Passing Warm-ups

Passing Square Drill

The passing square drill is the simplest pass-and-follow pattern there is: four cones, a small queue at each, and the ball travels round the square while players chase their own pass to the next corner. Most coaches in youth and amateur football have run some version of it, and it earns its place because it gets a lot of touches into ten minutes.

AgesU8 to adult
Players8 to 12
Space15 × 15 m
Time10 min
IntensityLow

Animate it in DrawTactics

It develops receiving on the back foot, passing to the correct foot and talking to the next player. Use it as the first block of a session that has passing or possession as its theme, or any night you need a calm, organized start before the work gets harder.

Setup

Mark out a 15 × 15 m square with a cone on each corner. Put 8 players in four queues of 2, one queue behind each cone, and give the first player at one corner the ball. Each player passes to the front of the next queue round the square and then runs to join the back of that queue.

Equipment4 cones or discs, 1 ball per square (2 for the progression)

How it works

The first player at corner one passes along the side of the square to corner two and follows the pass to the back of that queue.
Corner two plays on to corner three and follows, while the next player at corner one steps up to the cone.
Corner three passes to corner four and follows, and corner two's next player steps up to take their place.
Corner four plays back to the new player at corner one, which completes the lap, and the pattern starts again.

Diagram of the passing square drill with every pass and run — Every step of the drill on one diagram.

Coaching points

Open up side-on before the ball arrives so you receive across your body on your back foot
Pass to the receiver's far foot so they can move it on with their next touch
Call for it early so the passer never has to look for you
Follow your pass at pace, not at a stroll
Weight the pass so it reaches the cone, not the queue behind it

Make it harder

Start a second ball from the opposite corner so both balls chase each other round
One touch only
Pass, get it straight back with a wall pass, then play on to the next corner
Change direction on the coach's call

Make it easier

Allow two or three touches
Make the square smaller so passes are shorter
Pass and stay for the first few laps, then add the follow

Adapting it by age

U8–U10

Use a 10 × 10 m square, three touches, and one ball. Count laps as a group and try to beat the score without the ball leaving the square.

U12–U14

Stay at 15 × 15 m with a two-touch limit and add the second ball once the first lap runs cleanly. Ask receivers which foot they want it on.

U15 to adult

Go to 18–20 m sides, one touch, two balls, and add the wall-pass variation so every receiver has to set and spin quickly.

Common mistakes

Players receive square-on, facing the passer, and need an extra touch to turn. Put a cone a step inside each corner and ask receivers to stand with one shoulder pointing at it, so their hips already face the next corner.

Passers watch their ball and jog, so queues pile up at one corner. Make the follow part of the rule: if you don't arrive at the next queue before the ball leaves it, the group restarts the count.

Passes go to the receiver's near foot, so the ball has to be stopped and moved again. Ask every receiver to point at the foot they want it on before it's played, and praise passes that land there.

FAQ

How many players do you need for a passing square drill?
Eight is ideal, two at each corner. Three per corner works too, but more than that and players stand around between turns, so set up a second square instead.

How big should the passing square be?
About 15 m a side for most teams. Go down to 10 m for young players or when you want one-touch speed, and up to 20 m to practice longer, firmer passes.

Make this drill your own

Open the passing square drill 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