1. Arrival · 0–6 min
Raise heart rate and prepare hips and ankles before any ball work, so the first passes are not played cold.
A movement-first activation: through the ladder, into a stride, back to the queue — hips, ankles and heart rate ready before any ball work.
Watch for: Quick feet, tall posture and eyes up; the last stride is the fastest.
Moving on: Pack away the ladder, pair up, mark out the 20 × 20 m grid with four corner cones and take one ball per pair into it.
2. Arrival · 6–16 min
Establish the habits the rest of the session depends on: firm passes along the ground, a first touch away from the feet, and moving after every pass.
Pairs pass and move inside a shared grid, building to one-touch as the bodies warm up.
Watch for: Do receivers call their partner's name before the ball arrives and take their first touch out of their feet and into space?
Moving on: Mark out the 20 × 16 m area with four corner markers and the two markers shown in the setup. Give the four players on the area their bibs, one ball in play and one spare; any other players rest off the area.
3. Development · 16–26 min
Isolate the receiver's body shape and the foot they show, so the passer knows how to deliver.
A receiver shows the foot and body angle that will help them connect with the next outlet, giving the passer useful delivery information.
Watch for: The receiver shows a foot, then sets the ball towards the chosen outlet before connecting.
Moving on: Mark out the 22 × 16 m area and place one soft mannequin centrally and the one marker that setup shows. Keep the same rotation of spare players.
4. Development · 26–36 min
Add movement: pass to a wall player, move around an obstacle and receive the return in space before connecting.
A runner passes to a wall player and times a return into space beyond a passive obstacle before connecting with an outlet.
Watch for: The wall player waits for the runner to clear the obstacle before delivering, and the runner takes a controlled first touch into the outlet pass.
Moving on: Put the mannequin away, mark out the 22 × 18 m area and give the five on the area their bibs in two colours (three and two), one ball in play and one spare. Any other players rest off the area.
5. Application · 36–46 min
Apply the session to a real decision: the passer reads two receivers and two screening defenders and chooses a safe first delivery.
Two receivers coordinate support for a stationary touchline restart; the passer selects a safe first ground delivery and each reception ends the episode.
Watch for: Receivers make different runs and give a clear call; the passer looks at both options before committing and chooses a free ground route.
Moving on: Collect the balls and bibs, then start the cool-down with an easy one-minute jog.
6. Close · 46–51 min
Wind down with an easy jog and a held stretch, and use the time to recap one thing that went well and one focus for next time.
A five-minute wind-down: easy jog, then a held stretch through calves, hamstrings, quads, hips and groin while the coach recaps the session.
Watch for: Even holds on both sides and no bouncing in the stretch.
What players practise
- Players look before the ball arrives and show the passer which foot they want it on.
- Players use the first touch to set up the next pass instead of only stopping the ball.
- Players move after they pass and offer a second option to the player on the ball.
How the session builds
The ladder wakes the legs up before anyone touches a ball, and the grid adds partner passing and first touch while the body warms. Front Foot or Back Foot then narrows the focus to a single skill: the receiver's body shape and the information they give the passer. Bounce and Escape adds movement and a passive obstacle: the runner passes to a wall player, moves around the obstacle and times the return into space. Touchline Restart Choice closes the build with the first decision made against defenders: with two of them screening the routes, which pass is safe and who should offer for it? The cool-down winds the group down with an easy jog and a held stretch while it recaps one thing that went well and one focus for next time.
Coaching cues
- Look, then ask yourself where your next pass is before the ball reaches you.
- Show the passer which foot you want the ball on.
- Pass firmly along the ground and let the first touch point you where you want to go.
- A pass is the start of your next job: move and offer again.
- Call your partner's name early and show a clear foot, so the passer can choose the safe option.
- Keep every pass on the ground, secure the mannequin and leave room round it, and let defenders only intercept: no racing, no body contact.
Adapting the session
- Run the whole session as one group of six or seven players. Where a drill puts only four or five on the area (Front Foot or Back Foot, Bounce and Escape, Touchline Restart Choice), the spare players rest off it and rotate in every 45 seconds, as the drills record.
- This session is written for six or seven players. With eight, Front Foot or Back Foot and Bounce and Escape direct a second complete group of four in a separate area, which this session does not plan for.
- Arrival Passing Grid is built for pairs and records no rule for an odd player. With seven players, decide beforehand how the seventh joins, for example by partnering them yourself.
- For a newer group, use the easier progressions the drills record: a shorter passing distance with unlimited touches in the grid, a flat marker in place of the mannequin with the runner stopping beyond it, and defenders who stay still in Touchline Restart Choice.
- To make it harder, use the recorded harder progressions: one touch only and a second ball in the grid, the receiver signalling the outlet as the server prepares to pass with time for a controlled touch, and defenders adjusting their screen before the restart.
- If time is short, leave out Bounce and Escape and run the other five blocks for 41 minutes: after Front Foot or Back Foot, mark out the 22 × 18 m area, give out the restart drill's five bibs in two colours and keep two balls, one in play and one spare.
