Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 18: Turning with an Opponent at Your Back

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

Playing with a defender at your back is initially an unfavourable starting position for an attacker, because he cannot face the direction of play and does not have the defender in view at all times.

But if the attacker acts cleverly, whether on the ball or just before a pass, he can get into an open body position.

With the ball at his feet, there are essentially 2 options for the attacker, depending on how the defender behaves:

  • Defender attacks very tightly from behind: roll around the defender, keeping the ball on the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Defender keeps a big distance: turn in front of the defender immediately.
  • Defender keeps the ideal distance (about 1 arm's length): use feints, such as the scissors or the lunge, to wrong-foot the defender. Nevertheless, a pass is often the better option if the defender manages to keep the ideal distance from the attacker.

Before a pass, there are also different tips for the attacker, depending on how the defender behaves:

  • Defender keeps some distance: after a running feint, move away from the defender diagonally backwards and use the 1st touch to get into an open body position.
  • Defender marks very tightly: after a running feint, get away in behind.
  • If a short pass comes in and the attacker cannot switch to an open body position, the first touch should always be taken with the foot furthest from the opponent.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

The training starts straight away with an exercise on 1 vs 1 with a defender on their back in a very tight space. This makes it harder for the attacker to turn into an open body position, as there is little room to get away from the defender. In the first step, though, it is important anyway for the attacker to learn to shield the ball in a closed body position. To do this, the attacker keeps the distance between ball and opponent as large as possible and blocks the path to the ball with the shoulder. If the attacker can shield the ball well from this position, they can try to roll the defender with the foot furthest from the opponent.

In Exercise 2, 15 minutes are then spent working on dribbling and passing, before returning to 1 vs 1 with a defender on their back.

At the end of training, 3 vs 3 is played. Here the players can apply what they have learnt about 1 vs 1 in a match-like way.

Coaching points for this session

1 vs 1 with a defender behind (with the ball):

  • Defender attacks very tightly from behind: roll the defender. In doing so, carry the ball with the foot furthest from the opponent
  • Defender stands off: turn in front of the defender immediately.
  • Defender keeps the ideal distance (approx. 1 arm's length): use feints, such as the scissors or the lunge, to send the defender the wrong way.
Drill 1

1 vs 1: Attacker with Back to Goal

15 min12 metres long; the width depends on the number of players
  • On the coach's start signal, several 1 vs 1 situations begin in parallel.
  • The attackers try to dribble through the two blue cones.
  • The defenders try to win the ball in order to then dribble through the yellow cones.
  • The players may only act within their own duel.
  • Once all the duels are finished, attackers and defenders swap roles and the drill starts again from the beginning.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two red, two blue and two yellow cones mark the starting and finishing lines.

Equipment: 6 cones and several balls.

Players: The team is divided evenly into defenders — yellow — and attackers — blue. The attackers position themselves with a ball evenly along the line of the two red cones; one defender each takes up a position behind an attacker.

Coaching points
  • Keep an arm's length of distance.
  • Do not attack the ball too hastily.
  • Watch the position of the ball and do not be distracted by feints.
  • As soon as the attacker tries to turn, attack the ball.
Drill 2

Dribbling in the Centre with Passing

15 min
  • The two players with a ball dribble towards the middle at the same time.
  • They dribble around the middle cone.
  • They then pass at a 90-degree angle to the next player.
  • The passers follow their ball.
  • The receivers carry out the drill in exactly the same way; the drill continues as a continuous passing sequence.

Variations:

  • Pass the ball to the left or to the right.
  • Let the ball swing between the legs.
  • Cut in front of the cone and then pass the ball on at a 90-degree angle.
  • Combine the cut with a scissors, a shot feint or a body feint.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones form a square, another one stands in the middle.

Equipment: 5 cones and 2 balls.

Players: The players spread out evenly across all corners; one ball lies at each of two diagonally opposite corners.

Coaching points

Carry out further variations:

  • Pass the ball to the left/right
  • Let the ball swing between the legs
  • Cut in front of the cone and then pass the ball on at 90 degrees
  • Combine the cut with a scissors/shot feints/body feint
Drill 3

Frontal 1 vs 1 with the Opponent Behind

25 minTwo areas of 20 x 20 metres each
  • The first player with a ball starts the round and dribbles into the playing area as the attacker.
  • At the same time the first player without a ball runs into the playing area as the defender for the 1 vs 1.
  • The attacker's aim is to dribble through the pole goal.
  • After four rounds the teams swap positions and tasks.
  • It is recorded which team scores the most goals.

Variations:

  • The defender is in possession first and passes to the attacker.
  • The defender is in possession first and throws the ball high to the attacker.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out two large playing areas directly next to each other; a pole goal stands in the centre of each area.

Equipment: Cones, poles for two goals and several balls.

Players: Four teams, each at an outer corner of the playing area. The players at the corner facing away from the goal have the balls.

Coaching points
  • As the attacker, turn towards the goal as quickly as possible.
  • The goal behind the attacker demands creative actions in order to get in front of the goal facing it.
Drill 4

3 vs 3 II

25 minFrom the penalty area to the halfway line
  • A free 3 vs 3 is played with goalkeepers.
  • The game should be made as wide as possible.
  • Above all, many 1 vs 1 situations should arise.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the pitch; there is a goal at each end.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of three players each; plus goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Create an overload through many 1 vs 1 situations.
  • Keep the rounds intensive and have balls ready to restart play quickly.
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Session 2

4 drills

The focus of this training session will be the 1 vs 1 with a defender on their back before a possible pass.

If the attacker manages to get far enough away from their opponent, the ball can already be received in an open body position. Running feints, body swerves and changes of pace can be very helpful for this. In addition, the run towards the passer should not be head-on, but diagonal. This makes a possible 1st touch in an open body position easier.

However, if the defender manages to stay tight enough to the attacker that receiving the ball facing the direction of play is not possible, there are 2 options:

  • If the attacker receives the ball with the defender on their back, the first touch should be taken with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • If the defender marks particularly tightly, a run in behind can also be made after a running feint.
Coaching points for this session
  • Use running feints, body feints and changes of pace to get free from the opponent.
  • Show for the ball diagonally to the passer
  • First touch in a closed body position: receive the ball with the foot furthest from the opponent
  • Defender marks very tightly: break away in behind after a running feint
Drill 1

Passing Practice with Cone Goals

20 min

Variation 1:

  • The players stand about one metre behind the cone goal.
  • Player 1 starts with a pass through both cone goals.
  • With the first touch Player 2 takes the ball out to the right or left past the cone goal and with the second touch passes it back through the opposing cone goal.
  • If the cone goal is missed, the receiving player takes the ball back inside with the first touch and passes through both cone goals with the second touch.

Variation 2:

  • The players stand to the side, about one metre behind the cone goals on the same side.
  • Player 1 passes parallel to the cone goals to the team-mate.
  • That player takes the ball with the inside foot, the one nearer the cone goal, to the other side of the cone goal and from there plays a pass back to the starting player.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: For each pair, four cones form two opposing cone goals.

Equipment: 4 cones per pair and one ball per pair.

Players: Pairs.

Coaching points
  • Demand actions with both feet and correct immediately as soon as more than two touches are needed.
  • After a while reverse the direction of play in order to train the use of both feet.
Drill 2

1 vs 1 in a Space with Support Players

20 min15 x 15 metres
  • Inside the playing area it is played 1 vs 1.
  • The aim is to move the ball between the two support players.
  • The support players are not allowed to pass to each other.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark the corners of a rectangular playing area.

Equipment: 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Two groups of three, each with their own bib colour. From each group one player plays the 1 vs 1 inside the playing area, the other two stand outside the playing area as support players on their team's sides.

Coaching points
  • Take the ball with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Use feints to open up the passing lane to a support player.
  • Move out of the cover shadow.
Drill 3

1 vs 1 with the Opponent Behind and a Shot at Goal

20 min32 x 16 metres
  • The attacker receives the ball from the feeder.
  • The attacker tries to dribble through a red marker.
  • Then the attacker finishes at goal.
  • The defender tries to win the ball and dribble through a green dribbling goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Tall cones mark out the playing area, yellow cones the touchlines. Red and green cones form the dribbling goals; there is a goal at one end.

Equipment: 1 goal, tall cones, cones in three colours and several balls.

Players: One feeder, one attacker and one defender each; plus a goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • Use a shoulder check.
  • Take the ball forward as offensively as possible.
  • Move the opponent away with feints.
  • Use explosive changes of direction and rhythm.
Drill 4

Twice 1 vs 1

20 minDepending on the ability level
  • The players must stay in their half.
  • They try to play a pass to their team-mate on the other side in order to get a shot at goal.
  • The finish is on the goals assigned to the team — in the graphic green attacks the two lower goals.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area and the halfway line; there are four mini goals at the ends, two per team.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Groups of two. One player per team operates in each half of the playing area.

Coaching points
  • Perform a clean preparatory movement as a starting feint.
  • Get away from the defender quickly.
  • Use the body.
  • Turn towards the goal quickly.
  • Look for the finish promptly.
  • Demand clear calls, for example "turn" and "lay-off".
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