International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences Vol. 14(1), pp. 12 - 19
DOI: 10.13189/saj.2026.140102
Reprint (PDF) (925Kb)

The Effect of Passing Exercise Variations on Soccer Passing Performance: An Experimental Study among Physical Education Students

Irwansyah Siregar ^1,*, Yan Indra Siregar ¹, Mahmuddin ¹, Bagas Pradana ¹, Sabaruddin Yunis Bangun ¹, Andi Saparia ², Mudayat ^3
1 Department of Sport Science, State University of Medan, Indonesia
² Department of Physical Education, Health, and Recreation, Universitas Tadulako, Indonesia
³ Department of Elementary School Teacher Education, Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia

ABSTRACT

The present study investigated the effects of varied passing exercises on soccer passing performance among physical education students. Passing is a fundamental technical skill in soccer, crucial for maintaining possession, creating scoring opportunities, and enhancing overall team coordination. Despite its importance, many university-level students struggle with accuracy, consistency, and decision-making in passing due to limited exposure to diverse, game-relevant drills. The study aimed to evaluate whether incorporating short, long, and combination passing drills could improve technical performance and adaptability in soccer. A quantitative experimental design employing a one-group pretest–posttest model was conducted with 33 male students (aged 19–21) from the Sports Coaching Education Program at Universitas Negeri Medan, Indonesia. Participants underwent a four-week structured training intervention, consisting of three weekly sessions, each lasting 45 minutes. The training program progressed from fundamental short passes to dynamic short- and long-passing drills, culminating in combination passing exercises under mild defensive pressure. Passing performance was assessed pre- and post-intervention using standardized scoring on a target wall system. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests and Cohen's dz to determine statistical significance and effect size. The results demonstrated significant improvements across all training types (p < 0.001), with very large effect sizes observed for short (dz = 3.58), long (dz = 2.85), and combination passing (dz = 4.14). The combination passing group achieved the highest gains, with 54.5% of participants reaching the "very high" performance category post-intervention. These findings highlight that structured, varied passing drills not only enhance technical accuracy but also promote perceptual-cognitive development and adaptability in dynamic game situations. In conclusion, the study provides empirical evidence supporting the inclusion of varied, game-relevant passing exercises in soccer training to optimize skill acquisition. Practically, coaches and physical educators are encouraged to implement combination passing drills to improve student engagement, decision-making, and motor adaptability. Limitations include the small, homogeneous sample and the short intervention period, suggesting future research should adopt randomized controlled designs, use larger and more diverse samples, and examine long-term retention and transfer to competitive match contexts. The study contributes to evidence-based pedagogical strategies in university-level soccer training, emphasizing the role of practice variability in fostering technical and cognitive skill development.

KEYWORDS
Passing Drills, Soccer Performance, Technical Skills, Experimental Design, Training Variation

Cite This Paper in IEEE or APA Citation Styles
(a). IEEE Format:
[1] Irwansyah Siregar , Yan Indra Siregar , Mahmuddin , Bagas Pradana , Sabaruddin Yunis Bangun , Andi Saparia , Mudayat , "The Effect of Passing Exercise Variations on Soccer Passing Performance: An Experimental Study among Physical Education Students," International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 12 - 19, 2026. DOI: 10.13189/saj.2026.140102.

(b). APA Format:
Irwansyah Siregar , Yan Indra Siregar , Mahmuddin , Bagas Pradana , Sabaruddin Yunis Bangun , Andi Saparia , Mudayat (2026). The Effect of Passing Exercise Variations on Soccer Passing Performance: An Experimental Study among Physical Education Students. International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 14(1), 12 - 19. DOI: 10.13189/saj.2026.140102.