Angle of Support Possession Drill
Attackers Defenders Neutral Goalkeeper Pass Run Dribble Shot
The Angle of Support Possession Drill is a soccer passing drill for U8–U12 that teaches the single habit good possession teams share: always give the ball two options. Three players work around a 10×10 square with one simple rule, and within minutes they're anticipating the next pass and moving before it happens.
Browse the full passing drills library for more like this, or explore every soccer drill for U10 players.
Setup
- Mark a 10×10 yard grid with a cone at each corner (think of them as positions 1–4).
- Organize the team into groups of three, one group per grid.
- Each group has one ball, with players starting at three of the four corners.
How It Works
- One rule: the player on the ball must always have a teammate at each adjacent corner.
- Example: player at corner 1 has support at corners 2 and 4. If they pass to corner 2, the player at corner 4 immediately runs to corner 3.
- The ball can go to either supporting player at any time; there is no defender.
- Play continuously - the drill is really about the third player reading the pass and relocating fast.
Coaching Points
- Think one pass ahead: the moment the ball moves, someone's support angle is wrong - fix it at a sprint.
- Explain defended space: the diagonal corner is 'behind' an imaginary defender, so nobody supports there.
- Crisp passes to feet keep the rotation flowing.
- Watch for players ball-watching instead of moving - that's the habit this drill kills.
Variations
- Restrict to two touches, then one touch.
- Add a passive defender in the middle, then make them live.
- Race grids against each other: first group to 20 clean passes wins.