Soccer Passing Drills

So you can kick a pretty mean soccer ball. You can run with the very best of them, and for long periods of time. All of these are admirable and needed abilities to be a great soccer player, but if you can't pass a soccer ball effectively, it's doubtful you'll get off the bench. Passing the soccer ball is one of the most important skills you can learn to have an all-around game. Soccer passing drills, when done correctly, can help develop this part of your game.

Soccer teams that have skilled passers can control the game. If you can pass the ball better than your opponent can, you will win the game. Passing the ball effectively will always lead to more goals, as you can get the goalie out of position much more easily. If you are a coach or parent of a player, it is clear that soccer passing drills should be an integral part of any soccer practice.

Passing Drill 1

To start your soccer passing drills, a simple pass-and-move exercise is essential. Position three lines of players behind three cones arranged in a triangle. The player in front of each line will pass the ball to the next player. After completing this pass, the player will move to the line opposite of where the pass was directed. The player next in line repeats the process. All passes made will be in the triangle, which simulates a real game environment. This exercise also can help you perfect your technique and rhythm.

Passing Drill 2

Another simple drill that can help with your soccer passing skills is a combination passing drill. In this drill, evenly space three players along a line, then have them advance the ball forward with a combination of passing and dribbling. Have your players dribble to the middle, and pass to the outside. This drill is essential in teaching attack fundamentals to young players.

Passing Drill 3-Keep Away

The keep away drill is a fun and useful soccer passing drill that also teaches real game techniques. In this drill, two teams of players of equal number try to maintain possession of the ball in a set area. Try to set a number of passes that must be completed before losing possession of the ball. This drill helps with vision, as well as teaching players how to move with and without the ball.

Another smaller version of this drill would be "monkey in the middle." This is where you can have a much smaller group, as small as 3 players. You would have one player in the middle who tries to steal the ball and the others pass around this player.

Mastering passing the ball in soccer is extremely important for the success of the team. Using these drills, as well as others, will help you achieve success.

Click here to learn more about the best passing drills to take your game to the next level.