Passing Warm-up Drill
Pairs trade two-touch passes across a cone lane, adding a quick move after every pass — around a cone, chest to the ground, a backpedal — and finish in one-touch.
A great start to every practice and before a game — a lot of touches, with the focus on receiving and passing while the warm-up does its work.
15 min tonight · Pairs, one ball per pair
- Ages 7+
- Pairs, one ball per pair
- 15 min as the drill is written
- Cones, balls
Grab Cones for every pair — the lane plus one of a different color — and a ball per pair.
Build For each pair, set cones creating a 5-yard passing lane about 10 yards apart, with the different-color cone about 5 yards from the lane, making a triangle.
Place Partners take their spots at the passing lane, across from each other, one ball between them.
- 1
Organize the players
Split the team into pairs with one ball per pair, partners facing each other across their passing lane.
“Partner up, one ball between you. Face each other across your lane — this whole warm-up lives right here.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk the menu — start with plain two-touch passes, on the balls of the feet and moving. Then, round by round, the passer adds a move immediately after each pass — alternating around the cones to the right and left; chest to the ground and quickly back up; turning to run around the cone behind and checking in to the middle; butt to the ground and quickly back up; backward to the cone and checking in — and the last round is one-touch passes.
“Two touches, stay on your toes. When I call a move, every pass costs you one — pass, do it, and be back up for the next ball.”
- 3
Play
Run a few of the rounds for 3 to 4 minutes each. Watch the quality the whole way — first touches that keep the ball in front of the player, good pace and accuracy on the pass, and the two partners communicating.
“Keep it in front of you! Talk to each other — good pace, right to their feet!”
Look for The first touch — quality, keeping the ball in front of the player even with a move just finished.
- 4
Switch and repeat
Call the next move every few minutes and finish with the one-touch round. Then be creative — add other activities of your own to mix things up.
“New move! Pass, chest to the grass, and up before the ball comes back!”
Odd number at practice tonight? Run one group as a trio — every paired activity needs its trio version.
Go deeper · 2 notes
Why it works
Every pass buys a movement, so players get a lot of touches and can focus on receiving and passing while getting in a good warm-up — the conditioning hides inside the passing.
What they learn
Receiving and passing while warming up — quality first touches that keep the ball in front, good pace and accuracy on the pass, and communication between the two players.
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.