How to Improve Your Team's Passing

Passing is the glue that holds good football together. A team that passes accurately and moves the ball quickly keeps possession, tires opponents and creates chances. Here's how to sharpen your team's passing.

Weight and accuracy

A good pass arrives at the right foot at the right speed. Too soft and it's intercepted; too hard and it's uncontrollable. Coach players to pass firmly to the correct foot — usually the one away from the nearest defender — so the receiver can play quickly.

Pass and move

The pass is only half the job. Teach players to move immediately after passing — offer a new angle, support the receiver, never admire the pass. A team that moves after passing is almost impossible to press.

Open your body to receive

Passing improves the instant players learn to receive on the half-turn — body open, first touch out of the feet, already facing forward. This buys time and lets the ball keep moving. Drill first touch as hard as you drill the pass.

Create angles

Straight lines are easy to defend. Coach players to constantly adjust their position to create passing triangles and diagonal options. There should always be at least two easy passes available to whoever has the ball.

Drills that build it

Rondos and passing-gate drills build accuracy and quick decisions; possession games in a grid teach players to keep the ball under pressure; passing patterns rehearse the combinations you want to see in matches.

Try it on the pitch: set up high press, low block, man-marking or an attacking shape and get AI coaching for it in the DRILLPITCH Formation & Tactics Builder.

For done-for-you sessions with every drill mapped out, take a look at the DRILLPITCH manual shop.