Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 16: Defending 1 vs 1 on the Wing

2 complete training sessions with 8 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

The training focus of week 16 is defending 1 vs 1 on the wing. As in a direct duel between two players in the centre, the attacker is shown one side. On the wing, coaches usually give the outside as the side to show.

To do this, the defender positions himself slightly towards the inside to invite a dribble down the outside. When the attacker then tries to break through, the defender moves his body between ball and attacker.

Depending on the match situation, there are different tips for defenders in a 1 vs 1 on the wing:

  • Long distance to the attacker: close down the attacker quickly and adjust your speed in time to the attacker.
  • Attacker with his back to goal (before a pass): Ideally, the defender positions himself so that a pass to the winger can already be intercepted. However, the attacker should not be marked too tightly either, so that the defender can still react to a run in behind.
  • Attacker with his back to goal: mark the opponent at roughly an arm's length. If the attacker turns, the ball is attacked immediately.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

Chain tag is the first exercise of today's training session. The catchers try to kick the balls of all the other players out of the area. Players whose ball is out of the area also become catchers. So the last player with the ball at their feet is the winner of a round. Competitive formats are usually very well received by young players and ramp up motivation from the start.

The 2nd exercise once again trains the basic behaviour in a defensive 1 vs 1 (low centre of gravity, side-on stance, adjust speed). Through the first two exercises, the players are therefore as well prepared as possible for the focus of defending 1 vs 1 on the wing.

In Exercise 3, the work then focuses very specifically on 1 vs 1 situations on the flank. Make sure that the defender does not just play the ball out of play, but wins the ball properly and immediately looks for the way to the counter-attack goal.

The session is then concluded with a small-sided game in a 6 vs 6. Encourage your players to keep dribbling boldly on the flank, so that the defenders train defending 1 vs 1 on the wing in a match-like way.

Coaching points for this session

Head-on 1 vs 1 on the wing:

  • Get tight to the attacker so that the attacker cannot build up high speed and the distance to the goal being defended is kept as large as possible.
  • Adjust the pace to the attacker in good time, take up a side-on position, position slightly inside the attacker. Lower the centre of gravity so as to be able to accelerate quickly if the attacker tries to break through.
  • Slow the attacker down by dropping back, if necessary.
  • If the attacker tries to break through, get the body between ball and opponent.
Drill 1

Chain Catchers

20 min
  • The players have to dribble away from the catchers.
  • The aim of the catchers is to play the balls out of the playing area.
  • If a ball has been played out of the playing area fairly or a player dribbles out, the catcher and that player form a chain and hold hands.
  • Once four players are in a chain, it splits into two chains of two.
  • A round is over when all the balls have been played out of the playing area.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area.

Equipment: 4 cones, bibs for the catchers and one ball per player.

Players: All players except the two catchers have a ball at the feet; the catchers put on bibs.

Coaching points
  • Try to evade the catchers with body feints.
  • Look up from the ball.
Drill 2

Basics of Defending 1 vs 1

15 min
  • On the coach's starting signal the attacker dribbles towards the penalty area.
  • The defender takes up a side-on position and drops back.
  • In doing so the defender does not yet try to win the ball actively, and the attacker does not try to break through.
  • Once both have reached the penalty area, they swap tasks.

Variations: On a signal from the coach the defender may win the ball actively and the attacker may try to break through.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: From the halfway line to the penalty area; no further markings.

Equipment: One ball per pair.

Players: Pairs of one attacker and one defender each. The attackers stand with a ball level with the halfway line, the defenders facing them three to four metres away.

Coaching points
  • Offer the opponent one side — the weaker foot or the dribbling route to the outside.
  • Keep the centre of gravity low.
  • Drop back and maintain the distance.
Drill 3

Situational Drill: 1 vs 1 on the Wing

20 minAs shown in the graphic
  • The coach starts the drill with a pass into the marked playing area.
  • The attacker tries to dribble over the inside line or, after crossing the edge of the penalty area, to score with a square pass.
  • The defender can finish on a counter-attack goal after winning the ball.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark a narrow wing channel from the halfway line to the goal line. In the penalty area there is a mini goal as the target goal, behind the starting position a second mini goal as the counter-attack goal.

Equipment: 2 mini goals, cones and several balls.

Players: One attacker and one defender in different bib colours, plus a coach with the balls next to the counter-attack goal.

Coaching points
  • Dribble with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Cross the running path of the opponent.
  • Dribble at the highest possible speed, in order to give the opponent no chance of a duel.
Drill 4

6 vs 6 with Dribbling Goals

25 minHalf a pitch
  • The game is played 6 vs 6 with fixed formations.
  • Red starts the game and must play through to the goal within 15 seconds.
  • After winning the ball, Blue counters on the dribbling goals on the outside or on the passing gate in the middle.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six tall cones form two dribbling goals on the outside and one passing gate in the middle on the halfway line; a goal stands at one end.

Equipment: 6 tall cones, 1 goal and several balls.

Players: Two teams of six players each in fixed formations — Blue with a back four and two holding midfielders, Red with a midfield four and two strikers, each derived from the 4-4-2. In addition one goalkeeper.

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Session 2

4 drills

Good training in 1 vs 1 on the wing, both defensively and offensively, is extremely important. Defending in small-sided football is still very man-orientated, which means 1 vs 1 situations can easily arise in all areas of the pitch. But by the move to the full-size pitch at the latest, with compact defending as a unit and especially the crowding of the centre, a lot of 1 vs 1 situations take place on the wing.

That is why it is important that the players have already been well prepared for defending 1 vs 1 on the wing at a young age.

When planning your training, also make sure that the defenders are confronted with the different 1 vs 1 situations on the flank. Small-sided games with equal numbers, in which there are lots of dribbles on the wings, naturally help you here. But in targeted 1 vs 1 exercises too, you can keep changing the starting situation slightly – vary the distance between attacker and defender, the defender comes from the side, the attacker receives the ball with a closed body shape, etc.

Coaching points for this session

Head-on 1 vs 1 on the wing:

  • Get up to the attacker so that the attacker cannot get up to speed and the distance to the goal being defended is kept as large as possible.
  • Match the attacker's pace in good time, take up a side-on position, position slightly inside the attacker. Lower the centre of gravity so as to be able to accelerate quickly if the attacker tries to break through.
  • Slow the attacker down by dropping back, if necessary.
  • If the attacker tries to break through, get your body between the ball and the opponent.
Drill 1

Dribbling with Change of Direction

15 min

The players dribble towards the cones, which represent opponents, and perform a cutting technique. Examples:

  • Inside of the foot
  • Outside of the foot
  • Sole drag
  • Dragging the ball behind the standing leg
  • Zidane roulette
  • Heel chop

After the last cone, the players dribble towards the two yellow cones and perform a turning movement. Examples:

  • Sole drag
  • Cutting
  • Dragging the ball behind the standing leg
  • Deco turn
  • Shot or pass feint with a change of direction

The ball is then passed back down to the team-mate, who continues the drill.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Seven cones in two colours.

Equipment: 7 cones and several balls.

Coaching points
  • Start the feints in good time.
  • Cut with a change of pace.
  • Shift the centre of gravity.
Drill 2

1 vs 1 on the Wing: Defending

  • Player A passes to Player B.
  • Player B tries to dribble over the line against Player C.
  • Player C moves out briefly to meet Player B, matches the speed and forces Player B out wide.
  • The roles are changed after five to seven minutes.

Variations: Vary the distance between Player B and Player C in order to train the 1 vs 1 on the wing over both short and long distances.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eight cones mark the positions on the wings; behind the defender a diagonal target line is marked as a breakthrough line towards the goal.

Equipment: 8 cones and several balls.

Players: Groups of three stand on the wings — midfielder A with the balls, winger B and defender C. Plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • Work with short steps only and get into a sideways-on position quickly so as not to be run past.
  • Get the body between ball and opponent as soon as possible.
Drill 3

2 vs 2 on the Wing

25 min15 x 25 metres
  • In the marked area 2 vs 2 is played until a goal is scored.
  • The aim is to dribble through one of the two cone goals.
  • If the 2 vs 2 lasts longer than one to two minutes, or if a team has dribbled through a cone goal, the next two teams take their turn.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Red cones mark the playing area, yellow ones the dribbling gates.

Equipment: Cones in two colours and several balls.

Players: Several teams of two.

Drill 4

4 vs 4 with Dribbling Goals

25 min
  • Free play to dribbling goals.
  • Each team plays to two goals. This allows the play to be made wide, which creates more space for dribbling.
  • The focus is on dribbling and on the 1 vs 1.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area, eight cones of a different colour form the dribbling goals, which are two to three metres wide.

Equipment: 12 cones and at least 1 ball.

Players: Two teams of four players each.

Coaching points
  • If necessary, limit the number of passes in order to force more dribbles and 1 vs 1 situations.
  • Go into the dribble decisively.
  • Run with the ball using the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Mix in feints again and again.
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