Partner Passing

Skill drill

Clean chest and bounce passes with a proper target.

6 min pairs Half court
PassingU8U10U12

Step-by-step walkthrough

pairs · 1 ball per pair

Get everyone ready

Face your partnerStand about 3 metres apart, ready with a target. 12

● Player / attackGold: ball

Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Set up

Partners face each other about 10 feet apart, one ball.

Look for: Thumbs down through the ball on the follow-through.

Playback options
Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×
Coach’s notes & group organisation

Partners face each other about 10 feet apart, one ball.

  1. 10 chest passes — step into each one.
  2. 10 bounce passes — aim for a spot ⅔ of the way to your partner.
  3. 10 'target' passes — receiver holds up two hands as a target, passer hits it.
  4. Add movement: partners slide sideways down the court while passing.

Suggested reset

Work in separate passing lanes. Retrieve any loose ball before continuing; stop nearby pairs if it crosses their lane. Complete the prescribed passing set, then change the pass or direction together. In wall passing each player retrieves their own ball.

Coaching cues

  • Thumbs down through the ball on the follow-through.
  • Step toward your target.
  • Give a target with two hands — 'ask for it'.

Adapt the challenge

Harder: One-hand push passes, or pass on the move at game speed.

Easier: Sit or kneel and pass chest-height only — it isolates the arms and stops them throwing with their whole body.

Beat the record: Count clean catches in a row as a pair and post the gym record on the wall.

What this drill teaches

The mechanics of the two passes that run every youth offence — chest and bounce — plus the habit of showing a target. High-volume reps with a partner groove the step, the follow-through and the catch.

In games: Cleaner ball movement on game day — crisp passes to a shown target cut down the fumbled catches and floaty lobs that opponents pick off all game long.

What good looks like
  • Stepping into every pass, thumbs finishing down
  • Two hands up asking for the ball before it's thrown
  • Bounce passes landing about two-thirds of the way across

U8: balls off hands and short distances — shrink the gap and celebrate clean catches. U12: game-speed passes on the move without any drop in accuracy.

Equipment

1 ball per pair

Setup

Partners face each other about 10 feet apart, one ball.

Steps

  1. 110 chest passes — step into each one.
  2. 210 bounce passes — aim for a spot ⅔ of the way to your partner.
  3. 310 'target' passes — receiver holds up two hands as a target, passer hits it.
  4. 4Add movement: partners slide sideways down the court while passing.

Coaching points

  • Thumbs down through the ball on the follow-through.
  • Step toward your target.
  • Give a target with two hands — 'ask for it'.

Why kids love it

Add a scoreboard: how many clean catches in a row as a pair? Group tries to beat the gym record.

Variations

Harder

One-hand push passes, or pass on the move at game speed.

Easier

Sit or kneel and pass chest-height only — it isolates the arms and stops them throwing with their whole body.

Beat the record

Count clean catches in a row as a pair and post the gym record on the wall.

Related drills

Coaching notes that use this drill