1-2 Combination Play

A long ball, a lay-off, a spin around the cone, and the return — the 1-2 travels cone to cone around the grid and back into the line.

Short and long 1-2 combinations, with the movement off the ball that makes them work.

Ages 9+3 on cones, a line at the fourth20 minCones, balls

Set up · 3 actions · before the kids arrive

Grab: Four corner cones and balls — one ball to start.
Build: Build a grid about 20 by 25 yards — a cone on each corner.
Place: One player on cones B, C, and D; everyone else lines up at cone A, first player with the ball.

Show me the setup picture

A 20-by-25 grid with a player waiting on three corner cones and the line queued at the fourth, ball with the first in line.

One thing to remember: Short and long 1-2 combinations, one-touch passing with proper pace and accuracy, movement off the ball, thinking ahead of the play, communication by voice, hand motions, and eye contact, and body positioning for fluid movement.

How it runs — the whole game in one sentence

A long ball into the cone, a lay-off back, a spin around the cone, and the return pass — the 1-2 repeats at every corner until the ball comes back to the line.

1Organize the players▾
Coach does
Put one player on each of three corner cones — B, C, and D — and line everyone else up at the fourth cone, A. The first player in line starts with the ball; begin with one ball.
Coach says
One of you on each of these three cones. The rest of you, line up here — first in line has the ball.
2Show the jobs▾
Coach does
Walk one link of the chain — A passes a long ball to B and advances toward them; B lays it off to A, spins out around their cone, and receives A's return on the other side. Then B plays long to C and the same 1-2 runs there — then C to D, and D long to the next player in the A line.
Coach says
Long ball, follow it. Lay it back, spin around your cone, take the return on the far side — then you play the next long ball.
3Play▾
Coach does
Run it continuously with the line feeding through. Watch for one-touch play with the proper pace and accuracy on each pass, players thinking ahead of the play and ready to move fast, and communication — voices, hand motions, eye contact.
Coach says
One touch, real pace! Talk, point, make eye contact — know the next pass before the ball gets there.
Look for: One-touch passes with proper pace and accuracy — players thinking ahead of the play and already moving.
4Switch and repeat▾
Coach does
Keep the pattern rolling and the line feeding through. Then run it with two balls, starting from A and C at the same time, or change the direction of the play.
Coach says
Second ball coming in — A and C start together. Eyes up!

If it's not working

If the pattern keeps breaking, let the lay-offs take two touches until it flows — then bring back one-touch.

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

Why are we doing this?

Every pass in the chain is also a run — advance after the long ball, spin out after the lay-off — so combination passing and movement off the ball get built in the same rep.

What are they learning?

Short and long 1-2 combinations, one-touch passing with proper pace and accuracy, movement off the ball, thinking ahead of the play, communication by voice, hand motions, and eye contact, and body positioning for fluid movement.