First Touch Passing
This first touch passing exercise was designed to improve players’ first touch and quick combinations which again transfer directly into games.
You need at least 7 players but if you have 14 or more, split them into two separate groups. There are 2 players at the starting point and then one player next to each marker.
Use 6 bibs or cones to mark the area and start off with players spaced around 5 yards apart but you can adjust this to any size up to around 15 yards apart.
The middle two players use a one-touch layoff and for other players there are no restrictions initially. However you can mix up the touches; move to 1 touch for everyone and this gives players a different challenge.
If you make the space bigger, you have the option to work on fitness and longer passing; it’s up to you as the coach to adjust things and keep your players challenged and engaged.
You also have the option of introducing two balls but you need at least 8 players for this. With two balls, the players have to think very quickly and be constantly moving.
Again as with the other passing exercise, you should keep the length of each segment short, around 2 minutes, before giving the players a 30 second rest and then going again. Keeping it short allows you to push your players to really focus on speed and quality, rather than having a longer period where the quality drops.
This is a very straightforward passing exercise but it maximizes touches for every player so it’s beneficial for improving first touch and understanding weight of pass. Use it for a warm up or in between exercises.
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