Women's football passing drills, from rookie to master -- EP2

January 11, 2024

Inside this Article:

In today's Hana Football Passing Drill, we will focus on making better passing decisions and improving passing techniques to transform your passes into the most effective opportunities.

1.Choice of the pass
2.Technique of the pass

In the EP1, we learned that the timing and force of a pass are crucial factors influencing the quality of passing, and we found ways to improve these aspects. In today's Hana Football Passing Drill, we will focus on making better passing decisions and improving passing techniques to transform your passes into the most effective opportunities.

Choice of the pass
Technique of the pass

1.Choice of the pass

Consider which option you would make in the following scenarios:

Option 1 : Pass to the nearby CDM to allow her to re-organize.
Option 2 : Softly pass to the nearby midfielder , and then she can make a breakthrough.
Option 3 : Send a high pass to the forward in the best position for a direct attempt.
Option 4 : Pass to a teammate who running quickly forward to create an attacking opportunity.

how to make best pass decision by hana football

Remember your choice, and let's see what Alexia does.

best examples by Alexia Putellas' passing choice

She spotted the teammate making a quick run forward and, with an unexpectedly clever pass, deceived the defenders. Among all the choices, this one demands the highest level of passing abilities, but it is also the best choice because her teammate can directly get a shooting opportunity after receiving the ball. If the 3rd option were chosen, the teammate would have to waste time controlling the ball, giving the defending player a chance to block. The other two options would result in the teammate facing immediate pressure upon receiving the ball, potentially losing possession.

This is why the choice of passing is crucial. Apart from deciding whom to pass to, it also about which foot of your teammates to receive the pass. We often see instances where a right-footed player, after receiving a through pass, has to adjust the ball from their left foot to the right before taking a shot, thus wasting the best attempting opportunity. For example, in this play, if this exquisite pass could have been directed to Nicholas Jackson's right side, he would have been able to shoot with his right foot without stopping the ball, making it the most optimal scenario. Nevertheless, this pass is already quite outstanding.

bad passing choice made jackson lost his chance

We can imagine ourselves as star players and, during exciting passing moments, envision being Alexia, Leah, Messi, KDB, contemplating why they made those passing choices at that moment. Additionally, it‘s crucial to cultivate and enhance our football IQ through numerous matches and practices. This helps us learn the best passing choices instinctively and improve our pass decision-making speed. Try training your football IQ and passing decisions using the following drills:

2.Technique of the pass

The best passes for teammates to receive are close-to-turf, fast, and moderately powered passes. I believe you've also experienced passes from teammates that were too powerful and spun quickly, making them challenging to control. Similarly, passes with soft and gentle force are prone to interception by defensive players. So, how can we make passes with the proper force, appropriate speed, and suitable spin? We need to use different techniques for various passing situations.

Under normal circumstances, our passes should be executed using the instep to strike the ball, as demonstrated below.

how to use instep pass to improve in women's football drill

via @All Attack

When facing defensive situations, try to use outside of your foot to pass .

use outside of foot ball improve pass by hana football

via @All Attack

Long passing is a challenging skill, especially for beginners, and even for professional players who have played football for many years, ensuring the power and accuracy of long passes can be difficult.

long pass by hana football passing drill

To master the passing techniques, it is essential to improve through a significant amount of repetition and practice. This is why almost every soccer coach emphasizes passing drills at the beginning of training. By following the exercises in the video below, your passing technique will undergo fundamental improvements quickly.