Passing

Passing Gate Hunt

Find passing angles in a busy area

Passing

Warm Ups

Receiving

Passing Gate Hunt is a 10-minute passing drill for 4-20 players, suitable for Under 5 to Adults at beginner, intermediate 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.

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Passing

Warm Ups

Receiving

Warm Up

Beginner

Intermediate

Full Squad

Minimal Equipment

Foundation Phase

Youth Friendly

Adult Suitable

Quick 10 Minutes

Duration

10 min

Players

4-20

Pitch size

25 x 25 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate

Pitch diagram

Passing Gate Hunt — Cone maze — dribble in traffic · 25 x 25 yards

Step 1 of 3Pairs score a point for each pass played through a gate to their partner.

1. Pairs score a point for each pass played through a gate to their partner.
2. The same gate cannot be used twice in a row.
3. Ninety second rounds with a rest between.

Cones mark the area
Scattered cones = obstacles / targets
Ball
Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

-Find passing angles in a busy area
-Pass accurately on the move
-Scan for the next gate

Setup

1Scatter ten two-yard gates around the area.
2Players work in pairs with one ball.
3Rest balls on the outside.

Coaching instructions

1Pairs score a point for each pass played through a gate to their partner.
2The same gate cannot be used twice in a row.
3Ninety second rounds with a rest between.

Coaching points

-Move to open a passing angle for your partner
-Firm pass through the middle of the gate
-Call early when the gate is on

Common mistakes

-Standing still and waiting
-Passing into a closed gate
-Under-hit passes

Equipment needed

Balls

Cones

Age groups

Under 5

Under 6

Under 7

Under 8

Under 9

Under 10

Under 11

Under 12

Under 13

Under 14

Under 15

Under 16

Adults

Progressions

+Two-Touch Limit: drop to one touch in the central area
+Weak Foot Only: add a defender to raise the pressure
+Tempo Clock: cut the clock to four seconds
+Add a competitive scoreline for the last round

Regressions

-Two-Touch Limit: allow three touches while the picture is learned
-Weak Foot Only: static, unopposed reps before adding movement
-Tempo Clock: extend the clock to ten seconds
-Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

-Two-Touch Limit — Players are limited to two touches — one to control, one to release.
-Weak Foot Only — Every touch, pass and finish must be with the weaker foot.
-Tempo Clock — The ball must reach the end action inside six seconds or the rep restarts.
-Scan and Cue — The coach shows a colour or number and the receiver must call it before their first touch.
-Shadow Pressure — A shadow defender applies half pressure and can win the ball only after the first touch.
-Score Challenge — Run it as a timed competition — pairs or teams count successful reps and compare scores.
-1-to-1 Session — Run as an individual session: coach serves, one player works through the reps with rest built in.
-Flip the practice to the opposite side of the pitch