The ‘into’ pass: Breaking lines from the goalkeeper

This type of pass relies on the receiving player being technically capable of receiving this ball with control, often under pressure from behind, and can then connect the play by turning and combining with team-mates to progress the attack.

Rather than simply playing safe and short to a nearby defender, the goalkeeper uses a purposeful ‘into’ pass to bypass opposition players and create a more direct route into the next phase of possession.

• Playing forward with purpose: Goalkeepers look beyond the first line of pressure to identify forward passing options.

• Breaking opposition lines: One accurate pass can eliminate several units of the opposition’s defensive structure and immediately change the team’s point of attack.

• Recognising receiving options: Goalkeepers identify forwards or central players who make themselves available in pockets of space between the lines.

• Factor in positioning of opponents in the passing lane: The goalkeeper must be highly attentive to opponents positioned close to the passing lane, ensuring that they cannot intercept the ball as it is played. This is one of the most complex aspects of the game.

• Supporting the next action: The pass is not the final objective. Its value lies in what the receiving player can do next, whether through holding the ball up to bring others into play from deep, turning and progressing the ball themselves, or switching play to supporting runners.

• Decision-making under pressure: The goalkeeper must assess the opponent’s pressing structure, the receiver’s body position and the available space before committing to the pass.

Our Technical Study Group (TSG) and Football Performance Insights Team have identified that the volume and effective use of ‘into’ passes by goalkeepers increased during the group stage of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2026™ compared to 2025.

Senior FIFA Technical Study Group expert Pascal Zuberbühler highlights how the increased use of ‘into’ passes is a positive tactical development in the goalkeepers’ contribution to build-up play.

“Goalkeepers are becoming more and more involved in the team’s attacking strategy, demonstrating a greater willingness to play forward and find solutions that match the game situation they are facing. These passes show how well they are reading the game, and they are playing intentional, tactical passes that are aligned to in-game strategies. Crucially, they can play these passes with great weight and accuracy and can do it under pressure.”

Here, Zuberbühler shows the successful, strategic use of ‘into’ balls from FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2026, highlighting how effective, young female goalkeepers are in recognising when it is a good opportunity to use the pass, and in their skilful execution of them when pressure is near or imminent.

‘Into’ balls after an open-play pass back to the goalkeeper
In clip 1, the ball comes into Kou Kadowaki’s (21) zone in behind her defensive line, and straight away, her decision-making kicks in. Does she need to come out defending the zone and supporting the defensive line, or does she need to create space for her defender to play the pass to her? She opts to create the space, starting around seven metres from her goal line, meaning she has time to look at the picture in front of her and decide what to do before she receives the ball.

This is important because she needs to execute the pass under pressure. She could have played short to either of her centre-backs, but she makes a choice in line with the team’s game plan by playing a longer pass into her centre-forward off her first touch. Before the ball arrived at her feet, she knew this pass was viable because of her centre-forward’s movement to receive into the space between Venezuela’s midfield and defensive line. Japan have numbers committed high, with four players actively engaged with defenders in Venezuela’s defensive line and four midfielders underneath the ball supporting. Her pass into the centre-forward eliminates five of Venezuela’s players.

In clip 2, France are pressing Venezuela high when the pass goes back to their goalkeeper, who is open and offering to receive the ball. As the ball arrives, she has no time to take a touch and is aware that she must play a first-time ball. Her long pass is well executed, while her centre-forward is fully aware of where the pressure is coming from and where her out-ball option is as she receives in between the defensive and midfield lines.

The ‘into’ ball bypasses seven France players and comes from her game awareness of knowing her centre-forward is ready to receive and has the technical ability to receive under pressure. The synergy among the players is further evidenced by the support run from her attacking midfielder.

In clip 3, Norway goalkeeper Erla Braathen (1) drops a couple of steps backwards as the ball is played to her, creating more space and time to assess the situation and decide on what ball to play. She has time to take a touch before pressure arrives and plays perfectly into her attacking midfielder, who is occupying space in between Ghana’s midfield and defensive line. Her team are offensive, and she has three attacking players ahead of her, with one free on the outside right because Ghana’s left-back has tracked deep to engage the attacking midfielder. Braathen recognises this, and her ‘into’ pass facilitates the flick-on header from the attacking midfielder to her free team-mate behind her.

‘Into’ balls from a short goal-kick
In clip 4, we have a masterful example of the effectiveness and impact of this ‘into’ pass from Spain goalkeeper Goiatz Ferráz (21). Her centre-back plays a short pass from the goal kick under Mexico’s high press. She takes a couple of touches to entice the press before playing a long ball ‘into’ her centre-forward, eliminating seven Mexico players. Her centre-forward signals early that she wants the ball, showing her confidence to receive between the lines while under pressure from behind. Her attacking midfielder creates the space by dropping deeper, drawing Mexico’s holding midfielder with her. 

The ball is played with superb precision, and the centre-forward has two support runners on her outside to ensure the ball can be progressed quickly. Every pass in this attacking sequence was executed with intention and precision, demonstrating an exceptionally high level of game intelligence and technique from these young U-17 players.

The growing use of ‘into’ passes at FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2026 is an encouraging sign of the evolving role of the modern goalkeeper. Goalkeepers are not simply starting attacks; their ability to recognise space, execute forward passes and contribute to line-breaking actions is becoming an increasingly important element of modern build-up play.

A successful ‘into’ pass can:

• eliminate several opponents with a single action;

• progress possession more efficiently and change the point of attack;

• create numerical or positional advantages in midfield and attack;

• exploit spaces left by an aggressive opposition press; and

• give the team alternative solutions when building from the back.