The killer pass

Coaching points:

• Firm accurate passes with the inside of the foot (then move into space)
• Look to receive the ball with an open body so you can see the field around you and with the back foot (the foot that is furthest away from the ball)
• Don't loose possession, lots of movement off the ball and remember you can pass back
• Communication 

Warm Up

The player at the front of the red line starts with the ball, on the coaches command he will play a wall pass with the green player then pass the ball through the red gate to the first yellow player, once the pass has been made the red player (acting as a passive defender now) approaches the yellow forcing the yellow player to make a wall pass with the green and the sequence continues.

Main Drill

This drill is started with the green player having the ball at his feet (defender) the defender will dribble and stop the ball in front of the yellow player (attacker).

When the ball has been stopped the yellow player will instantly start to dribble and the green player will sprint around the red cone and come onto the field to defend. The game is 1 v 1 with the yellow player aiming to knock over a blue cone before the defender wins the ball. (No players are allowed in the end zone containing the blue cones)

Dimensions: 25 x 20 yard grid with a 5 yard end zone

Notes: Once the play has ended players should rotate lines. 

Conditioned Game

In an area of 30 x 25 mark out the set up above with a 5 yard end zone at each end of the field that has 3 small goals behind it. The game is played 3 v 3 in the central area with 1 player behind the 3 mini goals.

The teams play 3 v 3 and you can only score when you get into the other teams end zone, however you can not score into a goal if the player is standing behind that goal, therefore you must find a quick killer pass into an empty net before the other teams end zone player gets behind that goal.

Quick recap - 3 v 3 open play, any member of any team is free to go anywhere on the pitch but you can only score in the other teams end zone and into a goal that does not have an opposing player standing behind it

Progression: 

Now tell the player behind the goal that he can come into his teams end zone as an option for a pass - whoever passes to this player will swap roles with him. In defense he must be behind the goals but in offense he can come and support. You should encourage young players to be patient and not to force the killer pass, if going back and keeping possession is the sensible thing to do then keep possession and wait to create the opportunity to make the killer pass 

Questions about this drill, find me on Twitter: @DavidBairdSc