‹ Coaching Points
Passing
Short passing with both surfaces, plus driven, lofted and chipped balls.
Top 3
- 1.Look up and pick the target first
- 2.Plant foot pointing at the target, ankle locked
- 3.Step through your pass
Short — inside of the foot
- Look up and choose the target
- Plant foot alongside the ball, pointing at the target
- Toe pointed slightly up
- Lock the ankle
- Strike the centre of the ball
- Eyes on the ball at contact
- Follow through towards the target — step through your pass
Short — outside of the foot
- For a short, disguised pass that could also be a dribble
- Support foot slightly behind the ball
- Toe pointed slightly down
- Strike the middle or the side of the ball
- Strike the bottom of the ball for a small lift
- Eyes on the ball at contact
- Little follow through
Long — driven
- Push the ball out from your feet first
- Slight angle of approach
- Plant foot alongside the ball, pointing forward (heel next to the ball if it's rolling forward)
- Toe down, ankle locked
- Strike through the centre of the ball with the laces
- Weight forward — chest and knee over the ball
- Follow through towards the target
Long — lofted
- Angled approach
- Support foot alongside the ball pointing forward, slightly further away than for a driven ball
- Toe down and out to the side, ankle locked
- Strike through the ball below the middle
- Lean back slightly on contact
- Follow through towards the target
Long — chip
- Mostly straight-on approach
- Toe goes straight under the ball, foot scuffs the grass
- No follow through — or a full high-knee follow through for more distance
Qualities of a good pass
- Accuracy, pace, angle, height, timing, disguise
- A good pass makes the receiver look first rate — that is what ties the team together
Types of pass
- Ground: push, toe poke, flick, heel straight, heel cross over, instep, cross, inside-of-foot bent, outside-of-foot bent, chip
- Half-volley and volley: inside of the foot, instep
- Clearance
High ball vs low ball
- Support leg: behind the ball (high) / near or in front of the ball (low)
- Kicking leg: long follow through (high) / hit the ball hard and sharp (low)
- Upper body: lean back (high) / lean over the ball (low)
- Contact point: below the centre (high) / at or above the centre (low)
- Timing: after the ball bounces (high) / the moment it touches the ground (low)
Say it on the pitch
Pick your targetLock the ankleStep through it
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