How to Coach Perfect Passing Technique

There has been a bit of a debate going on between some of our readers and on our forum, The Dug-Out, over how to coach the simple pass. So here's our take on it.

Key Coaching Tip: Passing accurately and quickly requires practice

There are lots of ways to pass the ball – with the outside of the foot, in the air, driven along the ground, even backwards using the heel – but the easiest and most accurate, whether straight to a teammate or into space for them to run onto, is the sidefoot pass.

How to do it

* Use the inside of the foot - that's the area from the base of the big toe to the central area of the heel, under the ankle bone
* Kicking foot at right angles to the ball
* Belly button facing the player receiving the pass
* Non-kicking foot alongside the ball
* Knee and ankle joints held firm
* Body over the ball
* Head steady, eyes on the ball
* Use the arms to keep balanced
* Hit through the ball's horizontal mid-line - that way it will keep low
* Kicking foot follows through towards the target.

But getting the technique right isn't the end of the story - there are two other factors players should work on perfecting: timing and weight.

1. Timing

Get this wrong - i.e. pass too early or too late - and the momentum of a move can stall. For example, a forward pass before a striker is ready to make their run could run harmlessly out of play, while delaying a pass too long can give defenders time to block off space and the passing angle, or mean your striker strays offside.

2. The 'weight' or power of a pass

Similarly, get the weight wrong – i.e. too heavy or too light – and that can also mean the end of an attack. Too heavy and a teammate could have trouble controlling the ball, while too light and the ball might not have the pace to reach the teammate, allowing a defender to intercept it.

A WELL 'WEIGHTED' PASS WILL ALLOW A TEAMMATE TO CONTROL THE BALL WITH A MINIMUM OF EFFORT, GIVING THEM TIME AND SPACE.