Passing and receiving are two of the most important skills in soccer. Whether you’re trying to improve passing accuracy, develop a better first touch, play through pressure, or help players make quicker decisions on the ball, the right drill can accelerate development.
The passing and receiving drills below are organised by the specific skills they help improve, making it easy to find the right activity for your players, session objectives, and age group.
What Passing & Receiving Drills Improve
- Passing Accuracy: Develop the weight, timing, and accuracy of passes under pressure.
- First Touch & Receiving: Improve ball control, body position, and the ability to prepare the next action.
- Movement & Support: Teach players how to create passing angles and support teammates off the ball.
- Playing Through Pressure: Help players stay composed, maintain possession, and break defensive pressure.
- Timing & Awareness: Improve decision-making and recognise the right moment to pass or move.
- Scanning & Decision Making: Encourage players to gather information early and make better choices on the ball.
Passing Accuracy
‘Bowling Wars’ for Passing Accuracy
- Objective: Improve passing accuracy, first touch, movement, and decision-making under pressure in a competitive game.
- How It Works
- Players begin opposite a ball balanced on a cone. Teams compete to win possession of the game balls and combine through accurate passing to knock the opposition’s balls from their cones while protecting their own. Players are eliminated when their ball is knocked off, with the last team standing winning the round.
- Coaching Focus
- Accurate passing over power
- Positive first touch into space
- Movement to support the player on the ball
- Communication and awareness of passing options
- Progression
- Limit players to two touches to increase speed of play and decision-making.
‘Time the Pass’ for Better Passing Decisions
- Objective: Improve the timing of passes, movement off the ball, and decision-making when playing through pressure.
- How It Works
- Players work in a possession-based practice where successful passes depend on moving into space at the right moment. Players must constantly scan, adjust their positioning, and recognize when teammates are available before releasing the ball.
- Coaching Focus
- Timing movement to create passing opportunities
- Passing at the right moment rather than too early or too late
- Scanning before receiving and passing
- Creating clear angles to support teammates
- Progression
- Limit players to two touches to encourage quicker decisions and improve awareness.
First Touch & Receiving Drill
- Objective: Improve first touch, receiving technique, and the ability to prepare the next action before pressure arrives.
- How It Works
- Players receive passes from different angles and must control the ball into space before playing their next pass. The practice encourages players to scan early, adjust their body position, and use their first touch to create time and space.
- Coaching Focus
- Scan before receiving
- Receive side-on whenever possible
- First touch into space
- Prepare the next action with the first touch
- Progression
- Restrict players to two touches to encourage quicker decisions and cleaner receiving technique.
Supporting Runs
- Objective: Improve movement off the ball, support play, and the ability to create passing options for teammates.
- How It Works
- Players must continually move after passing to create new angles and maintain possession. Success depends on recognising where support is needed and arriving in space at the right time.
- Coaching Focus
- Move immediately after passing
- Create clear passing angles
- Support underneath and ahead of the ball
- Communicate early with teammates
- Progression
- Require players to receive from a different teammate each time to encourage constant movement.
Keep Ball
- Objective: Improve possession, awareness, and the ability to play through pressure while maintaining control of the ball.
- How It Works
- Teams compete to maintain possession against defenders in a restricted area. Players must scan constantly, create angles, and combine quickly to keep the ball moving under pressure.
- Coaching Focus
- Keep the ball moving quickly
- Create angles to support teammates
- Scan before receiving
- Stay composed under pressure
- Progression
- Reduce the playing area to increase pressure and speed of decision-making.
Pass And Move
- Objective: Improve passing timing, movement after the pass, and supporting play.
- How It Works
- Players pass and immediately move to a new position to support the next action. The drill rewards players who recognise when and where to move to maintain possession and create passing opportunities.
- Coaching Focus
- Pass and move immediately
- Arrive into space at the right time
- Create passing options for teammates
- Communicate while moving
- Progression
- Limit players to two touches to increase speed and movement.
Sequence
- Objective: Improve scanning, awareness, passing accuracy, and decision-making in structured passing combinations.
- How It Works
- Players follow a passing sequence that requires concentration, communication, and awareness of the next action. As players become comfortable, the speed of play increases while maintaining quality.
- Coaching Focus
- Scan before receiving
- Stay aware of the next pass
- Maintain passing accuracy
- Communicate throughout the sequence
- Progression
- Reverse the sequence or add a second ball to increase complexity.
4v3 Overload
- Objective: Improve decision-making, support play, and the ability to play through defensive pressure using a numerical advantage.
- How It Works
- The attacking team uses an overload to maintain possession and create opportunities to break pressure. Players must move intelligently, recognise passing options, and take advantage of the extra player.
- Coaching Focus
- Use the spare player effectively
- Move to create passing lanes
- Recognise pressure and exploit space
- Support the player on the ball
- Progression
- Reduce touches or allow defenders to transition and counterattack when possession is won.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age group are these passing and receiving drills suitable for?
Most of the drills on this page can be adapted for a wide range of age groups, from U6 players learning the fundamentals to older players working on possession, awareness, and decision-making.
How often should soccer passing drills be used in training?
Passing and receiving activities should be included in almost every training session. They help players develop technical consistency, improve possession, and become more confident on the ball.
What is the best soccer passing drill for beginners?
Simple passing exercises that focus on first touch, accuracy, and movement are usually the best starting point. As players improve, coaches can introduce more pressure, decision-making, and game-realistic scenarios.