Partner Pass and Move Warm-up
Pairs roam the grid passing only to each other — inside of the foot to pass, inside of the foot to receive, and a move to a new spot after every ball.
Young players learn to pass with the correct surface of the foot, receive a ball, and move again after receiving — the whole pass-and-move habit in one warm-up.
Starting at Core — your team is set to mixed.
10 min tonight · Pairs, one ball each
- Ages 6–14
- Pairs, one ball each
- 10 min as the drill is written
- Cones, pinnies, balls
Grab Cones for the grid and a ball for every pair.
Build Build a 20-by-20 grid — you can change the size based on the number of players.
Place Pairs spread through the grid, one ball between each pair.
- 1
Organize the players
Split the group into pairs with one ball per pair and send them into the grid.
“Find a partner — one ball between you. The whole grid is yours; keep moving.”
- 2
Show the jobs
Walk the rules — each pair passes only to their partner while moving around the grid, and every pass and every reception uses the inside of the foot.
“Inside of the foot — pass it, receive it. And nobody stands still after they pass.”
- 3
Play
Watch the details — inside of the foot for both trapping and passing, the receiver's body moved behind the path of the ball, movement after every pass, and the right amount of weight and pace on each ball.
“Get your body behind it! Pass and move — find a new spot!”
Look for The move after the pass — passers immediately off to a new spot, receivers with their body behind the path of the ball.
- 4
Switch and repeat
Keep the pairs working. For later rounds, restrict the number of touches — the count is yours to pick.
“New round — I'm counting your touches now!”
If the grid is too crowded to move through, slide the cones out while they play — the grid is sized to your numbers — then bring it back in.
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Why it works
Passing only to your partner while both of you move keeps every touch honest — the correct surface to pass, the body behind the ball to receive, and a new spot found before the next ball arrives.
What they learn
Passing and receiving with the inside of the foot, moving after the pass, getting the body behind the path of the ball, and the right weight and pace on every pass.
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.