Gafferbook
Passing ยท U9 to adult

Diamond passing with a give-and-go

A diamond of cones where players pass, set back and play forward, then follow. A classic pattern for crisp passing, timing of movement and communication.

U9 to adultAges
5 to 8 per diamondPlayers
15 x 15 mArea
15 minsTime

Your assistant coach: turn this drill into a full session, plan the weeks around it and tell me how it went.

โž• Put it in tonight's session๐Ÿ—“ Build my season around itโœ๏ธ Make my own version

Set-up

  • Four cones in a diamond, about 12 to 15 metres between top and bottom.
  • Two players at the bottom cone with the ball, one at each other cone.

Equipment: 4 cones, 2 balls

How it works

  1. Bottom player passes to the side cone, gets the ball back (set) and plays into the top.
  2. The top player lays it back to the side player, who passes to the opposite side to start again.
  3. Everyone follows their pass to the next cone.

Coaching points

  • Show for the ball with a check away, then towards.
  • Sets are soft and into the passer's path.
  • Call for it and use names.

Add this drill to a session plan โ†’

Make it easier

  • Remove the set-back pass
  • Two touches allowed

Make it harder

  • One-touch all the way
  • Two balls from opposite ends
  • Add a passive defender in the middle

AttackersDefendersKeeper / neutral- - โ†’ Passโ†’ Runใ€ฐโ†’ Dribble

Questions about this drill?

Free AI coaching help from Gafferbook. Ask anything about coaching your team.

More passing drills

Pass and move square

Players pass around a square and follow their pass to the next cone. Simple, rhythmic and perfect for passing technique and receiving on the half-turn.

See the drill โ†’

Passing gates in pairs

Pairs score a point every time they pass through a gate to each other. Competitive, busy and full of scanning.

See the drill โ†’

Switching play: 4v4 + 2 across three zones

A possession game where a point is scored for moving the ball from one outside zone to the other. Players learn to draw the opponent to one side and switch.

See the drill โ†’

Third-man passing pattern (Y shape)

A Y-shaped passing pattern where the first pass goes in, comes back to a different player, then goes forward again. The basic movement behind most combination play.

See the drill โ†’

Receiving on the half-turn

Players in the middle receive from one side and turn to play to the other in one movement, with their body already open. The receiving skill every midfielder needs.

See the drill โ†’

Scanning game: colour cones

Players pass in a square while the coach holds up a colour. The receiver must have looked first to pass to the matching cone gate. Builds the habit of checking your shoulder.

See the drill โ†’