Closest to the Line

Field size: 30 yards by 20

Number of players: full team in pairs

Age range: 6-8

Description: Player partner up and try to pass the ball to a line. Try five passes and see what player wins the most rounds. The winners move on and play another player who has won.  

The idea is to pass the ball closest to the line and or on it.  You can try this from various distances, from ten yards away to thirty yards away.  The weight of the pass is key in this drill and in soccer, and this drill gets your players used to hitting the ball at different speeds and with different amounts of force or weight. 

Strike the ball with both the right and left foot, one round with the left and one with the right, not just the players’ favored foot. 

This is a good drill for players who are just learning about passing and shooting the soccer ball.  Spread the players out along the line they are passing from so there’s less chance a ball will hit another players’ ball.  Make a rule that if your ball hits another players ball then you’re out. 

Players can work on technique in this drill, locking the ankle and hitting the ball with the right weight.

Equipment needed: Cones and soccer balls.