Gates Pass & Move

At a younger age, don’t worry too much about technique in this – the main thing is for them to get the idea of passing and moving to a goal, combinations, and teamwork and have fun with it. Passing technique is secondary. But as they start getting it;

• Make sure the weight of the pass is right – not too hard, not too soft
• Concentrate on accuracy – look at the target (player) and then eye on the ball when making contact with the ball
• Get the players to think about where they should be going next.
• Don’t rush!

Passing with dynamic dribbling and focus on teamwork to progress to a different gate with the focus on passing and moving.

Pairs pass between the gates and alternate between receiving, dribbling, and passing the ball. Players should accelerate when they receive the pass.

Aim to get 10 passes between the gates without missing. If they do, encourage them to get more, try longer passes, and speed up transition and movement between gates.

Skills Developed: Passing, dribbling, teamwork, and awareness.

• 20x25yards – plenty of space for players to make mistakes with passing and have room to dribble
• Players in pairs with 1 ball between them
• 2 cones 2 yards apart – ideally, twice as many gates as pairs

Static passing is good for coaching technique and 1-1 coaching. However, dynamic passing and moving, and combinations are critical for success in the game of soccer at a higher level or older age group. Once a player passes the ball, it is essential to move to another position to enable to attack to progress and move toward goal.

In the game, movement off the ball is just as important as on the ball.

• Non-dominant foot passing, receiving, and dribbling
• Make the gates smaller
• one/two touches only per player
• Which team can get the most passes without missing a gate?