Coach in short cues
See the target · Useful weight and direction · Pass, then help again
SOCCER DEVELOPMENT HUB · DRILL EXPLAINER
Connect the team: Target trail
Passing · reinforces support the player
Deliver a pass the receiver can use immediately, then move to create the next option.
Players judge target, timing, and weight while the requirement to move prevents passing from becoming a static technique exercise.
Watch for: The receiver can play the pass without chasing or waiting. The passer looks before striking the ball. The passer moves to a new supporting angle.
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Set it up
22 × 25 yards
Use pairs or groups of three with one ball; begin eight to twelve yards apart. Mark a six-yard central zone and four clearly different target areas near the outside corners, leaving open travel lanes between them.
- Players
- 6–16
- Equipment
- soccer balls · 12 cones · 4 flat targets
- Walk one player through center, decision, target, and return so everyone sees the route and reset.
- Groups connect from the center to an outside target and back; the receiver's next action must not be slowed by the pass.
- Use three two-minute rounds; change the starting direction or pressure after each brief question break. During play, coach only this action: See the target, plant beside the ball, lock the chosen surface, and pass to the teammate's available foot or useful space.
- Progression: Add a defender who first blocks a lane and then becomes live, forcing the passer to adjust angle, timing, or weight.
- Ask, “What makes a pass useful to the teammate receiving it?” Listen to two answers, then replay so players can test an idea.
Soccer Development Hub original activity; design reviewed against U.S. Soccer player-centered session guidance and FIFA grassroots small-sided learning principles. · Editorial review