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Technical

Passing Range and Accuracy

Develop the ability to pass short, medium, and long with accuracy.

Great passers can hit any pass in any situation. Short passes to feet, driven passes into space, long diagonals, and threaded through balls all require different techniques. This guide covers the technical execution of different types of passes, when to use each, and how to develop vision and decision-making to know which pass to play.

Key Points

1Use the inside of your foot for short passes - most control and accuracy
2Drive through the ball with your laces for long passes
3Weight of pass is as important as direction
4Pass to your teammate's preferred foot when possible
5Disguise your passes by looking one way and passing another
6Practice passing with both feet - predictability kills creativity

Training Drills

✓Passing against a wall with targets marked at different heights
✓Long passing with a partner - gradually increase distance
✓Passing through gates to improve accuracy
✓Rondo to practice quick passing under pressure
✓Switching play drill - diagonal passes across the pitch
✓Passing and moving in triangles with constant rotation

Learn From the Pros

Kevin De Bruyne - incredible range and weight of passToni Kroos - metronomic accuracy, rarely gives ball awayXavi Hernández - master of short passing and tempo controlAndrea Pirlo - iconic long passing and visionLeah Williamson - switches play brilliantly from defence

Ask FootballGPT

“How do I improve my passing accuracy?”

“When should I pass short vs long?”

“How can I hit long passes without them ballooning?”

“How do I know which teammate to pass to?”

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I improve my long passing accuracy?

Strike through the bottom half of the ball with your laces, and follow through upwards. Your standing foot needs to be slightly behind the ball (not level with it like short passes). Practice with targets at different distances - cones, teammates, bags.

Should I always play the safe pass?

Not always. Safe passes keep possession, but they don't create chances. Learn to read risk vs reward. If you're deep in your half, safer passing makes sense. In the final third, taking risks is necessary. Context matters.

How do I know when to pass and when to dribble?

If a teammate is in a better position than you, pass. If you have space to run into, dribble. If you're under pressure, pass. If passing would put your teammate under pressure, keep it. Decision-making improves with experience and game understanding.

What's more important - power or accuracy?

Accuracy. A perfectly weighted pass arrives at your teammate's feet ready to control. A hard pass that's slightly off target is difficult to control and slows the game down. Power matters for long passes and driven balls, but accuracy always comes first.

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