1 vs 1, First touch, Shooting, Finishing, Defending · U9+
The two-phase 1v1 starts with the attacker’s movement. The attacker asks for a pass into a square marked with cones (the first defender follows). Inside the square, the attacker tries to move the ball with the first touch to either side. When the ball is outside the square, the second defender’s turn is to defend. Now it becomes the classic 1v1, where the attacker tries to score. Role rotation: the attacker goes to the back of the line, the first defender becomes the attacker, and the other defender becomes the first defender. The passer becomes the second defender.
The attacker moves into the square in the direction of the pass and looks over their shoulder before the pass to see where the first defender is following from. The first touch takes the ball out of the square to the side where there is no defender, leaving the ball playable after the touch. The second defender approaches quickly as soon as the ball is outside the square, brakes before the challenge, and stays in a side-on stance on the balls of the feet. In the 1v1, the bypassing touch comes only once the defender is off balance; then follow with a change of pace toward goal. In the shot: look at the goalkeeper before striking, plant the supporting foot next to the ball, and hit the middle of the ball.
Before the pass, how do you know which side the first touch should be directed to? What happens if the first touch stays inside the square? As a defender: how do you recognize that it’s your turn to step in, and how do you slow down before the challenge?
Two-phase 1v1 to goal is a football drill on TacticsBoard. Category: 1 vs 1, First touch, Shooting, Finishing, Defending. Age group: U9+. Browse more football drills or create your own for free.