Passing
Counter Passing Gate Channel
Repeat accurate passing through tight gates
Passing
First Touch
Receiving
Counter Passing Gate Channel is a 14-minute passing drill for 4-18 players, suitable for Under 9 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryPassing
First Touch
Receiving
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Counter Attack
Duration
14 min
Players
4-18
Pitch size
32 x 18 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Counter Passing Gate Channel — 3 gates — score by travelling through · 32 x 18 yards
Step 1 of 5Pairs travel down the channel passing through each gate in turn.
- 1. Pairs travel down the channel passing through each gate in turn.
- 2. The receiver must control beyond the gate before returning the ball.
- 3. Turn at the end and work back down the channel.
- 4. The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5. Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
- Cones mark the area
- Cone gates to dribble / pass through
- Ball
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Repeat accurate passing through tight gates
- -Improve first touch away from the gate
- -Add travelling passes on the move
Setup
- 1A channel with three passing gates spaced along it in a 32 x 18 yards area.
- 2Place two mini goals on the halfway line for the counter-attacking side to aim at.
- 3One ball per pair and a spare at the coach's feet.
Coaching instructions
- 1Pairs travel down the channel passing through each gate in turn.
- 2The receiver must control beyond the gate before returning the ball.
- 3Turn at the end and work back down the channel.
- 4The team in possession starts each rep in their own half and must build forwards.
- 5Turnovers earn a direct counter at the mini goals worth two points.
Coaching points
- -Pass through the middle of the gate
- -First touch across the body
- -Weight the ball to the receiver's stride
- -Counter in a straight line — the first pass forward beats the recovery run
Common mistakes
- -Passing behind the moving partner
- -Stopping the ball dead at every gate
- -Dribbling into traffic when the counter is on
Where this drill fits
- More football passing drills
- More football first touch drills
- More football receiving drills
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme