Football is a team sport, which is why the skills we’re about to explore are not just necessary, but extremely important for any football player to develop through practice. You need to be able to pass with correct pace and accuracy, not to mention proper control. As for receiving the ball, you should be able to receive it in one touch and continue playing, seamlessly. This post details the exercises you can follow to improve your passing game.

Passing in Groups of 2

Begin practice in groups of 2 players with one ball for each pair. Stay on your toes and use both your feet for simple passing, but with one touch. Pace is crucial for passing – it should be neither too slow nor too fast. How do you determine this? The optimal pace will allow both players to control the ball with accuracy, and thereby avoid loss of ball possession.

Next, try to receive and play with a different foot – control with the left and play with the right, or vice versa. It’s important to stay on your toes and not stand stationary as it gives you mobility while receiving the ball. Running from a stationary position is far harder than if you are already ready to go. Same reason why you should be looking up and not down, so you’re aware of the surroundings and prepared to receive any sudden passes.

Practise controlling with the outside of the foot and play with the same leg, in-step. With the in-step you have the advantage of increased flexibility – being able to play in any direction, as opposed to when you’re playing with the inside of the foot.

Passing in Groups of 3

Next, in groups of 3 players, spread apart in an open space, and practise passing the ball and moving around, while changing positions. Use the inside as well as outside of both the feet, depending on the opportunity, and keep switching positions.

Repeat the same exercise but this time using only one touch – concentrate and keep the pace in check. Playing one-touch football is not easy, and it requires a lot of focus and awareness to progress from two-touch to one-touch football. You have to be able to anticipate and plan where you’ll be playing the ball even before you receive it. As a beginner, this may take some time to master, but keep at it and you’ll soon get the hang of it.

Passing in Groups of 5

In the last part of this training, get into a 5 and 2 formation, where 5 attackers try to pass the ball and keep it in play, while 2 defenders try to intercept and disrupt them. Practise change of direction by passing in a circular loop while the defenders try to steal the ball. Break the flow by planning some through passes. Through passes are nothing but well-timed passes between the defenders. Ensure you pass with sufficient pace to confuse the defenders and prevent them from touching the ball.

Keep increasing your targets in the previous exercise. Start with 5 passes, then progress to 10 passes, 15 passes, and so on – raising the level of play gradually yet steadily. Focus on pace, accuracy, change of direction, and movement of your feet. The next post builds on what you’ve read here, and goes on to cover long-range passes. Keep reading and practising, to add new skills.