Diamond Overlap
The classic diamond with an overlap stitched in — pass, sprint the outside lane, and release the return down the line.
Step 1 of 3·Receiver holds one beat — hold, hold, release
Set-up
20 x 20 diamond, one player at each point plus one runner queueing. Ball starts at the bottom point.
By age group
- U9-U10
- Shrink to a 15 x 15 diamond and walk the pattern first.
Run it in order
- 1
Bottom passes to the left point and calls 'overlap'.
- 2
Left point holds the ball one beat, then releases to the top as the runner sprints wide.
- 3
Top plays the return down the line into the overlapping runner's path.
- 4
Runner takes a touch and the sequence restarts from his position.
Coaching points
The call 'overlap' is a contract — the runner commits, the receiver waits.
Hold one beat: release too early and the runner arrives too late.
The return pass is a weighted pass into space, not at feet.
Progressions
- Add a defender chasing the runner's lane.
- Run the diamond to both sides — left overlap then right.
Make it easier
- Runner jogs the lane until timing is secure.
More passing
All drills- 20 x 20
Pass & Move Gates
Pairs pass through cone gates scattered across a grid, then move to a new gate — the earliest version of pass-and-move, dressed up as a game.
6+ players 10 minFoundationPassingU7-U8U9-U10 - 10 x 10
4v2 Rondo
The keepers-and-defenders classic: four passers on the edges of a small grid trying to keep the ball off two hunters in the middle — the best passing-under-pressure drill there is.
6+ players 12 minDevelopmentPassingU9-U10U11-U12 - Half pitch
Third Man Runs
The pattern behind every line-breaking goal: pass, set, and the third player runs beyond the ball into the space the first two passes created.
6+ players 15 minAdvancedPassingU13-U14U15-U16