1v1: beat the defender
Transcript
Beat a defender 1v1 with pace and a fake. Here's the game. You need a partner to defend, a ball, and a channel ten metres by fifteen, with a cone gate in each far corner. Watch. Dribble at them fast, fake one way, and go the other. First, run straight at them, so they stop and guess. Then, burst into the space they leave. Not this. Slowing down early lets them settle. Our target is six games of two minutes, resting a minute between. After any knock to the head, if in doubt, sit them out. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Composure on the ball in a 1v1: commit a defender with pace, fake one way, go the other and burst into space. A meta-analysis found that practising under pressure helped performance under pressure.
Set up
- A partner to defend
- A ball
- 10 x 15 m channel
- 2 m gates, far corners
How it works
- Warm up first. Mark a channel 10 m wide and 15 m long, with a 2 m cone gate in each corner at the far end.
- Your partner defends in the middle of the channel. You start at the near end with the ball.
- Dribble at them fast, fake one way, go the other and dribble through either gate. They try to win the ball, staying on their feet.
- Walk back and go again, faking to the other side each time. Play 2-minute games, then swap roles.
Coaching points
- Run straight at them. Dribble straight at the defender at speed, so they have to stop and cannot guess your side. Fake about two big steps away from them, still moving.
- Burst into space. As they lean or step toward your fake, push the ball past them on the other side and sprint after it, then take it through the gate.
Not this
Slowing down or stopping well before the defender. It gives them time to settle, close you down and read your move.
Dose
- 6 games of 2 min
- 1 min rest between
Our target: 6 games of 2 minutes with 1 minute of rest between (the Football Reach target, not an FA rule).
Harder / Easier
Harder
Your partner starts on the far line, passes to you and closes you down (less time to decide). Or play a game: if they win it, they attack your end.
Easier
Your partner only jockeys backwards and does not try to win the ball, until the fake and the burst feel natural.
Safety
- If in doubt, sit them out: anyone with a suspected concussion stops straight away, does no training for at least 24 hours and plays no matches for at least 21 days (UK concussion guidelines).
- Defenders stay on their feet: no slide tackles, and keep the ball on the ground.
- Flat grass with space all round, never a road or driveway.
- Under 16: if your knees or heels hurt when you run, stop and tell an adult; a GP or physio can help.
Sources
- England Football Learning - moving with the ball: 1v1 (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA Training Centre - mastering ball control (opens in a new tab)
- Heriot-Watt University - pressure training meta-analysis (opens in a new tab)
- England Football - UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport (opens in a new tab)
- The FA Boot Room - growth and the physical corner (opens in a new tab)
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
Take the free test
