Passing Options Game

Focus

Skills under pressure, Defensive, Decision Making, Fun.

Skills

Kicking.

Purpose

Players can fall into the trap of kicking to the closest person they see, failing to lift their eyes and see what's on further afield. This drill practices kicking to leading targets, making players look upfield before selecting whether to play safe and kick short, or choose the more lucrative but riskier long option.

Groups of

Ages

11⁺

Balls/grp

1⁺

Cones

Distance (max)

60m

Opp. tops

50%

Visible opposition strip: 50%

Setup
Each play area will have 3 x 40m wide, 20m long zones marked with cones. 16 players per play area (4 vs 4 in zone A, 6 vs 6 in zones B & C), players must stay in their original zone. Setup multiple fields if numbers permit, extra players wait on sidelines and rotate after each turn. Coach will need a stopwatch.
Step 1
A player from the red team starts with the ball in Zone A. They can pass to any team mate by foot only, but only score when a completed mark is taken by a teammate in another zone.
Step 2
If a pass is completed from zones which are next to one another (A to B, B to C, C to B, B to A) the team scores 1 point.

Players can pass forwards or backwards

If a spoil is effected, allow the attacking team to gather the ball and continue

The coach or assistant must call out the total score after every successful pass
Step 3
If a pass is completed from A to C, or C to A, the team scores 5 points.

The attacking team must lift their eyes to look for longer options

Players should be looking to block opponents or clear a path for leading teammates
Step 4
After 1 minute of play, change attackers to defenders and rotate subs if necessary. The team scoring the most points is the winner.