Open the body, receive on the back foot, and never stand still after you pass.
Pass and Move
- Soccer
- U10
- 60 min
- 10–16 players
- 1 coach
- Effort 3/5
- 40x30m area
- u10
- passing
- receiving
- first-touch
- support-play
Kit: 10 footballs, 24 cones, bibs in two colours
Pairs Passing Ladder
Setup: Pairs, one ball between two, about six metres apart inside a 30×30m area. Everyone gently on the move.
How it works: Start with simple two-touch passes as you both drift around, keeping your six metres. Every minute, add a job: pass and jog to a new angle, then receive across your body, then one-touch when you can, then call your partner's name before you play it. Keep the ball on the floor and the passes firm.
What to say
- “Tell them: 'pass to the foot furthest from any traffic.'”
- “Say: 'open up as the ball travels so you can see the whole pitch.'”
- “Look for a firm, along-the-ground pass, not a soft roller.”
Easier
Stand still and pass, then add the movement once it is tidy.
Harder
One touch only, and both players must be moving when the ball is struck.
Pass and Follow
Setup: A 12×12m square with a cone on each corner and one in the middle. Two or three players at each corner, one ball to start.
How it works: Pass along a side of the square, then follow your pass and join the back of that corner. The receiver takes an open first touch and passes on to the next corner. Once it flows, send a second ball the other way so two balls travel at once. Then change to receiving at the middle cone, turning out, and passing to a corner.
What to say
- “Say: 'first touch out of your feet, into the space you are moving to.'”
- “Tell them: 'follow your pass — where the ball goes, you go.'”
- “Call for a weight of pass that arrives easy to control, not a rocket and not a dribble.”
Easier
One ball only, two touches allowed, no middle cone.
Harder
Two balls, one touch on the outside, and the middle player must turn before passing.
Keep-Ball 4v1
Setup: A 10×10m box, four attackers on the outside, one defender inside. Several boxes so everyone is working. Spare balls near you for quick restarts.
How it works: The four keep the ball away from the one in the middle. Attackers can move along their side to open a new passing angle, so there is always a simple ball on. Six passes in a row is a point. If the defender wins it or it leaves the box, the player at fault goes in the middle. Every ninety seconds, freshen the defender anyway.
What to say
- “Tell them: 'show for the ball before it is played, not after.'”
- “Say: 'receive side-on so your next pass is already lined up.'”
- “Ask the middle player to press one side and show the passer the other.”
Easier
Make it 5v1 in a bigger box with two touches allowed.
Harder
Go 4v2 and limit the outside players to one touch.
Three Passes to Score
Setup: A 40×30m pitch with a small goal at each end. Five against five or so, bibs on. You referee and feed spare balls in fast.
How it works: Normal game with one rule: a team must string three passes together before they are allowed to shoot. Passes reset if the other team touches it. This makes them look up, support each other, and move after every pass instead of dribbling into trouble. Drop the rule for the last few minutes and let them play free.
What to say
- “Say: 'after you pass, sprint to a new angle to give the next option.'”
- “Tell them: 'if you are marked, spin off and show for a different ball.'”
- “Praise the third pass that opens the shot, not only the goal.”
Easier
Two passes to score, and make the goals bigger.
Harder
Add a two-touch limit and a halfway line the passes must cross.
Walk and Stretch
Setup: Two laps of the pitch at a walk, then gather in.
How it works: Easy walk to bring the heart rate down, swinging the arms. Then a gentle stretch of the calves, thighs and groin, fifteen seconds each side, while we talk about the night.
What to say
- “Keep them moving on the walk before you stretch.”
Ask the players: Ask: 'what is the first thing you do the moment after you pass the ball?' Listen for 'move to help', then finish there.
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