Organizing drill 1• Set up 5 cones 15 metres apart in a diamond for-

mation as shown in Diagram A.• Place one player at cone 2.• Place one player at cone 4.• Place one player on either side of cone 3.• Split the rest of the squad evenly at cones

1 and 5.• Place one ball at cone 1 and one ball at cone

5 to start the drill.• Both sides do the drill at the same time,

i.e. at cones 1 and 5

Practising the drill • This drill is all about focusing on the correct weight

and speed of the pass.• The passing sequence is as follows: player (xi)

passes to player (xii) who controls the ball andturns to the outside and passes to player (xiii).

• The same sequence is taking place at cones 5, 3 and 4

• Remember when receiving and turning with theball, players must do this at top speed so it is as ina game situation.

• Player (xiii)’s then dribbles the ball around the out-side of cones 2 and 4 respectively and finishes atthe back of the queue as shown in Diagram A.

• Players now move in rotation. Player (xi) moves tocone 3, player (xii) moves to the outside cones 2and 4, and the next person in line at cones 1 and 5steps up to start the drill again.

• Players must move off the cones to receive the ball(i.e to check their runs).

• Checking means they move away from the spacethey want to run into and then check into thatspace to receive the ball.

• Run this drill for three minutes and then change the

direction of the drill as shown in Diagram B.• The drill runs the same as previously.

The one-two variation on the drill (diag c)• Instead of immediately dribbling with the ball,

player (xiii) now plays a one-two to player (xii), whothen passes the ball back to player (xiii) when hehas run around the outside of the cone.

• Player (xiii)’s must receive the ball in his stride and go to the back of the queue as in the previousdrill. They must end up at cones 1 and 5 respectively.

• Run this drill for three minutes and then change thedirection of the drill (similar to diagram B)

Coach’s Note:• Players must be quick and light on their feet when

passing.• Make sure players check the ball to create time for

themselves as in a real game.• Players must communicate when passing the ball

(to ensure accuracy).• Ensure the strength (weight) of the pass is correct

according to the distance.• Demand consistency and accuracy, and keep the

ball on the ground.• Once the passing is at a level that you are satisfied

with, you can add some variations to this drill.• Encourage players to be creative when receiving

the ball. They can turn with the inside or outside ofthe foot. Dropping a shoulder or being really quickwith the touches is a sure way to fool the defenderbut make sure the players keep the passing at thehighest quality as this is the focus of the drill.

• Make the drill one touch for advanced players.

The Diamond Passing DrillNUMBER

29Soccer is all about passing the ball.To be able to play well as a team,all players need to be able to passthe ball accurately and on time.This week, Ajax Cape Town’s CraigRosslee demonstrates a uniquepassing drill. It focuses on passingover a distance of 15 metres. De-veloping your passing game willhelp you keep possession and im-prove your chances of scoringgoals. It is important that passingbecomes second nature to yourplayers. It is the foundation of thegame.

DIAGRAM KEY:BallMovement of playersMovement of ballCones

G GoalkeeperX i Player number

1 2 3

A B C

1

2

xi

x xx x

x x

x xx xx x

x x

x x

x x

x x

xiii

xiii

15 metres

15 m

etre

s

xii

xii

xi

3 4

5

1

2

xi

xiii

xiiixii

xii

xi

3 4

5

1

2

xi

x x

x x

xiii

xiii

xii

xii

xi

3 4

5