27 Soccer Passing Drills Every Coach Needs in Their Toolkit

7. Four Corners Game

How the Drill Works:

Two teams attempt to keep possession of the ball and score by completing a pass to a player in any of the four corner zones.

Purpose:

Develops players’ decision-making and passing skills. Players improve their ability to find open spaces and move the ball into those spaces.

Diagram:

Setup:

• • Set up a 35×30-yard field with 5×5-yard boxes in each corner. See diagram.
  • Divide the players into two teams of no more than six players per team. Assign jerseys to each team.
  • Both teams start inside the field. One team starts with the ball.
  • Gather all the extra balls with the coach or disperse them evenly around the field.
  • Play four, four-minute games. Add more time and games as needed. Make coaching points between games.

Instructions:

1. Teams compete to maintain possession of the ball and score points by completing passes to players in any of the four corner zones.
2. Teams receive one pass every time they complete a pass to a teammate in a corner zone. Any teammate can run into the zone.
3. Team defending can not enter the zone at any point!
4. Teams can not score in corner zone twice in a row!
5. Play kick-ins if the ball goes out-of-bounds.
6. Play four, four-minute games. Team with the most points at the end of each game wins. Make coaching points between games.

Variations:

Different number of players – Play the game with any number of players, for example 5-on-5, 6-on-6, etc. Increase the field size as more players are added.

Neutral player – Add a neutral player, or two, if teams are struggling to connect passes and score.

Limit touches – Give players a three, two, or one-touch limit depending on the skill level.

Coaching Points:

• • Vary the field size to increase or decrease the difficulty.
  • Instruct the players to constantly move off of each other to provide good passing angles for their teammates.
  • Encourage players to bring a voice to their team. Have players communicate and help each other with decisions.
  • Teach the players to move together as a team and when the opportunity is there, complete a pass into a corner zone. Players should not just stand in the squares waiting for a pass!
  • Challenge the players to take care of the ball and move the defenders to create a good opportunity to score a point. Encourage teams to move the ball quickly and switch play to find open players and open small squares. Teams should try to not force passes into corner zones!