Soccer Awareness Three Player Look, Pass & Move with Pressure Drill

The following drill comes from Soccer Awareness eBook 36: Scanning and Teaching One-Touch Mentality Training Ideas

In this eBook, we are teaching players to develop a "one touch mentality" in their game, to train the MIND. Players learn to play in "Anticipation" of the ball; both on and off it by Scanning the field constantly to make earlier, faster and more successful decisions in the game. How do we do this? Here are some sessions to use to help develop this ability.


They allow a flow rate to happen regarding PASSING and SUPPORT and help players to develop CONFIDENCE and COMPOSURE on the ball. Development can be monitored, and progression can be clearly judged and the coach can move the players onto the next level when they recognize the time is right. I have carefully developed the levels of progression of these sessions to ensure each level is addressed at the correct time.

Three Player Drill.png

Go through each progression in the order it is presented here, do one at a time and have each player practice it in the middle at every stage of the progressions.

  1. Begin by passing the ball from (1) to (2) to (3) and back (2) Receives and turns and passes. Passing must be sharp and accurate, one or two touch.

  2. You can receive with the furthest foot away from the passer and pass it with the nearest foot or save a touch and move it one touch with the inside of the nearest foot or the outside of the furthest foot. Let the weight of the pass determine this, let it run across your body and move it one touch.

  3. The player in the middle must open their body stance up by going side on so they can see what is behind them and it makes it easier to receive and pass the ball on.

Coaching Points

  1. Look over shoulder before receiving (where you are passing to).

  2. Body Stance half turned (can see behind).

  3. Support at an angle.

  4. Save a touch let weight of ball determine this let it run across the body and move one touch.

  5. Develop - Opposite player stays or closes the middle player down.

  6. If closed down , middle player passes back to

  7. If not closed the middle player turns and passes to opposite player.