Line-Breaking Pass Game
Passing
Legend
- player
- defender
- cones
- ball
How it works
Play passes through defensive lines to unlock compact defenses in a structured passing game.
What you need
- cones
- soccer ball
- scrimmage vests
- goals
Your focus
Breaking defensive lines with passes is the defining technical skill for midfielders and forwards at higher levels. Training the weight, timing, and angle of line-breaking passes develops the attacking passing vision that creates dangerous chances from seemingly defensive positions.
Create two defensive lines in the middle third using cones and defenders (4-4 shape).
Possession team must play the ball through the first line to a midfielder, then through the second line to a forward.
Award 1 point for breaking the first line, 2 for breaking the second, 3 for finishing on goal.
Defenders actively block, not passive.
Play for 12 minutes; track line-breaking passes per team.
Debrief: what passes created the most danger?
Goal
You're there when the ball travels through a defensive line cleanly at least once every three possessions, receivers are in space on the other side, not offside.
Helpful cues
- Line-breaking pass: weight must be correct, too soft and the defender reads it
- Find the gap between defenders, pass to space, not to feet when breaking lines
- The receiver must time their run to the pass, pass and run together
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
One line only; half the defenders.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Possession team must play out from a goalkeeper, adds the build-up pressure.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.