Control the long ball
Transcript
Control a long ball by reading its flight early. Here's how. Warm up first. You need a partner twenty metres away, a ten metre box and six balls. Watch. Your partner lofts it into the box. You read the flight, get in line, and play it back. First, move into line early, so it reaches you at chest height or lower. Not this, standing still and stretching for it. Now from the side. Then, let your chest give, so it drops in front, ready to play. Never use your head. Our target is three sets of six each, then swap. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Bring a long lofted pass under control: read its flight early, move into line and let your chest, thigh or foot give, so it drops in front of you. England Football says most of the work in receiving goes in before the touch.
Set up
- Warm up first
- A partner, 20 m away
- 4 cones: a 10 m box
- 6 balls (size 5)
How it works
- Warm up first. On flat grass, mark a 10 x 10 m box with 4 cones and stand in the middle. Your partner stands 20 m away with 6 balls (size 5).
- Your partner lofts a pass into the box. Lofted, not skied: it should come down to you at chest height or lower.
- Read the flight early, move into line and be set before the ball arrives.
- Control it with your chest, thigh or foot so it drops in front of you, then pass it back along the ground.
- After 6, swap roles. Do 3 sets of 6 each, with 1 minute of rest between sets.
Coaching points
- Move into line early. Watch the ball off your partner's foot. As soon as you can see where it will come down, move so you are in line with it, and be set before it arrives. Meet it at chest height or lower.
- Let your chest give. Lean back a little and let your chest give as the ball arrives, so it drops about one step in front of you. On the thigh or foot, meet it and let that surface drop with the ball.
Not this
Standing still and waiting, then stretching for the ball at the last moment. It bounces off you or runs past. Move early and be set before it arrives.
Dose
- 3 sets of 6, 1 min rest
- Swap roles after 6
Our target: 3 sets of 6 each, swapping roles after every 6, with 1 minute of rest: our target, not an FA rule.
Harder / Easier
Harder
Move back to 25-30 m once 5 of 6 drop dead in front of you, with every pass still arriving at chest height or lower. Or shrink the box to 5 x 5 m.
Easier
Shorter, lower passes from 10-15 m. Or your partner throws it underarm from 10 m, so it drops at waist height.
Safety
- Warm up first, the passer too: long passes load the hip and groin. Flat grass with space all round, never a road.
- Nobody stands where a long ball could land on them: one receiver in the box, everyone else well clear.
- Passes come down at chest height or lower. Chest, thigh or foot only: this drill never uses the head. If a pass is coming in higher, step back and let it bounce first.
- If the ball hits your face or head, or anything hurts, stop and tell your coach or a parent.
Sources
- England Football Learning - how to coach receiving skills (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning - different passing techniques (the lofted pass) (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning - how to build a receiving session (thigh and chest) (opens in a new tab)
- England Football - guidance by age on the head and the ball (why this drill never uses the head) (opens in a new tab)
- England Football FutureFit - ball sizes by age group (opens in a new tab)
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
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