27 Soccer Passing Drills Every Coach Needs in Their Toolkit

8. Four Player Short & Long Passing Pattern

How the Drill Works:

Four players form a rectangle and continuously exchange short and long passes between each other with one soccer ball.

Purpose:

Develop passing accuracy and receiving skills over varied distances.

Diagram:

Setup:

• • Have the players divide into group of four and form a 10×20 yard rectangle. Add or subtract distance between players depending on the skill of the players.
  • There should be one ball per group.
  • Make sure groups have enough space between each other.
  • Each group should complete four, three-minute rounds. Add more rounds and time as needed.

Instructions:

1. The player starting with the ball completes a short pass to the player closest to them.
2. The player receiving the pass takes their first touch and then completes a long pass to their teammate diagonally across from them.
3. The long pass receiving player, settles the ball on their first touch, and then completes a short pass to the player closest to them.
4. The fourth player then completes a long pass back to the beginning player.
5. Continue this pattern for three minutes before resting and switching roles. Players who passed short the first round, now pass long.
6. Switch variations and guidelines as needed. Complete four, three-minute rounds. Add more rounds and time as needed.

Variations:

Weak foot – Players attempt to complete their passes using their weak foot only.

One-touch pass – Players must complete the passing pattern in one touch.

Lofted diagonal ball – Challenge players to play the diagonal ball in the air.

Different passing patterns – The second image below is another passing pattern that could be completed using the same setup. Challenge the players with new patterns!

Coaching Points:

• Challenge the players by adjusting the rectangle size or touch-limit.
• Teach the players to play the correct foot of their teammate so the activity can move along cleanly.
• Encourage the players to use different types of passes – low pass, lofted or driven. Let players experiment with different passes while focusing on accuracy on each type of pass.
• Push the players out of their comfort zone. Increase the tempo of the pattern as needed.