Kicking a Moving Ball: Passing into Space

1Warm up on the move

Jog around the pitch. When the teacher claps, sprint for 5 steps, then jog again. Then jog side by side with a partner, about 8 metres apart, passing the ball to each other as you move from one end of the pitch to the other.

2Kicking a moving ball

In a game, the ball is almost always moving when it comes to you. To pass it on first time, with one touch:

1. Watch the ball early, and move your feet so you are in line with it before it arrives.
2. Look up quickly to choose your target before the ball reaches you.
3. Open your body: turn your hips a little towards where you want the ball to go.
4. Firm ankle, and strike through the middle of the ball with the inside of your foot.
5. Keep your knee over the ball so the pass stays low.

3Tactic 1: pass into space

Space is any part of the pitch where there are no defenders. When a teammate is running, aim your pass a few steps ahead of them, into the space they are running into. The faster they run, the further ahead you aim. Do not kick it too hard: a good pass arrives just as your teammate gets there.

4Tactic 2: pass and move

After you pass, never stand still and watch. Move at once into a new space, where your teammate can pass the ball back to you. A player who stands still is easy to mark. A player who moves is hard to follow.

5Tactic 3: the one-two

The one-two (also called the give-and-go or wall pass) is pass and move at its best. It gets you past a defender without dribbling. The name "wall pass" comes from street football, where players kicked the ball against a wall and ran round a defender to collect it.

6Tactic 4: triangles and width

• Triangles: when a teammate has the ball, two of you move so that the three of you make a triangle. Then the player with the ball always has two passing choices.
• Width: spread out across the pitch, using the sides as well as the middle. The defenders have to spread out too, and that opens gaps between them.

7Drills with little equipment

• Wall passes: kick the ball against a school wall, run forward and collect the rebound with one touch. Use a wall only where your teacher allows it and no windows are near.
• Follow your pass: four players stand at the corners of a square, 10 metres across. Pass first time to the next corner, then run to the corner you passed to.
• One-two and shoot: a cone or a school bag is the "defender". Pass to a partner beside it, sprint round it, collect the return pass and shoot at a goal made of two stones.
• Three against one: in a 10-metre square, three attackers keep the ball away from one defender. After each pass, move so that you make a triangle. When the defender touches the ball, the player who lost it becomes the new defender.

8Small-sided game: end-zone football

Play 4 against 4 on a pitch about 30 metres long. Mark a zone 5 metres deep at each end with stones. You score when a teammate runs into the end zone and receives your pass there. Nobody may wait in the end zone, so you must pass into space at the right moment.

9Cool down

Walk two slow laps. Stretch your thighs, calves and the inside of your legs. Drink clean water.

Try it yourself

Try each one first, then tap Show answer to check.