Session drill · 17 seconds
1 v 1 to Goal
An attacker receives, takes on a defender and finishes, while the defender learns to jockey and win the ball. It builds both sides of a 1 v 1 at once. Mark a channel about 15m wide and 20m long with a goal at one end, and a keeper if you have one. A server stands to the side near the halfway point with a supply of balls. The server plays a ball into the attacker, who starts level with the defender; the attacker tries to beat the defender and finish; the defender tries to win the ball and clear it out of the channel. The video shows both outcomes: the first attacker drops a shoulder to send the defender the wrong way and goes past them at pace to finish low at the near post, and the next one is closed down, shepherded wide and loses it. Between the two you can see the rotation: the attacker who has just finished joins the back of the queue, the server moves up to attack, and the next player in line becomes the server.
Instructions
- Attacker: commit the defender before changing pace or direction
- Attacker: end product, get a shot away rather than overplaying
- Defender: close the space quickly, then slow down and get side-on
- Defender: be patient, jockey and force the attacker away from goal
Variation
- 2 v 1 to overload the attack. Give the defender a small counter goal to aim for when they win it. Add a time limit to force quicker decisions. Eight to ten players queue behind the server and roles rotate one place each go: the server follows their pass in to become the next attacker, the attacker who just finished becomes the defender, and the defender joins the back of the queue. Rotate the keeper every few goes.
Building lineups in seconds
Set your team sheet, plan your substitutions, and share it with the parents before you leave the car park.
