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Free activities · Possession and passing

Possession
and passing

Keeping the ball is a decision, not a failure. These activities teach the pieces of it one at a time: receive side-on, pass and move, make the triangle, draw the defenders to one side and play out the other, show late, run on the touch.

Switch and Go diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingSwitch and Go

Build against four pressers. Two points if the ball went from back to back first.

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Build-Up Game diagramAges 11+ · Playing out of the backBuild-Up Game

A full 9v9 where every restart is played short from the keeper and the opponents drop to halfway until the first pass is received.

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Split the Gate diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingSplit the Gate

Four attackers around a 12x12 with two defenders standing as a gate in the middle, three yards apart.

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Pocket Rondo diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingPocket Rondo

Three lines of cones split a 15x12 into thirds. Four attackers on the ends, one in the middle third with three defenders.

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Three Zones Through diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingThree Zones Through

Three zones and two neutrals. You can only score by going through the middle.

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Break the Line diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingBreak the Line

Keep it, break the line, then follow your pass to make it 3v2.

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Between the Lines diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingBetween the Lines

Score by receiving between two lines of defenders and turning.

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Pass and Move Square diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingPass and Move Square

A 4v1 rondo with one rule that changes everything: after you pass, you must move to a different side of the square before you can receive again.

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Traveling Triangle diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingTraveling Triangle

Three attackers with one ball travel down a 10x30 channel against a defender who may only walk, keeping a triangle around the defender the whole way.

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Angles Rondo diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingAngles Rondo

Nobody may receive in a corner, or in a straight line with a defender.

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Support Ahead and Behind diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingSupport Ahead and Behind

Always one ahead and one behind. Back then forward counts double.

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Wall Passes to Goal diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingWall Passes to Goal

Waves of 3v2 to goal, and a one-two doubles the score.

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Two-Side Rondo diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingTwo-Side Rondo

A long, narrow rondo. Two attackers on each short end of a 16x8, two defenders inside.

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Switch Through the Middle diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingSwitch Through the Middle

Two attackers on each side line of a 20x14, two in the middle, three defenders.

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Switch and Score diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingSwitch and Score

Two goals to attack, and a goal after a switch counts double.

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Wide Targets diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingWide Targets

Score by finding one wide target, then the other.

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Switch in the Phase diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingSwitch in the Phase

Seven against six, and a switch after halfway doubles the goal.

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Overload the Middle diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingOverload the Middle

3v1 in the middle, then one player goes forward to make it 2v1.

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Check and Receive diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingCheck and Receive

Two servers twelve yards apart, a receiver in the middle with a shadow defender behind.

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Vacate and Fill diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingVacate and Fill

A rondo that rotates: leave a space so a teammate can arrive in it.

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Double Move to Receive diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingDouble Move to Receive

One way, then the other. You can’t receive until you’ve made a double move.

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Show Late diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingShow Late

The inside player can only receive if they arrive late.

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Vacate the Pocket diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingVacate the Pocket

Nobody can receive in the pocket unless a teammate just left it.

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Run on the Touch diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingRun on the Touch

A passer and a runner on a 20x15 with a mini goal.

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Run and Through diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingRun and Through

Pass into the target, run on the pass, finish the lay-off.

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Timing Rondo diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingTiming Rondo

After four passes, one attacker breaks out toward goal.

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Beat the Offside Line diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingBeat the Offside Line

Run behind the line on the pass, never before. Offside is called strictly.

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Forward or Keep diagramAges 11+ · Possession and passingForward or Keep

Every forward pass past a defender scores. Going back is free.

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Transition Game diagramAges 11+ · Pressing and transitionTransition Game

A full 9v9 with nothing marked and one rule: every time possession changes, the bench calls it.

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Wide Gates diagramAges 9–12 · Possession and passingWide Gates

Cone gates scattered 12 to 15 yards apart across a 30x30. In pairs, pass through a gate to your partner, then both run to a new gate.

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Channel Game diagramAges 9–12 · Possession and passingChannel Game

4v4 to mini goals on a 35x30 with a five-yard channel down each side. One attacker at a time may be in a channel and nobody may tackle them there.

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Around the Shape diagramAges 9–12 · Possession and passingAround the Shape

Cones laid out in your team shape on half a field, one player per cone.

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Home Zones diagramAges 9–12 · Possession and passingHome Zones

5v5 plus keepers on a 40x30 split into back, middle and front bands.

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Shoulder-Check Lines diagramAges 9–12 · Possession and passingShoulder-Check Lines

Threes in a line, ten yards apart.

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Bounce or Turn diagramAges 9–12 · Playing out of the backBounce or Turn

A server twelve yards from a receiver with a shadow defender behind, either tight or loose.

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Out and Over diagramAges 9–12 · Playing out of the backOut and Over

A 45x35 with a halfway line.

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Lock the Middle diagramAges 9–12 · Pressing and transitionLock the Middle

4v4 on a 35x30 with a target player on each end line and three gates across the middle: a wide center gate and two wide ones.

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4v1 World Cup diagramAges 7–8 · Rondos4v1 World Cup

Teams of five, each a country with its own box. Four attackers stay home and one goes to defend in another country’s box.

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4v4 Four-Goal Game diagramAges 7–8 · Attacking and finishing4v4 Four-Goal Game

4v4 with two mini goals at each end, so each team attacks two goals. If one goal is crowded, turn and go to the other.

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3v1 Rondo diagramAges 7–8 · Rondos3v1 Rondo

Groups of four in 8x8 grids with spare balls at every grid.

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