.
Another Red runs to the far side of a gate, and the receiver passes through it to them to score.

Diagram of the gates passing game for soccer with every pass and run — Every step of the drill on one diagram.

Coaching points

Get on the other side of a gate before the pass, not after
Pass through the gate with the right weight for your teammate to control
Switch to a gate the defense has left free
Defenders guard space, not one gate
Scan before you receive so you already know which gate is open

Make it harder

No scoring through the same gate twice in a row
Dribbling through a gate also scores
Make the gates narrower

Make it easier

Make the gates wider
Add more gates
Add a floating player who joins whichever team has the ball

Adapting it by age

U8–U10

Play 3v3 or 4v4 with six or seven gates about 3 m wide in a 30 × 25 m area. Let dribbling through a gate score too, so less confident passers still get success.

U12–U14

Use the default 4v4 with five 2.5 m gates. Add the no-same-gate-twice rule so teams have to move the ball around the area.

U15 to adult

Play 5v5 or 6v6 with four gates 2 m wide and a two-touch limit. The receiver must take the ball through the gate on the move, with no stopping.

Common mistakes

A defender parks in one gate and blocks it all game. Make the rule that nobody can stand inside a gate; they can defend it from the side.

Receivers wait next to the gate for the pass. Ask them to time a run through the gate as the passer looks up, and only count it if they control on the move.

Passes through the gate are too hard to control. Coach a firm pass along the ground with the inside of the foot and praise the touch that sets up the next action.

Teams keep attacking the most crowded gate. Freeze play and ask players to point to the gate nobody is guarding.

FAQ

How wide should the gates be in a gates game?
About 2.5 m is a good default. Go wider for young players or a new group, and narrower to demand more accurate passing.

Can the same gate be used twice in a row?
In the basic game, yes. Banning it is a useful progression that forces teams to switch to a different gate.

Make this drill your own

Open the gates passing game for soccer in DrawTactics to change the numbers and the size of the area, move the players, and export your own animation or diagram for your team. Or add it to a free session plan and print it.

Animate it in DrawTactics