Extend your 'shelf' life

Excellent execution on the detail of passing has never looked better at the top level.

Let’s identify the attributes of an excellent pass. Firstly, the passer must engage their defender; therefore, the hips remain facing up the pitch. 

Secondly, the ball must be passed so the receiver can take the ball at the right height to continue their run.

The reason I call it a ’shelf pass’ is because the receiver can take the ball ’off the shelf’. They will have to reach for it a little bit. That doesn’t sound ideal, but let’s drill into it.

The receiver is probably running at 80% of their top speed. They are constantly adjusting their line, even if it’s just a little, based on the picture in front of them. 

To take a ball ’off the shelf’, it has to be easy to catch. There must be very little pace on the ball, and it’s certainly not a spin pass.

Therefore, the best pass is a push pass that hangs in the air in front of the receiver. However, it needs enough pace to allow the receiver to perhaps reach to the side to take the ball, should they up their speed just before the pass.

Now, the passer has to pass when they are running at pace, or when they are static and under pressure. 

In either case, their actions don’t change. It’s all in the arms and wrists; there is very little shoulder movement. The elbows are bent. They generate the initial momentum, while the wrists give the control.

The movement is short, so the pass can be delivered quickly. There is no need to think about the correct foot to pass on. It will seem as if the player is just running with the ball and then a moment later not.