Playing a Through Ball to the Forwards

 Age Group: 12-13 Years Old Ability Level: Beginner Gender: Boys/Girls

Equipment Required: Bibs, balls, cones

Aim of Session: To play an accurate and well timed through ball for the forwards to run onto. This session will also aim to raise strikers awareness, movement and finishing.

Overview: You won't win any games if you don't score goals. This practice will improve combination passing, accumulating with the most important pass into the strikers. The through ball will be used to unlock defense and set a striker through on goal without being offside.

Learning Outcomes:

1. When to play the killer pass

2. Striker movement to get into dangerous areas and stay onside (timing runs)

3. Strike across goal

Drill 1 - Combination Passing and Movement 

Set up four cones in a diamond with one cone in the centre, cones should be at least 12 yards apart from each other. Have a line of players at the front and back cones of the diamond and 1 player on each side cone. Also have a player on each side of the centre cone facing the line of players, the player at the front of each line will start with a ball. The player at the front of the line passes to the centre player facing him, who controls and plays it out to the right. When the player on the outside receives the ball they play it to the front of the next line. Follow your pass.

Coach:

• Check off the cone (cone acts as a defender) 
• Receive the ball side on 
• Play 2 touch 
• Pass and move quickly

Possible Progressions:

• Receive the ball and drop it back for the person who passed you the ball to move it on (give and go)

Drill 2 - Timing the Pass and Run

Instruction: Same as before however the line of orange cones (3 across the centre) work as the offside line. Coach acts as a referee, player receiving the ball must stay on the correct side of the cones.

Coaches Instructions:

Time of Pass: Passer must get their head up and pass the ball when the running forward is onside and ready to receive the ball. Practice a firm and accurate pass.

Time of Run and Movement: When forward is ready for the ball, communicate. Time your run to stay onside and shake of defender. The coach should demonstrate disguising runs and pulling defenders out of position.

Drill 3 - Introduce Goalkeeper

Instruction: As before, the player in the centre receives the ball side on, gets their head up and looks to play the forward through on goal quickly. The forward runs on to the ball and tries to score against goalkeeper

Coaching Points: Time of pass and time of run (must stay onside). Pass into an area where the striker can run onto the ball and finish quickly. To challenge the striker set the stipulation of 2 touch finishing. Encourage the striker to finish across the goal into the far corner from the goalkeeper.

Conditioned Game

Instruction: Play 4 v 4/5 v 5 in a designated area in the centre of the field. Have 2 goals at each end of the field. To score in this game, the team must make 10 passes in the area, after 10 passes a player can make a run outside the box and towards goal. Continue with the same rule as the previous drill, the orange line of cones acts as an offside line, so the player must be onside when the pass is made. The striker has two touches to finish when he receives the ball outside of the box. As a progression a defender can be allowed to follow the striker out of the box to put pressure on the shooter.

Coaching Points: Time and accuracy of pass. Time of run and quality of finish.