Line Passing Overlap Warm-Up

Waves of four work across the field — pass inside, overlap around your player, and fill the lane a teammate is leaving — holding their spacing the whole way.

This is the introduction to overlapping runs — playing off the pass and teamwork through communication, perfected before it ever meets a defender.

Ages 8–14Four lines, working in waves of 410 minCones, balls

Set up · 3 actions · before the kids arrive

Grab: Four cones and balls for the two outside lines.
Build: Set the 4 cones along a sideline, about 10 yards apart.
Place: Line the players up evenly behind each cone, with the players at the two outside cones starting with the balls.

Show me the setup picture

Four cones spaced 10 yards apart along a sideline, an even line of players behind each, and balls with the two outside lines.

One thing to remember: Overlapping runs, playing off the pass, and teamwork through communication — quality passes into feet or space, early runs with speed, and the dribble angled wide at speed.

How it runs — the whole game in one sentence

Both outside players pass inside at the same time; the receivers dribble wide with speed while the passers overlap into the lanes just left — the wave rotating across to the far side of the field.

1Organize the players▾
Coach does
Split the players evenly behind the four cones, balls with the two outside lines. The first player at each cone is the wave — players 1 and 4 on the outside, 2 and 3 inside.
Coach says
Four lines, ten yards apart. Outside lines — you've got the balls and the first pass.
2Show the jobs▾
Coach does
Walk the first wave — player 1 passes to player 2 at the same time player 4 passes to player 3. Players 2 and 3 dribble with speed to the outside lane; player 1 overlaps around player 2 and runs into the space player 3 is leaving, while player 4 overlaps player 3 and fills the space player 2 is leaving. The pattern continues until the wave reaches the other side of the field.
Coach says
Pass it inside, then run around your player — you're filling the lane a teammate just left.
3Play▾
Coach does
Send the waves across and encourage each one to keep the same spacing it started with. Watch the quality of passes into the feet or the space of the attacker, early runs made with speed — they have a long way to travel — and dribblers angling toward the outside at speed.
Coach says
Early runs — you've got a long way to go! And keep your spacing!
Look for: Early overlapping runs made with speed — and the wave holding the spacing it started with.
4Switch and repeat▾
Coach does
Send the next wave of four when you're ready, and keep them coming.
Coach says
Next four — same pattern. Show me those early runs!

If it's not working

If the rotation scrambles heads, freeze one wave mid-field and ask — whose space are you running into? Let them point, then play on.

Want to go deeper? Optional — not needed to run the game.

Why are we doing this?

The wave form lets players perfect the introduction of overlapping runs — the pass, the run around, and the lane to fill — with playing off the pass and teamwork through communication built into every crossing.

What are they learning?

Overlapping runs, playing off the pass, and teamwork through communication — quality passes into feet or space, early runs with speed, and the dribble angled wide at speed.