Video: Wall Passing Soccer Workout - Improve First Touch Football Training by DJ Diveny
What This Page Is For
Use this page when a child can kick the ball but passes are hard to aim, receive, or follow. The routine below needs one ball, two safe markers, and either a partner or a wall that can take soft passes. If you want a complete age-specific practice, use the linked U8 session instead.
Set Up Before The First Pass
Make a gate with two cones, shoes, or flat markers. Start with the markers about one metre apart and the player three to five metres away. Leave a clear run-off area behind the target. For wall work, check the surface, windows, parked cars, people, and the path of a bad rebound before the ball moves.
Minutes 0-3: Gate Passing
Pass through the gate with the inside of the foot, collect the ball, and reset. Begin with six attempts on the comfortable foot, then try six on the other foot. Keep the gate wide enough for calm contact. If the ball misses in different directions, move closer. If every pass bends to the same side, check the standing foot and body angle before changing the target.
Minutes 3-6: Wall Pass And Move
Stand two to four metres from a safe wall. Pass, take one step sideways, cushion the rebound into the new path, and pass again. A parent can return the ball when no wall is available. Stop the sequence when the child has to chase the rebound; moving closer is more useful than kicking harder.
Minutes 6-9: First Touch Into Space
Make a square about three metres across. Roll or pass the ball into it and ask the child to take the first touch toward an open side, then play the next pass. Serve gently at first. The touch should leave a simple action available; it does not need to stop the ball under the body.
Minutes 9-12: Choose The Finish
Repeat the drill that exposed the clearest problem. Use Gate Passing for aim, Wall Pass And Move for rhythm, or First Touch Box when receiving breaks the next pass. Finish with a small target the child can understand, such as four accurate passes from six attempts or three controlled rebounds without a chase.
Three Technique Checks
First, the standing foot should give the body a stable base near the ball. Second, the kicking ankle should stay firm through contact rather than flicking loosely. Third, the player should look at the target before the final step. Inside-foot passing is a useful starting point, but passing also depends on scanning, timing, movement, positioning, and choosing the right option.
What To Watch In The Video
The demonstration shows the full body and feet during wall passing. Watch the distance from the wall, the ankle at contact, and the small adjustment steps between passes. The video includes faster combinations, but a beginner can pause after every rebound. Copy the body position before copying the speed.
Make The Drill Easier Or Harder
To make a drill easier, widen the gate, shorten the pass, slow the service, or allow the child to stop the ball before returning it. To make it harder, change one demand: narrow the gate, use the other foot, add one scan, or move after the pass. If accuracy and balance disappear together, remove the last change.
For A Pair Or Small Group
With two players, place one player on each side of a gate and ask them to move to a new angle after passing. With four or more, use pairs or groups of three so nobody waits in a long line. Give one cue for each round, then let the ball move. A useful cue is short and visible: point the standing foot, pass through the gate, or move after the pass.
When The Toe Keeps Making Contact
A toe contact is not automatically a crisis, and players may use it deliberately in a match. If it appears on every short pass and accuracy suffers, slow the approach and use a stationary ball. The separate toe-poking guide explains how to adjust the contact without turning one technical habit into a lecture.
Which Passing Drill Should You Use?
| Problem you see | Start with | First adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| Passes miss left and right | Gate Passing | Widen the gate and move the player closer. |
| The child kicks hard but cannot repeat the pass | Wall Pass And Move | Use a softer pass from a shorter distance. |
| The first touch stops the return pass | First Touch Box | Roll the ball slowly and open one side of the box. |
| The child passes and stands still | Give And Go Gates | Walk the first return run before adding speed. |
| A parent wants to join the practice | Pass To Parent Targets | Hold a clear target and change angle after each pass. |
| A group needs a game | Pass Race Relay Gates | Score accurate passes, not the fastest kicks. |
Visual Drill Guide
Use these setup sketches before choosing a drill. The feet show the starting shape; the arrows show where the ball or body moves next.
Walk the lane without a ball. Check that both players can stop safely and that an overhit pass will finish in clear space.
Face the wall with both feet visible, make a short pass, move one step, and control the rebound before passing again.
Make a small square with four markers.
The partner walks slowly between the markers.
A Quick Passing Diagnosis
If every pass misses in a different direction, shorten the distance and work on contact. If the pass is accurate but the child stands still afterwards, choose Give And Go Gates. If the first touch keeps spoiling the return, move to First Touch Box before adding more speed.
Key pages
Football Passing Drills For 8 Year Olds
U8 football passing drills with a 15-minute session, quick diagnosis, coaching cues, mistakes to watch for, and safe at-home practice options.
15-Minute U8 Football Passing Session
A 15-minute passing session for 8-year-olds, with warm-up, three inline drills, coaching cues, easier versions, and a short finish.
How To Help An 8 Year Old Pass Better In Football At Home
Help an eight-year-old pass with more control using a one-minute diagnosis, a complete 12-minute routine, and simple adjustments for the problem you can see.
Is Toe Poking Bad In Football? When Kids Should Use It
Toe poking is legal and sometimes useful. This guide shows parents when it helps, when to teach an inside-foot pass, and how to practise both without nagging.
Common questions
What is the easiest football passing drill for a child?
Start with Gate Passing. Use two safe markers, make the gate wide, and begin close enough for a controlled inside-foot pass. The target is easy to see and the distance can change without changing the skill.
How long should a child practise passing?
A short focused block is enough to spot one problem and repeat a useful action. This page uses 12 minutes in four blocks. Stop earlier if the surface, attention, or contact quality becomes unsafe or rushed.
Can a child practise football passing alone?
Yes. A safe wall or rebound surface can return the ball, and a gate gives each pass a target. Check the rebound path first and stay close enough that the child does not need to strike the ball hard.
Should kids only use the inside of the foot to pass?
No. The inside of the foot is a clear starting point for short accurate passes, but players also need to explore other surfaces and make decisions about when and where to pass. Add variety after the child can stay balanced and control the return.
Recommended drills
Gate Passing Football Drill for Kids: Aim and Weight
This gate passing football drill for kids gives every pass a visible target. Use it to help a child judge direction and weight, receive under control, and recover from a miss without turning practice into a test.
Wall Pass And Move
A wall passing drill that teaches an 8-year-old to pass, move, and control the rebound with the first touch.
First Touch Box
A small-box control drill that helps kids cushion the ball and move their first touch into space.
Pass To The Moving Target
The partner keeps walking between two gates. The player waits for a clear target and passes to their feet.
Give And Go Gates
A two-player passing drill that connects a clean pass with the movement that follows it.
Pass Race Relay Gates
A passing game where kids score by passing through gates, collecting the ball calmly, and resetting before the next attempt.