Circle Keep-Away
The whole team plays keep-away around a circle — string ten passes together and the defenders run a lap.
Playing keep-away keeps a passing exercise fun for young players.
Starting at Core — your team is set to mixed.
10 min tonight · Whole team around one circle, two defenders in the middle
- Ages 6–14
- Whole team around one circle, two defenders in the middle
- 10 min as the drill is written
- Cones, 2 pinnies, a ball
Grab Cones, one ball, and two pinnies — the defenders carry them in hand instead of wearing them.
Build Mark out a circle about 10 yards across with cones.
Place Two defenders in the middle, each holding a pinny. Everyone else spreads out just inside the circle, one ball among them.
- 1
Organize the players
Pick two defenders and hand each a pinny to carry. Spread everyone else just inside the circle, one ball among them.
“Two in the middle, pinnies in hand. Everyone else — spread around the circle.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk the trades — a defender who wins the ball hands the pinny to the player who lost it. A pass out of the circle sends the passer — or the player who missed the trap — in for whoever has defended longest.
“First pass is free. Lose the ball, you take the pinny.”
- 3
Play
Count the passes out loud. At ten, stop play and send the defenders on their lap around the circle — the lap of shame.
“Crisp passes! Talk — call for the ball!”
Look for First touches going into space or toward the next pass.
- 4
Switch and repeat
The trades run themselves — restart quickly after every swap with a free first pass, and keep the game fun.
“That's ten — lap of shame! Go again.”
If the passers can't keep the ball at all, make the circle bigger — a little more room makes the game easier on them.
Go deeper · 3 notes
Why it works
Every mistake carries its own built-in consequence — the pinny changes hands — and ten passes earns the defenders a lap, so the game polices itself while the passing gets its reps.
What they learn
Clean, crisp passing, a first touch played into space or toward the next pass, and calling for the ball.
What's next
3v3 Plus 3 — keep-away again, now in three teams with a defense that changes on every mistake.
Where does this come from?
SoccerXpert — their published drill library.
A published drill library. Useful and widely used, but not a governing body — so it fills gaps rather than leading.