If you don’t know how to pass the ball – you cannot play the game

All top coaches agree in one thing – If you don’t know how to pass the ball, you cannot play the game.

This sentence appears among many interviews we come along no matter if it is youth level or a professional team. Looking closely at the statement and analyzing the importance of it is easy to join opinions.

WHAT MAKES PASSING SO IMPORTANT?

Soccer is a team sport. Team consist number of players. In youth level: 5,7,8,9 a-side soccer and of course 11-a-side game. Group of players makes a team. During training practice and during a match, they are organized on the pitch by their coach and every one of them wants to give their contribution. Wants to be a part of the play. Coaches create passing patterns, develop passing variations and create practices where number of players are involved in the same action. All of that in order to find the right time and space when they can threaten the opponent’s goal and create advantage for their team to score.

TYPES OF PASSING

Passing considers the action when player in possession of the ball sends the ball to his teammate. The pass can be completed using several ways and any part of the body. Of course, the most common pass is done with the foot. Some players can use both feet equally when other are doing it better with their dominant foot.

• Kicking the ball with the inside part of the foot is the most used technique cause it’s the most accurate one.
• Using outside part of the foot is a technique practiced when player wants to perform quick and sudden pass to get the opponent caught unbalanced.
• Passing with the instep is mostly used when player wants to send the ball far away and high in the air skipping big space of the field and asking for fast play.
• Back hill pass is useful skill when player is in a tight position surrounded with opponents and when he notice unmarked teammate behind him. It is common used in the opponent penalty area and played as surprise factor in the action.

In a modern game, and in a game when it is difficult to find space to penetrate through organized defending in the middle of the field, teams are opted to create opportunities from the flanks. Usually action finishes with crosses as another way of passing the ball. Precisely given cross pass is usually a final assist when the goal is scored.

Passes can be given at a short, medium or long distance. There is a saying that goes – a pass is a best dribbling.

• Quick, short, one touch pass between two players around the opponent is called wall pass and can be more successful than any dribbling skill as the ball is not within the reach of a player.
• Passing can be performed with head or any part of the body depending of the situation that occurs. It is crucial that players are ready to perform the action.

WHEN TO TRAIN PASSING?

There’s always more and less gifted players. More gifted players use their skills faster and more accurate. Among all technical elements it includes passing, too. Although, at a very young age, children mostly just dribble the ball, introducing them passing technique is always beneficial for the future. You don’t have to focus on passing technique but encourage them to pass whenever they can; that will help them to understand better the concept of team play.

When players practice soccer for a year or more, passing becomes important factor of the play and they are aware of it. Coaches are able to design training challenges that will improve that aspect of the game more and more. The level of players becomes less important comparing to concept of passing in the game.

PASS THE BALL, DON’T KICK THE BALL!

When the team is trained well with good amount of time spent on working on the team shape and style of play, coach is able to challenge his players with new skills and new demands. Starting from the goalkeeper, defenders and all players in the team ask the player, not to kick the ball with no direction, but to look for a pass.

Understanding the situation when player is under pressure from the opponent and in the zone on the field when his goal is in danger, if player is confident with ability to scan the situation around him, he can find the way to forward the ball to his teammate who is in a better position. This will have several influences in the game.

Confidence of a player and the whole team will rise and team will keep possession of the ball longer – so they have more chances to win.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT PASS

To be successful during the game, player needs to choose the right technique in each situation. Wrong selection of action can lead to mistakes and it effects player’s confidence and result in a team performance. Player must be able to use appropriate kick in the correct time and space. Other moment changes everything and technique should vary. Player must be concentrated and focused all the time.

COACH YOUR PLAYER TO MOVE OFF THE BALL

Considering and analyzing passing as a prime skill in soccer game, we must mention movement of the players, which are called off the ball, or looking to receive the pass. To be able to receive quality pass, teammates must find spaces where and when the ball can arrive to them. Players have to move constantly in all areas and from all players in the team. Player who has the ball decides to whom or where he is going to pass the ball and what type of technique is the best for that particular situation.

PASSING TO SERVE TACTICS

When players are technically sophisticated the coach is able to work on team tactical variations. It is possible to design passing variations within different systems of play on how his team is going to play in different area of the field. If it is opening build up out from the restart from goalkeeper or attacking through the middle or penetrating from the flanks.

HOW PASSING IMPROVE CONFIDENCE

If a player is in a crisis after an unsuccessful dribbling, the best recovery is to give a quality pass to regain confidence. When a player is in a form during the game and has good control of the ball, he will be able to perform passes that will connect all lines within the team. Passing options will be idle to improve overall team performance. The whole team will gain confidence and play will flow.

THE KEY PLAYER – PLAYMAKER

Skill that impresses the audience, opposite team and their coach, is the unpredictable pass that will harm prepared and organized defense. If you have a player that is virtuoso with great vision and fine technique, able to perform his ideas, you have powerful advantage against any team. It is impossible to resist a pass that splits defensive block, the ball that arrives on the foot of the player that is in front of the goal or the ball that finds the way through the tightest and only possible way to the teammate who is in a perfect position. It must be in a perfect time and space. There are many players in all time’s game who have that skill and are adored for their genius contribution to the game.

Knowhowsoccer program emphasize passing as a technical element of training process, but also as a performance. Check out wide selection of exercises covering:

• how to practice individual technique,
• variety of passing in small groups,
• passing within the whole team and team formation, as well as
• passing in specific situation proposed in small sided games.

Sessions are divided in age categories, (passing for AGE 05-08; AGE 09-12; AGE 13-17,) with flown progressions and variations for coaches to be able to choose programs for their teams.

Do you believe in passing as a key factor?