5 passing drills for youth soccer, U7 to U13
Many training sessions focus heavily on dribbling or shooting, and passing gets squeezed into the warm-up. Here are five passing drills for different age groups, with practical instructions and difficulty scaling based on player development research.
We've also packaged three sessions as a ready-made PDF guide: a warm-up, two drills and a game in each, with a QR code next to every drill that opens the animation. Download the free guide.
When should passing training begin?
According to international player development models, passing training progresses in stages [1][2]:
| Age group | Focus | Passing role |
|---|---|---|
| U7-U8 | Fun, ball handling | Introduce inside-foot pass in pairs |
| U9-U10 | "Golden age of learning" | Technical passing, simple combinations |
| U11-U12 | Critical transition phase | Tactical passing, off-the-ball movement |
| U13-U15 | Accuracy and speed under pressure | Rondos, position-specific passing |
Passing technique in brief
Before moving to drills - get the basics right:
- Inside-foot pass is the most important passing technique for young players: rotate the foot 90 degrees outward at the ankle, lock the ankle, strike the centre of the ball [3]
- Follow through forward, don't lean back (the ball rises and bounces)
- Pass low along the ground - easier for the receiver to control
Drill 1: Gate passes (U7+)
Players: 4-16 (in pairs) | Area: 20 x 20 m | Duration: 8-10 min
Description
Set up several small gates (two cones 2 metres apart) around the area. Pairs pass the ball through the gates and count successful passes. The pair with the most gates wins.
Why it works
- The competitive element motivates the youngest players
- Passing accuracy develops naturally - the gate is a small target
- Players move and make decisions: which gate next?
- No queuing - everyone moves the entire time
Difficulty scaling
- U7: larger gates (3 m), shorter distance
- U10: smaller gates (1.5 m), one-touch passing
- U12: add a defender who tries to block gates
Drill 2: Triangle passing (U9+)
Players: 6-15 (groups of three) | Area: Triangle, sides 7-12 m | Duration: 10 min
Description
Three players form a triangle. The ball circulates clockwise or counter-clockwise. After passing, the player follows the ball and runs to the next cone.
Coaching points
- Open body position: scan the field while receiving
- First touch in the direction of the next pass
- Accurate inside-foot pass to the next player
Difficulty scaling
- U9: two touches (control + pass), small triangle
- U11: one touch, larger triangle
- U13: add a defender in the centre of the triangle
Drill 3: Wall pass 1-2 (U10+)
Players: 4-12 (in pairs) | Area: 15 x 10 m per pair | Duration: 10 min
Description
Player A passes to Player B and immediately moves sideways or forward. B returns the ball with one touch into A's running path. A controls and repeats. Switch every 2-3 minutes.
Why this matters
The wall pass (1-2 combination) is one of football's most common patterns. It teaches:
- The pass-and-move principle (don't stand still after passing)
- Quick playing tempo
- Reading your teammate - where are they moving?
Difficulty scaling
- U10: stationary, two touches
- U12: moving forward, one touch
- U14: add a passive defender to be beaten with the wall pass
Drill 4: 4v1 Rondo (U10+)
Players: 5 (4 + 1) | Area: 8 x 8 m (U10) or 6 x 6 m (U14) | Duration: 12-15 min
Description
Four players on the corners of a square keep possession while one defender in the centre tries to win the ball. When the defender wins it, they swap with the player who lost possession.
Why the rondo is so effective
Johan Cruyff made the rondo popular at Barcelona, and Pep Guardiola later put it at the core of the club's training. It works because it trains several things at once [4]:
- Passing accuracy under pressure
- Scanning the environment before receiving the ball
- Body position: open to the field
- Quick decision-making: keep or pass?
One study found that rondo training improved passing accuracy in just six weeks [5].
The rondo drills page has six more, among them the 4v2, 5v2 and zonal rondos.
Difficulty scaling
- U10: 5v1, larger area (10 x 10), two touches
- U12: 4v1, smaller area (8 x 8), two touches
- U14: 4v2, one touch, small area
Drill 5: Square passing with rotation (U11+)
Players: 8-12 (groups of four) | Area: 12 x 12 m square | Duration: 10 min
Description
Four players on the corners of a square. Player A passes to B and runs to B's position. B passes to C and runs to C's position. The rotation continues without stopping.
Coaching points
- Anticipation: know where the next pass goes
- Head up: scan the environment before the ball arrives
- Movement timing: move immediately after passing
Difficulty scaling
- U11: two touches, slow tempo
- U13: one touch, add a second ball (requires concentration)
- U15: add a defender in the centre, change direction on coach's signal
What's the right balance: technique or games?
A recent study (Frontiers in Sports, 2025) compared isolated training to small-sided game-based training in 12.7-year-old players. The result: isolated passing training significantly improved accuracy across all test conditions, while the small-sided games group showed no improvement [6].
At the same time, another 2025 study found that players who trained through small-sided games improved in game reading ability and enjoyed training more [7].
So both have a place. Isolated drills develop technique, small-sided games develop application. A good session includes both.
Sources
- Arlington Soccer Club: "U9/U10 Player Development"
- England FA: "How to Coach Passing in Football"
- Coaching American Soccer: "Inside of the Foot Pass"
- ISSPF: "The Use of Rondos in Soccer"
- ResearchGate: "El Rondo Training Method on Passing Accuracy"
- Frontiers in Sports (2025): "Passing-Skill Training vs. Small-Sided Games"
- MDPI Sustainability (2025): "Small-Sided Games in Youth Football"
Related reading
- Football practice planning — a guide for coaches
- Three sessions built around passing — free PDF guide
- A football tactics board for drawing your own passing drills and sharing them with your team
- All passing drills in the drill library
- Ready-made U10 sessions and drills sorted by skill