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PassingBeginner

Pass Through the Gate

Players dribble freely and look to pass through cone gates to teammates. Builds vision and accuracy.

10 min
4–12 players
12–16 cones, 1 ball per pair

Objective

Develop passing accuracy, vision, and the ability to find a teammate through a small target.

Pass Through the Gate youth soccer drill demonstration

Visual Concept

ABPass Through the GateAccuracy: pass through cone gates

Top-down diagram — Passing drill layout

Setup

Scatter 6–8 cone gates (1 yard wide) across a 20x20 yard area. Players split into pairs, one ball per pair.

How to Run It

1

Free movement

Both players move freely around the area. The player with the ball looks to pass through a gate to their partner.

2

Count gates

Pairs count how many successful gate passes they complete in 60 seconds.

3

Beat your score

Rest 30 seconds, then try to beat the previous score.

4

Competition

Which pair can complete the most gate passes in 90 seconds?

Coaching Cues

Look up before you pass — find your partner and a gate

Your partner needs to move to create a line through a gate

Weight the pass correctly — through the gate, not at the cones

Communicate — point or call to show your partner where to move

Variations

  • Make some gates worth 2 points (marked with different coloured cones)
  • Add a defender who can block gates
  • One-touch passing only

More Passing Drills

Intermediate

Triangle Passing

Three players form a triangle and pass with one touch, rotating positions after each sequence.

15 min 3–9
View Drill
Intermediate

Rondo 4v1

Four players keep possession in a small square while one defender tries to win the ball.

12 min 5
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Beginner

Wall Pass Combination

Players practice the classic give-and-go, using a partner as a wall to play past a cone defender.

10 min 2–6
View Drill