Six-week program · U9–U10
Pass, Move and Cooperate
Six weekly sessions that turn a comfortable short pass into useful team play: meet a moving partner, create a return angle, involve a third player, change sides and prepare restarts.
What to look for over six weeks
- Match a pass to a partner's position and readiness.
- Move after passing to keep more than one route available.
- Choose a patient connection or forward action from the space that appears.
Use the observations below to choose the next challenge. Repeat a week when your team needs more time; the calendar can follow the players.
Week 1
Meet the Moving Partner
Week 1: passes go to where a partner was standing. Match the ball to the partner arriving in a visible receiving window.
Before you start
Watch whether a short stationary pass can be received comfortably before adding movement.
This week's goal
Time and weight a ground pass for a partner arriving in a receiving window.
- Wait for the receiver to become available in the window.
- Send a pass the receiver can collect within one step.
Decide what comes next
- Pass direction or weight is unreliable — Use a stationary gate partner to regain comfortable passing control. Pass Through Gates
- Passes arrive when the moving partner is ready — Add a new return angle after the first pass. Return Around the Corner
- I need another chance to observe this choice — Repeat this session with one observation in view: Observe whether end-zone passes meet the receiver in reach instead of making them chase. Meet the Moving Partner
Continue the program with Week 2: Return Around the Corner.
Week 2
Return Around the Corner
Week 2: the first pass works but the return goes to an old position. Move around a corner and show a new target before asking for the ball.
Before you start
Check whether the pass reaches a moving partner only after they are ready in the receiving window.
This week's goal
Move outside the first passing line to receive a useful return around a corner.
- Leave the first passing line after releasing the ball.
- Return to the new visible position rather than the starting spot.
Decide what comes next
- Return passes arrive before the partner is ready — Revisit the timing of a pass to an arriving receiver. Meet the Moving Partner
- Players move and reconnect around the corner — Use a middle partner to reach a third player behind a closed route. Find the Third Player
- I need another chance to observe this choice — Repeat this session with one observation in view: Look for a return received at a new angle, with the first passer becoming available before the ball travels. Return Around the Corner
Continue the program with Week 3: Find the Third Player.
Week 3
Find the Third Player
Week 3: the intended receiver cannot be reached directly. A middle player can see both ends and changes the passing angle.
Before you start
Check whether the first passer moves into view before the return is played.
This week's goal
Reach a player behind a closed direct route using a visible middle connection.
- Connector checks the next receiver before accepting the first pass.
- Third player adjusts their position to show a clear second passing line.
Decide what comes next
- The second pass goes to a previous position — Repeat the visible return-window task. Return Around the Corner
- The connector sees and reaches the third player — Use a supporting return to change play toward the far side. Recycle to the Far Side
- I need another chance to observe this choice — Repeat this session with one observation in view: Record a third-player connection where movement opens the second pass and the receiver controls it. Find the Third Player
Continue the program with Week 4: Recycle to the Far Side.
Week 4
Recycle to the Far Side
Week 4: one side becomes crowded, but the carrier cannot reach the far side directly. Return through a supporting player who can see across.
Before you start
Check whether the connector looks toward the third player before receiving the first pass.
This week's goal
Use a supporting return to switch away from a crowded side and support the new receiver.
- Use support to change the angle away from a closed side.
- Offer a new support option to the far-side receiver.
Decide what comes next
- The central player has not prepared the second pass — Revisit checking the next receiver before the first connection. Find the Third Player
- Players recycle, switch and support — Apply those prepared angles to a restart with one route screened. Restart with a Screened Route
- I need another chance to observe this choice — Repeat this session with one observation in view: Notice a return that unlocks the far side, followed by support for the new carrier. Recycle to the Far Side
Continue the program with Week 5: Restart with a Screened Route.
Week 5
Restart with a Screened Route
Week 5: a restart has one obvious route and an opponent screens it. Prepare another angle before touching the ball, then involve the server again.
Before you start
Check whether a central return changes the passing angle and the new carrier gains support.
This week's goal
Prepare a short ground restart when one first-pass route is closed and include the server in the next action.
- Prepare a visible alternative before restarting.
- Create a second pass using the server or a newly opened angle.
Decide what comes next
- The receiver cannot find an alternative angle — Use the central-return and far-side practice to open a second route. Recycle to the Far Side
- The restart leads to a useful second action — Combine passing, helpers and forward choices in the final cooperation game. Keep, Connect or Advance
- I need another chance to observe this choice — Repeat this session with one observation in view: Observe a restart that avoids the screened route and produces a controlled second action. Restart with a Screened Route
Continue the program with Week 6: Keep, Connect or Advance.
Week 6
Keep, Connect or Advance
Week 6: completing passes becomes a routine even when forward space is open. Choose whether to keep, use a helper or advance from the actual picture.
Before you start
Review whether a screened restart produces a prepared alternative and a useful second action.
This week's goal
Choose patient possession, a helper connection or a forward pass from the current space.
- Keep at least one visible support option around the ball.
- Choose a forward connection when it is open and a useful recycle when it is not.
Decide what comes next
- Players lose the next passing angle — Return to the connector and third-player window. Find the Third Player
- The group keeps options and uses openings — Learn how a defender can protect those routes without contact. Delay and Show a Side
- I need another chance to observe this choice — Repeat this session with one observation in view: Record one useful keep decision and one useful forward connection, including the movement that enabled each. Keep, Connect or Advance
Review your notes from all six practices and revisit the challenge that still needs attention.