Football: 1 v 1 Passing Grid with Through Balls

The Object of this drill is to retain the ball whilst moving it from end to end.

The Setup requires 6 grids and 3 groups of 4 player arranged as the diagram shows. In each central grid there is an attacker marked by a defender. The end grids contain neutral players as a passing option.

The attackers start with the ball and work together to create passing channels  to manover the ball towards the opposite end. When the defenders win the ball they immediatly become the attackers. The neutral players are always a passing option to the current attackers

Players start on cones on the opposite side of the grid.

Player 1 starts with the ball and passes it to player 2. As soon as player 2 touches the ball, player 1 can try to win the ball.

Player 2 must try and dribble to any of the 3 spare cones in the grid. Player 2 scores one point for beating their opponent to either of the cones on the side and two points if he dribbles the ball around player 1 to the cone at the top of the area.

Repeat the practice with player 1 in possession.

Position 2 teams of 6 players in opposite corners of the same end line and number players on each team from 1 to 6.

Place a gate (2 cones, 3 yards apart) at the opposite end of the area to the goal. Position the coach as a goalkeeper in the goal.

The coach calls out a number from 1 to 6. The respective players from each team run with the ball following the directional arrow as shown in the diagram, to the gate at the end of the grid.

The first ball to cross through the gate is the ball that is used (the other one can be discarded).

The players then compete in a 1 vs 1 to get a shot on goal.

Players 1 and 3 (target players) feed the ball into the player who is facing them. This player must then try and get the ball to the target player at the other end. If the other player wins the ball, he can play to any target player.