The top 5 best short passing exercises in soccer

The pass, and more particularly the short pass, is the technical gesture par excellence and is at the heart of soccer. Its purpose is to maintain possession, of course, but also to move the opposing block or to break through certain defensive lines. The pass is worked on in different ways and it's essential to give it a lot of importance, especially in youth categories such as U11, U12 or U13.

What are the characteristics of a good pass?

From a purely technical point of view, a good pass combines 2 ingredients:

1. Weight
2. Accuracy

Weight allows your teammate to receive the ball in good conditions. A good pass must be "firm", to prevent the opponent from intercepting the ball, while allowing your teammate to control it without too much difficulty.

Accuracy, for its part, will give rhythm to your collective play. A series of inaccurate passes, and the whole team will suffer. Passes played too far ahead or not enough into the run will slow down the play.

Note that weight and accuracy are not the only points to consider when making a quality short pass. Rhythm, the opponent, and teammates are also key elements. We'll address this point a bit further on. For now, here's our selection of the best short passing drills to implement with your teams in youth soccer.

Top 5 best short passing drills

We've made a selection of the 5 best short passing drills for you. They will allow you to work on different aspects of the pass: technique, rhythm, positioning. They're intended for all categories of players, both in youth soccer (U11, U12, U13) and older players (U14-Seniors). Still, think about adapting the distances and number of players.

1. Short passing work in a square with central pivot

This drill is perfect for youth soccer: it's a very simple passing workshop to set up but with multiple variations. The characteristics sought are: game intelligence, quality of the technique, and movement in tight spaces.

Short passing work in a square with central pivot

First, you'll create a 20x20m square and place 2 players at each corner. Then place a cone and a player in the center of the square, they'll serve as the central pivot. Finally, place a ball source in one corner.

The workshop will proceed as follows:

1. The 1st player (A) makes a short pass to the 2nd player (B), who is positioned on their right.
2. B then plays to the 3rd player (C), who immediately plays a one-touch pass into A's run.
3. A in turn makes a short pass to the 4th player (D) positioned in the opposite corner. The pivot player doesn't change position, A stays in the corner where they made their pass, and B cuts across the zone to join the opposite corner.
4. The drill continues in this way.

Discover more details about this short passing drill on our detailed sheet.

2. Possession game in 7v7 with 3 jokers and gate passes

This drill consists of a possession game that was used by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City in February 2019. It allows, among other things, to focus on the importance of positioning and movement during work focused on short passing.

Possession game in 7v7 with 3 jokers and gate passes

Place 4 gates and form 2 teams of 7 players with 3 additional jokers, all on a half-field. Take the time to place ball sources around the work zone to maintain a high rhythm throughout this drill focused on short passes in soccer.

The drill begins with possession by the blue team. They must maintain possession with the help of the 3 jokers while the 7 yellow players try to regain possession. The objective for the blues is to make a short pass through one of the gates, without ever going through the same gate twice.

Upon regaining possession, the yellows follow exactly the same instructions, looking for a free teammate through one of the gates, and making a short pass to score a point.

You can also apply these numerous variations of the drill during your training session focused on short passing.

3. Technical circuit of passes, dribbles, and finishing

As mentioned above, think about integrating other elements into your passing drills, even if you're going to focus your advice on the technical aspects of the pass. This is exactly the objective of this drill, also inspired by a training session from Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. You'll allow your players to work on pass quality, runs to create space, and finally finishing.

Technical circuit of passes, dribbles, and finishing

Within a rectangle, you'll set up a technical circuit with a goal, as shown in the diagram. In terms of equipment for this short passing drill, you'll need hurdles, cones, and poles (constri-foot). Place your players as shown in the diagram, with one player at each position (you can double each position depending on the number of players you have).

As a coach, you'll be the starting point of this passing circuit. You'll play a short pass to the 1st player (A) who will then go on a dribble for a few meters. During this time, the 2nd and 3rd players (B and C) make a run to ask for the ball. Player A plays a firm short pass to C, while B immediately sprints in the opposite direction.

Player A goes over the hurdles on their left, once they've made their pass. The 3rd player (C) who has just received the ball will make a short pass to B, who will have made a run in turn to ask for the ball. During this time, the last player in the circuit (D) performs a slalom without the ball through the poles, before receiving the through pass from E. They'll then play the one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

Each player moves from one cone to the next in the workshop for the following rotation.

4. Possession game in 6v6 (+2) with passage through central zone

Ideal drill for working like teams such as Liverpool or Manchester City. A short possession game followed by a pass in a situation in a central zone, followed by a new phase of possession. The quality of the 4 neutral players is of crucial importance if you want to give rhythm to this drill.

5. Possession in 3 teams and rapid transition game

An ideal drill for working on ball possession, short passing, and rapid transitions while adopting the mindset of "Juego de Posicion". It can be done just as well in pre-season as during the year. Emphasize the intensity of transitions as well as the accuracy of short and long passes!

We also offer hundreds of passing drills with numerous variations for all categories.

What are the mistakes to avoid when working on short passing in youth soccer?

The first mistake we've noticed when it comes to working on short passing in youth soccer is proposing redundant drills. Passing circuits, by nature, are repetitive. This is a good thing because repetition allows for creating reflexes and making the technical gesture that is the pass more fluid. This is why we advise you to alternate circuits with game phases and also to propose variations for each passing drill you set up with your players.

As we've seen, the pass is a technical gesture. Consequently, you'll probably focus your drills on the gesture itself, to the detriment of all external elements: rhythm, opposing pressure, or even the positioning of teammates. Think about including these elements as much as possible in your training sessions.

Finally, don't forget that the pass is one solution, it's not the solution to all situations. Quality players know how to recognize situations where the pass is necessary.

Tips and corrections for working on short passing effectively

When you work on short passing with your players, we advise you to emphasize the following points in order to correct techniques and give relevant advice.

1. Body balance is essential. It's the foundation of a successful pass.
2. Players must have a solid and well-placed support foot.
3. The support foot must be oriented toward the target player.
4. Stay well focused on your technique, even if it seems simple at first.
5. Combine weight, accuracy, rhythm, and positioning well.

These are the main tips you can use during the corrections you'll bring to your drills. To go further, you can also emphasize the importance of limiting touches to fluidify the play but especially to increase execution speed. The real difference with the top level is the speed at which the gesture is performed, as well as the conditions in which the pass is made.

So think about proposing a variety of drills to your players, combining circuits and game phases with opposition. Opposing pressure will force your players to increase their execution speed when they make their passes.

Want to discover hundreds of drills with illustrations and variations? Discover the Soccer Coach Lab platform and join our community of several thousand amateur coaches.