Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 21: Passing & Ball Control

3 complete training sessions with 12 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

Last week and this week are about improving the basic techniques. 2 sessions on dribbling have already been completed. The first was used to get to know a wide range of ways to run with the ball. The 2nd and last session of last week was specifically about dribbling to beat an opponent.

Now, over a total of 3 training days, the aim is to further improve receiving the ball and passing.

Because most players in small-sided football do not yet have the strength for high and long passes, the focus will be on short passing. Here, too, the rule is that the different passing techniques are first further consolidated without pressure and then applied under pressure.

However, the best passing is of no use if players are not able to control the ball cleanly. That is why 2 of the 3 sessions are about improving the 1st touch. Players will learn to receive the ball and take it in their stride in different ways – with the left, the right, the inside and the outside of the foot, and in combination with a body feint. And all of this with increasing time pressure and pressure from opponents.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

The aim of today's training session is focused, targeted work on passing. Precision should of course take priority at first. Once the passes are already arriving accurately at the team-mate, you can work on pace and two-footedness.

The session begins with an exercise in which the players play passes over short and medium distances. The passes over the short distances are played first time. This means the players have to weight their passes correctly, so as not to put the receiving player in a tricky spot.

This is followed by a passing drill in a square with a set passing sequence. Focus first on accuracy and two-footedness. In the next step, you can then demand more pace on the passes and changes of pace after the passes, to make the exercise as match-like as possible.

In the third and fourth exercises, pressure from opponents is added. For a total of 25 minutes, attacks are played out in a 3 vs 2. The overload should be exploited cleverly and the attacks completed quickly. With the passes, you should make sure they are played to the front foot or into the path wherever possible, and not behind the team-mates.

The training session ends with 6 vs 6 with passing gates. In addition to the quality of passing, what matters most here is showing for the ball and getting free, as well as controlling the ball.

Coaching points for this session
  • Accuracy before pace on the pass
  • Demand two-footedness
  • Give a call with the pass (“Turn”, “Lay-off”, “Time” etc.)
  • Change of pace after the pass
Drill 1

Rondo II

15 min
  • A ball is passed around in each area.
  • On the coach's whistle the ball must be passed into the next area clockwise as quickly as possible.

Variations:

  • Throw the ball.
  • Only one-touch passing with the foot.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out four small playing areas.

Equipment: Cones and one ball per area.

Players: The players are spread evenly across the four areas.

Coaching points
  • Keep moving constantly within the playing area.
  • Passing accuracy comes before passing power.
  • Demand passing with both feet.
Drill 2

Passing in a Square or Back Four

10 min
  • Player A passes to Player B.
  • Player B passes to Player D.
  • Player D passes to Player C.
  • Player C passes to Player A.
  • All passes are played with two touches; the players follow their passes.

Variations:

  • Change the direction of play after a while.
  • Have running technique drills carried out during the changes of position — heel flicks, high knees, cross-over runs or alternating jumps.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area.

Equipment: 4 cones and one ball.

Players: One player at each of positions A, B, C and D.

Coaching points
  • Change pace after passing.
  • Passing accuracy comes before passing power.
  • Pass with both feet.
  • Do not lean back when passing; following the pass immediately prevents this.
  • Lock the ankle.
Drill 3

Overload Game 3 vs 2

20 min
  • The player outside the playing area starts the game with a pass.
  • The game is 3 vs 2 on two mini goals.
  • As soon as the ball goes out of play or a team scores a goal, the other team gets the ball and now starts the drill with the overload itself.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four large and four small cones mark out the playing area; plus four mini goals.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, 8 cones and at least 1 ball.

Players: Two teams plus one player outside the playing area who starts the game.

Coaching points
  • Use the numerical advantage to make the game wide.
  • The defenders work in the space and step in at the right moment.
Drill 4

6 vs 6 with Passing Gates

20 min
  • The first round is played without a touch limit.
  • Points are awarded for playing the ball through a cone goal.
  • For the next point a different cone goal must be targeted.

Variations: Also count many passes in a row as a point.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Tall cones mark out the playing area, cones form several passing gates inside the area.

Equipment: Tall cones, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of six players each.

Coaching points
  • The passes through the gates must reach a team-mate.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

4 drills

Even at a younger age, players should be taught to take the ball in their stride directly into free space. Because at higher age groups and levels of play, there is less and less time to prepare the next action. Due to the intensive, ball-orientated defending, there is no longer time in the opponent's pressing zones to receive the ball, look and then play it on.

But to be able to take the ball in their stride directly and in varied ways, players need well-developed technical skills and also good scanning. Because only a player who has scanned properly before taking the ball in stride can take it in the best possible direction for a sensible follow-up action.

Of course, in small-sided football the technically correct execution of the 1st touch takes priority at first. But if the players' control of the ball already looks very good, you can demand scanning from U12/U13 level onwards at least.

Coaching points for this session
  • Scan
  • Take the ball into space and in your stride
  • To protect the ball, receive it or take it in your stride with the foot furthest from the opponent
  • Combine taking the ball in stride with a body feint
Drill 1

Simple Passing/First Touch and Taking the Ball in Stride I

20 min10 x 5 metres, variable depending on ability level
  • The players facing each other pass the ball to one another with the right or the left inside of the foot.
  • The ball is controlled with the same inside of the foot and passed back.

Variations:

  • Pass with the inside of the foot, stop the ball with the inside of the foot and play it back, then run backwards around a cone.
  • First touch with the right foot, pass with the left — and the other way round. The first touch and taking the ball in stride are done in one touch, so that the ball ends up in front of the other foot and can be played first time.
  • Reduce the distance to two or three metres and pass first time, moving with skipping steps. The target is 100 touches.
  • Alternate between the instep drive, the inside-of-the-foot pass and the outside-of-the-foot pass.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cone goals are set up.

Equipment: 12 cones and several balls.

Players: The players line up facing each other between the cone goals.

Coaching points
  • With the first touch and when taking the ball in stride, the standing foot is often too far away from the ball, or the player leans back. It stands 30 to 40 centimetres to the side of the ball, level with it.
  • When passing and when taking the ball in stride, the foot is lifted slightly and swung down through to the ball.
  • Many players take the ball on with the laces or with the outside of the foot. Controlling it with the inside of the foot, leaning slightly over the ball, is considerably easier as a first step.
Drill 2

Passing in a Square - Passing into the Run

20 min
  • The red player plays the ball into the zone of the blue player, who has asked for it beforehand.
  • The blue player takes the ball on under control and plays it on to the next player — here to the yellow one.
  • The drill continues in this way.

Variations: After a few rounds, change the direction of play.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four zones are set up with 16 cones.

Equipment: 16 cones and balls.

Players: At least one player stands at each zone, at least two at the starting position.

Coaching points
  • Take the ball on with the outside foot and play it with that foot.
Drill 3

1 vs 1 Pass Receiver

25 minHalf a pitch
  • The feeder passes to the attacker.
  • With that, the attacker and a defender set off into the playing area for the 1 vs 1.
  • The attacker attacks the goal.
  • The defender tries to dribble out of the playing area over the goal line on the opposite side.

Variations: Vary the distance between defenders and attackers.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area; there is a goal at each end.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

Players: One feeder, attacker and defender are chosen and positioned; plus goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Go straight into top speed with the first touch.
Drill 4

Funino as 3 vs 3

25 min
  • A free 3 vs 3 is played.
  • Goals may only be scored from the end zones.
  • The players try to play a team-mate into the zone with a pass into the run.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area and the end zones; there are four mini goals at the ends.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of three.

Coaching points
  • Keep the rounds short and intensive.
  • Make the game wide in order to create space in the middle and for a switch of play.
  • The defending team must defend as a unit in order to keep both goals in view.

Session 3

4 drills

The last training session of this week begins with an exercise on controlling high balls. Once the players are receiving the ball out of the air fairly confidently, you can move on here too to having them take the balls in their stride. You can also have the balls thrown harder.

After a passing drill in a square, the session continues with a small-sided game in a 7 vs 7 with 2 support players on each touchline. After receiving a pass, these dribble into the playing area. Especially when there is space, the support players should carry the ball into the playing area at high speed and get to a finish quickly.

The exercise ends with a 20-minute finishing drill. Here too, the focus is on taking the ball in stride. Different forms of taking the ball in stride are trained in the exercise – left, right, outside of the foot and inside of the foot.

Coaching points for this session
  • Take the ball in your stride straight away
  • Set off towards the ball
  • Protecting the ball: receive the ball or take it in your stride with the foot furthest from the opponent
  • Scan
Drill 1

Controlling the Ball in the Air

15 min
  • On command the first player runs towards the middle cone.
  • The feeder throws a high ball to that player.
  • The player controls the ball in the air and plays it back to the feeder.
  • The control is carried out in turn with the thigh, with the chest, as a direct header back and with the foot.

Variations:

  • Play the ball back with the instep instead of the inside of the foot.
  • Play the ball back as a drop kick.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two rows of cones with three cones each. A coach or a player stands at the first cone as feeder, the remaining players queue up at the third cone.

Equipment: 6 cones and several balls.

Players: Two groups with one feeder each.

Coaching points
  • When controlling with the chest, direct the ball towards the left or right foot.
  • Change pace after passing.
Drill 2

Controlling and Taking the Ball

20 min
  • Player 1 plays a pass to Player 2; Player 2 controls the ball, takes it in their stride and plays to Player 3.
  • Player 3 stands to the left of the dummy, takes the ball past the dummy on the right and passes to Player 4.
  • Player 4 also stands to the left of the dummy, takes the ball to the right and plays it into the middle to Player 5.
  • Player 5 controls the ball, takes it in their stride and plays to Player 6.
  • Player 6 stands to the right of the dummy, takes the ball past the dummy on the left and passes to Player 7.
  • Player 7 also stands to the right of the dummy and takes the ball to the left.
  • The drill continues as a continuous passing sequence; every player follows the pass.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four dummies form a square, a further dummy stands in the middle.

Equipment: 5 dummies and several balls.

Players: Two players with a ball stand at the starting point, two players without a ball in the middle and one player without a ball at each of the other dummies.

Coaching points
  • Take the ball straight into the movement.
  • Players 2 and 5 take the ball around the dummy with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Players 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 play the ball with the foot furthest from the opponent and take it accordingly.
  • Pay attention to the exact execution of controlling and taking the ball.
  • Pay attention to the correct position next to the dummy.
  • Make sure that the correct foot is used when controlling and taking the ball.
Drill 3

5 vs 5 - with Wall Players Dribbling In

25 min
  • The game is played 5 vs 5 with offside.
  • If a wall player receives a pass, that player dribbles into the playing area and the passer takes over that position as wall player.
  • If the ball goes out over the touchline or the goal line, the game restarts with the goalkeeper of the team entitled to it.
  • The teams play in a 2-2-1.
  • Interruptions are avoided: if the ball goes out of play, the next ball is dribbled in immediately.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones mark out the playing area, two goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 2 goals, 6 cones and four to five balls, which are kept ready in the goals.

Players: Two teams of seven players each, marked by colour. Five players per team are in the playing area, two as wall players in the respective attacking third. In addition there are two goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Make sure that the wall players are passed to at every opportunity.
  • Encourage a quick change of players.
Drill 4

Taking Ground Passes in Stride

20 min
  • The feeder plays a pass towards the player waiting for the ball.
  • As this happens the coach calls out a colour as well as inside or outside.
  • The player waiting for the ball takes the ball directly through the cone goal called out, using the inside or the outside of the foot respectively.
  • With the second or third touch that player finishes at the youth goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones in three different colours form three cone goals; behind them stands a youth goal.

Equipment: 1 goal, 6 cones in three colours and several balls.

Players: One feeder — the coach if preferred — and one player waiting for the ball; plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • Turn the ankle inwards or outwards and lock it.
  • Pull the toes up.
  • Bring the upper body slightly over the ball.
  • Do not stop the ball dead but take it with the first touch in the movement towards the target direction.
Your training. Your web app.

Get the complete training plans in the web app

  • All 52 weeks, up to three sessions per week
  • More than 3,000 drills – many of them animated
  • Build your own training plans & share them with your team
Start for free

No subscription, no credit card. Sign up in 1 minute.