Learn the football through ball: reading space, passing into the run, timing and offside – with evidence on pass impact and scanning, plus clear milestones.
The honest answer up front: A through ball is a pass into the space behind the defence, into which a team-mate runs – and it only works when space, timing and the offside law fit together. The passing technique is almost the easiest part. The hard parts are the look and the timing.
What research says about passes: in an analysis of 103 Bundesliga matches, passes from midfield into the attacking area were on average among the most effective – measured by the number of defenders between ball and goal and by control of space [2]. We found no study on the through ball as a move of its own. What remains is transfer from passing and scanning studies and coaching practice. We label both.
Before the ball is with you, look around. In a study of 27 Premier League players, players scanned more often before long and forward passes than before short and backward ones; more scanning was linked to a higher probability of completing passes, though a small one [3].
Milestone: On 10 video scenes you name the space behind the line and the runner before the pass.
Play the ball flat into the space with the inside of the foot [6]. The pass should go into the run, not onto the man [5]. The ball needs enough pace, but not so much that the runner cannot control it [5].
Milestone: 6 out of 10 flat passes from 15 m into a 3 m zone behind the cone line.
The runner sets off when you play the ball, not before. At the moment of the pass what counts is whether any part of head, body or feet is nearer the goal line than ball and second-last opponent (hands and arms do not count) [1]. In its chip-ball session the DFB therefore plays "with offside": the runner must not start too early [4].
Milestone: 6 out of 10 passes with a starting runner who is not offside.
If the flat lane is blocked, you lift the ball over the line. That is the second variant of the through ball; the technique is in the guide "Chip Pass". The DFB calls chip balls a tried and tested means against pressing, dropping to the ground shortly behind the opponents [4].
Milestone: 5 out of 10 chipped, the ball lands behind the line in the target zone.
Make eye contact and agree signals. In the BDFL concept the team-mate demands the ball in his run and the passer takes his movement into account [5]. Only play the through ball when space, runner and timing are there. Otherwise the short pass remains.
Milestone: In a 4-v-3 game three through balls into the run succeed in a row.
The runner sprints into the space; speed and contact with the goalkeeper are risks. Warm up beforehand with a programme like FIFA 11+: in a meta-analysis it cut the injury rate by 39% [7]. Practise the through ball without a goalkeeper first. This guide explains and motivates; it does not replace supervised training.
If the runner cannot get past the line at once, use third-man play: A passes to B, who plays straight into C's run [5]. Your through ball is then not a duel between you and the line but a combination. And before you play it, ask yourself: how many defenders does this bypass? The fewer stand between ball and goal, the better the situation [2].
A pass into the space behind the defence into which a team-mate runs. It can be played flat or chipped. We found no study on the through ball as a move of its own; in a Bundesliga analysis, passes from midfield into the attacking area were on average the most effective [2].
If at the moment the ball is played any part of head, body or feet in the opponents' half is nearer the goal line than ball and second-last opponent and he then becomes involved in play [1]. Hands and arms do not count [1].
No. A player who receives the ball directly from a goal kick, throw-in or corner kick cannot be offside [1].
It depends on whether the flat lane is open. If it is blocked, the chipped ball is an option [4]. The decision is practice, not study.
There is no fixed number. Elite players in a study scanned more often before long and forward passes, and more scanning was linked to a slightly higher pass completion probability [3].