Passing

Third Man Passing Y

Play through a screened midfielder to a third man

Passing

Receiving

Possession

Third Man Passing Y is a 14-minute passing drill for 6-14 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.

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Passing

Receiving

Possession

Technical Practice

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Full Squad

Minimal Equipment

Youth Friendly

Adult Suitable

Third Man

Combination Play

Duration

14 min

Players

6-14

Pitch size

25 x 20 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Third Man Passing Y — Y-shape combination · 25 x 20 yards

Step 1 of 4Player one passes into the pivot, who sets it back for the third man to play forward.

1. Player one passes into the pivot, who sets it back for the third man to play forward.
2. The passer follows and takes the next station.
3. Rotate direction after every three minutes.
4. Rotation: Rotate direction after every three minutes.

Cones mark the area
Dashed lines = zones / thirds
Ball
Cones mark each station in the shape
Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

-Play through a screened midfielder to a third man
-Time the supporting run so the pass is always available
-Build a repeatable two-pass combination

Setup

1A Y shape of cones: two starters, a central pivot and two exits.
2Three balls at the starting cone.
3Players spread one per cone with a spare group waiting.

Coaching instructions

1Player one passes into the pivot, who sets it back for the third man to play forward.
2The passer follows and takes the next station.
3Rotate direction after every three minutes.

Coaching points

-Pivot opens the hips before the ball arrives
-Set pass firm and to the back foot
-Third man is moving as the set is played

Common mistakes

-Pivot receiving square with no vision
-Set pass too soft to play forward
-Third man arriving after the ball

Equipment needed

Balls

Cones

Age groups

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