Soccer Passing Drills
Good passing practice is never just two players kicking a ball back and forth. These soccer passing drills (football passing drills, if you coach in the UK) build the habits that make passing work in a game: opening your body before the ball arrives, passing to the right foot, and moving as soon as the ball has gone.
Each drill below is animated, so you can see exactly how it runs before you set it up. Start with an unopposed pattern to groove the technique, then move into the possession games, where players have to pass under pressure.
Passing Square Drill
Pass and follow round a square of cones.
Y Passing Drill
Pass in, lay-off, pass wide, alternating sides, then everyone moves on one spot.
Pass and Move Drill
Two teams share the area, each passing among themselves and moving after every pass.
Receiving on the Half-Turn Drill
A middle player receives side-on and plays forward in one movement.
Possession Drill with Neutrals (4v4+3)
Keep the ball with the help of neutrals who play for whoever has it.
Gates Passing Game for Soccer
Score by passing through a gate to a teammate on the other side.
Soccer Cool Down Drill: Passing in Pairs
Easy passing in pairs to bring the heart rate down.
Coaching tips
- Use an unopposed pattern as the warm-up, then add defenders within the same session.
- Coach the receiving half of the pass: the body shape and first touch decide how fast the next pass can be.
- Keep the queues short so every player touches the ball every few seconds.
- Progress from two-touch to one-touch only when the passes are already accurate.
Turn these drills into a session
Add any drill to the free session planner with one click: it arrives with its diagram, setup and coaching points, ready to print as a PDF. To change the numbers or animate your own version, open it in DrawTactics.
Open the free session plannerFAQ
What are the best passing drills for youth soccer?
For younger players, start with simple patterns such as a passing square or pass and move, where everyone touches the ball often. As players improve, add pressure with rondos and possession games so they learn to pass when space is tight.
How long should a passing drill last?
Ten to fifteen minutes is enough for most passing patterns. Change the pattern or add a progression when the quality drops or the players stop concentrating.