Y Passing Drill - Variation 2
The Y grows a wall pass — the corner player plays a quick one-two with the center, then switches the ball across to the far corner, who dribbles it home.
Quick one-twos, movement off the ball, and well-weighted passes — the pattern builds combination play with the body position and communication to pull it off.
Starting at Core — your team is set to mixed.
20 min tonight · 5–6 per Y
- Ages 9+
- 5–6 per Y
- 20 min as the drill is written
- Cones, balls
Grab Four cones and two balls for each Y.
Build Set four cones in a Y — the base cone 15 yards from the center cone, and the two top cones 10 yards from the center.
Place One player at each cone, extras lined up at the base with the balls.
- 1
Organize the players
Build the Y and put one player at each cone — everyone else lines up at the base with the two balls.
“One per cone, line at the base. Balls with the line.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk the pattern — the base passes to the center; the center receives with an open body and plays to the top left; the top left gives a quick one-two with the center, then switches the ball across the Y to the top right; the top-right player dribbles quickly back to the base and feeds the next player in line.
“Give it back, get it back — then swing it across. Far corner, you're dribbling it home.”
- 3
Play
Run it alternating sides — next run the center plays to the top right, the one-two comes back, and the switch finds the top left. Watch the one-twos staying quick, receptions on the back foot with an open body, accurate and well-weighted passes, a scan before every reception, and real speed in the dribble and the moves between cones.
“Bang-bang — keep the one-two quick! Back foot, open up, then hit the switch!”
Look for The one-two's tempo — the wall pass returned first time, with the runner already moving for it.
- 4
Switch and repeat
Rotate by the pattern's own rule — the base player moves to the center; the center moves to the corner opposite the one they played into (play into the left, move to the right); the corner that switched the ball stays put. Keep the sides alternating.
“Know your move — base to center, center to the OTHER corner. Rotate!”
If the rotation keeps tangling, pause it and ask the center player — you played into the left corner, so which corner is yours now? Let them answer — the opposite one — then restart.
Go deeper · 2 notes
Why it works
The wall pass turns the pattern into combination play — give, move, receive, then switch the field — so passing accuracy, movement off the ball, and the communication that links them all get reps on every single run.
What they learn
One-two combination play, receiving on the back foot with an open body, accurate and well-weighted passing, scanning before the ball arrives, and speed in the dribble and the transitions.
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.