How to Coach Perfect Passing Technique
There has been a bit of a debate going on between some of our readers and on our forum, The Dug-Out, over how to coach the simple pass. So here's our take on it.
Key Coaching Tip: Passing accurately and quickly requires practice
There are lots of ways to pass the ball – with the outside of the foot, in the air, driven along the ground, even backwards using the heel – but the easiest and most accurate, whether straight to a teammate or into space for them to run onto, is the sidefoot pass.
How to do it
- Use the inside of the foot - that's the area from the base of the big toe to the central area of the heel, under the ankle bone
- Kicking foot at right angles to the ball
- Belly button facing the player receiving the pass
- Non-kicking foot alongside the ball
- Knee and ankle joints held firm
- Body over the ball
- Head steady, eyes on the ball
- Use the arms to keep balanced
- Hit through the ball's horizontal mid-line - that way it will keep low
- Kicking foot follows through towards the target.
But getting the technique right isn't the end of the story - there are two other factors players should work on perfecting: timing and weight.
1. Timing
Get this wrong - i.e. pass too early or too late - and the momentum of a move can stall. For example, a forward pass before a striker is ready to make their run could run harmlessly out of play, while delaying a pass too long can give defenders time to block off space and the passing angle, or mean your striker strays offside.
2. The 'weight' or power of a pass
Similarly, get the weight wrong – i.e. too heavy or too light – and that can also mean the end of an attack. Too heavy and a teammate could have trouble controlling the ball, while too light and the ball might not have the pace to reach the teammate, allowing a defender to intercept it.
A WELL 'WEIGHTED' PASS WILL ALLOW A TEAMMATE TO CONTROL THE BALL WITH A MINIMUM OF EFFORT, GIVING THEM TIME AND SPACE.