Four Corners Passing Game
Two teams keep the ball in a big square and score by finding a teammate inside any corner grid — never the same corner twice in a row.
The no-repeat rule forces the point of attack to change — swinging the ball away from the crowd is how a team keeps it and hurts you with it.
Set up · 3 actions · before the kids arrive
- Grab: Cones, pinnies for one team, and a few balls.
- Build: Build a 40-by-40-yard square, then mark a small 5-by-5 grid inside each corner.
- Place: Both teams spread through the big square. Ball starts with one team.
Show me the setup picture
One thing to remember: Changing the point of attack, timing of runs and passes, and support around the ball.
How it runs — the whole game in one sentence
Keep possession as a team; a pass to a teammate inside a corner grid is a point — any corner, just never the same one twice in a row.
1Organize the players▾
Coach does
Split into two teams, one in pinnies, both spread through the big square.
Coach says
Two teams, whole square. You score in the corners.
2Show the jobs▾
Coach does
Point out the four corner grids and the scoring — a pass received by a teammate inside a corner is a point, and the same corner never scores twice in a row.
Coach says
Pass to a teammate inside a corner — that's a point. Never the same corner twice in a row.
3Play▾
Coach does
Keep score out loud. Watch the weight and accuracy of the passing, and whether support arrives around the ball at all times.
Coach says
Change the corner! Don't force it into the crowd — swing it!
Look for: The point of attack changing — the ball swinging toward an empty corner instead of forced into a congested one.
4Switch and repeat▾
Coach does
Run it again with the variation — nobody stands inside a grid waiting; the run into the corner and the pass have to arrive together.
Coach says
New rule — no camping in the corners. Time your run to meet the pass!
If it's not working
If neither team can string passes together, move a player across so one team is up a number until the ball starts moving, then even it back up.
Want to go deeper? Optional — not needed to run the game.
Why are we doing this?
What are they learning?
How can I change it?
Easier: Make the big square bigger.
Harder: Only count a corner goal when it comes off a give-and-go with the player in the grid.
Next: Corner Combinations — the corners become teammates, and the score becomes a one-touch combination.