How to Lay Off a Soccer Pass

Learn how to lay off a soccer pass in this Soccer Academy training video. Laying off a soccer pass is used when you are setting up a teammate for a one time shot, cross or pass. 

We want to make the game easy on our teammates, not hard. So learning how to properly lay off a pass and set up a teammate is important. The better you can make your teammates, the better player you will be. 

Key Points:

1. Weight the pass to your teammate. This means don't kick it hard at them, kick it softer. Not so soft it barely gets to them, but not so hard that they don't have a chance to make a one touch play. 

2. Lay it off to their correct foot. If your teammate is left footed, lay it off to their dominant left foot versus their weaker right foot. Don't lay it off straight at them either so it's in the middle of both feet. 

3. Shout man on or time to let your teammate know how much time they have. 

Equipment Needed: A ball and a partner. If you don't have a partner use a wall or a fence. 

Exercise Player Can Do: 

If you have a partner have the partner pass you the ball from 10 yards away. You control the pass, lay if off to their correct foot, communicate to them they have time and they run up and shoot it or make a pass to empty space. Do 10 reps and switch with your partner. 

If you don't have a partner use a wall or a fence. Kick the ball off the fence. As it comes back to you control it, then lay it off to an imaginary teammate running on to it. Do 10 reps, rest and repeat until you feel good. 

What Player Could Be Doing Wrong: 

If your teammate looks like they are pushing the ball instead of getting their leg back on a shot then you laying off the ball to hard. Lay it off with less force so your teammate can run up and strike the ball. Don't blast it at them. 

Bonus Tip!

Try a one touch lay off! As you get more confident with trapping the ball and making a perfectly weighted lay off pass, challenge yourself and try to do a lay off in one touch! 

Watch the top pros on TV and study how they pass the ball to teammates in lay off situations. Notice how much softer their pass is when setting up their teammate for shot.

This Video Covers:
How to Lay Off a Soccer Pass - How to Control a Soccer Ball - Soccer Ball Control -
How to Trap a Soccer Ball - Soccer Skills- Soccer Drills - Soccer Tutorial