Passing Into Four Corners
Focus of the drill
This soccer drill is great is great for focusing on developing the players’ overall passing game. The players learn to change the point of the attack, develop timing of runs and passes.
Drill Setup
Set up four equally sized playing grids of around 5x5 yards each and set them up around 40x40 yards apart from each other on all sides. Split the playing squad into two different teams wearing different colors.
How to play?
Tell the teams to pass the ball between teammates in order to keep possession, while also attempting to score a point by passing the ball to a teammate that is inside one of the four smaller boxes on the corner of the playing grid. The team is allowed to score in any of the four corners as long as they do not do not score in the same corner twice in a row.
The players should not be allowed to stand inside the small playing area waiting for a pass. They must instead time their runs in order to receive the pass inside the grid. This challenges players to learn how to time their runs in order to receive the ball in an advantageous position. So the point is not considered valid if the player is standing inside when the ball is played.
Different Versions
You can change the rules so that a point is only awarded if the player receiving the ball inside the grid manages to pass it back to a teammate.
Depending on the level of the players, you can always adapt by making the playing area more narrow or wider.
Coaching Tips
Tell the players to intensely focus on the accuracy of their passing, how to apply the right weight to their passing and how to time the speed to the run of the teammate.
Let the players be aware of the importance of supporting the player in possession with intelligent and energetic runs into space, to open up passing opportunities
Instruct the players to focus on hitting the ball so that the run of the timing of a teammates’ run is in sync with the pass.
Show the players the importance of switching directions and play in order to avoid congested areas of play, attacking intelligently by quickly switching focus to another direction.