CROSS OR CENTERING PASS?

A Cross or a Centering Pass? You may hear your coach use either of these terms, but smarter soccer players know which is the right way to describe how they should play…

➤  Soccer Definition: Cross / Centering Pass

A pass from a player located near the sideline (touchline) towards the center of the field

A Centering Pass or Cross is usually delivered in the air so that it drops down inside the penalty box for a scoring chance. While many refer to this as a cross, here at Smarter Soccer, we like the term Centering Pass. Why?  Because a Cross Must Always  Be A Pass.

Smarter Soccer players understand that you don’t waste all the effort that went into progressing the ball into the opponents final third just to blindly float a cross into the middle of the field *hoping*  that somehow one of your teammates gets under it. Having the game intelligence to understand that your cross must be a pass is what makes the difference between a shot on goal and the other team easily gaining possession and launching a counter attack.

➤  Find Your Target

Once you advance down the wing past a defender, the first thing you want to do is look up and assess which one of your teammates is arriving in front of goal. If there are more than one, then decide who is more open? That’s your target. Deliver your cross Centering Pass to that target to the best of your ability and then MOVE  into a new advantageous position based on the outcome. Don’t stand there admiring your effort.

Understanding that a Cross Is A Pass is just the foundation of delivering an effective Centering Pass. Once you can make this pass accurately and consistently, you can then go to the next level: the type of pass.

➤  The Type Of Pass

If your target is driving to the near post (the goal post closest to you), you may want to supply a harder, less angled ball to him/her. This way the attacker only needs to slightly alter the trajectory to get it on goal. The power is already there from your delivery. If your target is at the far post (the goal post farthest from you), then you’ll want to send in a pass with more of an arc that will float over the goalie, but then drop down to your teammate.

Getting more advanced, if you drive towards the corner flag, but then reverse and cut back inside of the defender towards the goal, you’ll want to bend your Centering Pass around the goalkeeper to the far post. However, before you get more sophisticated in your delivery, you must ensure your passes are accurate. Your passes can be a thing of beauty, but if they’re not accurate, it doesn’t matter.

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Sometimes Your Best Target Is Trailing The Play

Summary

There will be times when your teammate is completely outnumbered in the penalty area. Even the most accurate Centering Pass will mean that your teammate has to compete against two, three, even four opponents to get off a shot. If this is the case, and you have time to take another look, check to see if any of your teammates are trailing the play in Zone 14.

Often, the opponents are so preoccupied with defending the area right in front of goal, they forget about players arriving to reinforce the attack. If you can deliver a quality pass, these teammates could be your best option.

★ Smarter.Soccer Insight: If you do feel your teammates trailing the play are indeed your best option for a scoring opportunity, send them a pass on the ground. A ball in the air will be more difficult to control and take longer to settle, enabling the defenders to recover and pounce. More importantly, an accurate pass to your teammate’s feet will give him/her the option to get off a one-time shot, which will catch the goalkeeper off guard. Just remember that there must be a wide open passing lane to the trailing player and your pass must be precise.

Sometimes Your Best Target Is Trailing The Play

Sometimes Your Best Target Is Trailing The Play