Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 3: Defending 1 vs 1 – Basic Stance

3 complete training sessions with 12 drills – created by licensed coaches. Open every drill in the easy2coach web app with one click.

This week’s focus

After the first 2 training weeks covered dribbling, a technical topic, we now move on to an individual tactical topic: defending 1 vs 1 in the centre.

The main aim is for players to learn the absolute basics of defending 1 vs 1 and to internalise them further in small-sided games.

As before, every session includes one practice that trains coordination or fitness.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

A side-on stance and a low centre of gravity form the basic stance in the defensive 1 vs 1. Any player who puts these two points into practice has already created good conditions for getting into a challenge.

Of course there are further points to bear in mind as well, but this basic stance makes it possible to reach the ball before the opponent when the opponent tries to break through.

Coaching points for this session
  • Centre of gravity is low
  • Stay on the balls of the feet
  • Show the attacker the way outside or onto the weaker foot
  • Match the attacker's pace
  • When the attacker tries to break through, get the body between ball and attacker
Drill 1

1 vs 1 | Keeping Possession

20 min20 x 20 metres

Exercise 1

  • Practise passing as well as the first touch and taking the ball in stride — laying the ball off, turning and the like.

Exercise 2

  • The player in possession tries to shield the ball and defend it against the partner.
  • If the defender wins the ball, the defender then has to keep it.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area.

Equipment: Cones and 1 ball per pair.

Players: The players form pairs.

Coaching points
  • Control the ball with the foot furthest from the opponent.
Drill 2

Duel after a Sprint in 1 vs 1

25 min15 x 15 metres
  • On the coach's command, both players sprint at the same time around the cones set up on their side and into the playing area.
  • The coach plays a ball into the area; this starts a 1 vs 1 inside the marked area.
  • After a goal or when the ball goes out of play, the next round begins.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six cones mark the starting points and the playing area; two mini goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 6 cones, 2 mini goals and several balls.

Players: Players A and B each stand at a cone.

Coaching points
  • Get into position quickly.
  • The player in possession can turn quickly and finish straight away on the goal behind.
Drill 3

1 vs 1 Champions League

25 minDepending on age and ability
  • The player with the ball tries to beat the opponent and to dribble over the opposing end line; that scores a point.
  • If the defender wins the ball, the defender can also dribble over the opposing end line and score a point.
  • Every player is a defender three times and an attacker three times.
  • The winner moves up one division, the loser moves down one division.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark several areas next to each other; each area is assigned a division.

Equipment: Cones and several balls.

Players: Pairs of one attacker and one defender each.

Coaching points
  • Act at top speed.
  • Force the opponent towards the outside.
Drill 4

Small-Sided Game 4 vs 4 with Dribbling Goals

25 min
  • The game is played 4 vs 4 with four dribbling goals.
  • A goal counts when a player dribbles through two cones with the ball at the feet.
  • After a dribbling goal the team stays in possession, but must now attack one of the other three goals; so no team has permanently assigned goals.
  • Five rounds of four minutes are played, with one minute of rest each.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four tall cones mark out the playing area, eight cones form four dribbling goals.

Equipment: 4 tall cones, 8 cones and several balls.

Players: Two groups of four.

Coaching points
  • Dribble with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Use feints as well as changes of pace and direction with the ball.
  • Make the game big when in possession.
  • Pay attention to sufficient showing for the ball and getting free.
The complete session as a ready-made training plan – with animated drills in the web app. Go to the web app

Session 2

4 drills

In the 2nd training session this week, every drill works intensively on the defensive 1 vs 1.

At the start, the basic stance in the defensive 1 vs 1 is worked on once again in great detail, and it is then applied as early as Exercise 2. Here the players face each other in a duel from a short distance.

In Exercise 3 things then get a little harder for the defenders. After all, the attackers now have 2 ways of winning the duel.

In the last 30 minutes of training, the defensive 1 vs 1 is applied in a small-sided game. Play always starts in a 1 vs 1. However, after every ball out of play or goal, 2 new players and a new ball come straight into play. This leaves little time for a breather, so the drill also provides a strong boost to endurance.

Drill 1

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 2

1 vs 1 from Passing - Head-On, in the Centre

20 min40 x 40 metres
  • Green and Red pass the ball to each other from about eight metres apart.
  • After ten passes at most, Red takes the ball into the 1 vs 1.
  • Green adjusts position and engages Red in a duel.
  • After winning the ball, Green counter-attacks on Red's goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area; two goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Pairs of one green and one red player; in addition goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • The attacker demands an explosive movement when receiving the ball in order to put the defender in difficulty immediately.
Drill 3

1 vs 1 Head-On

20 min
  • Player A passes to Player B and thereby becomes the defender.
  • Player B tries to score a goal on the left or on the right.
  • First, however, Player B must dribble through one of the cone goals.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones form the cone goals; two mini goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 2 mini goals, 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Two equally sized groups A and B.

Coaching points
  • Demand an explosive movement from Player B in order to put the defender in difficulty immediately.
Drill 4

1 vs 1 up to 4 vs 4

25 min30 x 20 metres
  • Every game starts with a 1 vs 1.
  • The task is to dribble through a goal on the opposite side or to pass along the ground through it.
  • After a goal or after the ball goes out over the goal line or the touchline, one more player from each team moves into the playing area — making it 2 vs 2, 3 vs 3 and finally 4 vs 4.
  • To do so, the new player of the team entitled to the ball dribbles in.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area; eight tall cones form four goals.

Equipment: 8 tall cones, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of four players each.

Coaching points
  • Look for the 1 vs 1 bravely.
  • Get past the opponent with a change of pace and a feint.

Session 3

4 drills

This session will specifically deal with the defensive 1 vs 1 at a large distance from the opponent.

The first thing is to close the attacker down, to prevent the attacker from building up high speed and to keep the distance to the defender's own goal as large as possible.

However, it can quickly happen that the defender slows down too late and the attacker simply runs straight past. The defender should therefore match the attacker's pace in good time and get into a side-on stance.

Now the defender drops back. This slows the attacker down or occasionally even causes the attacker to make a mistake.

The defender has thus clearly improved the starting situation and can win the ball by getting their body between ball and attacker.

Drill 1

Coordination Course with Ball

20 min
  • Two players start at the same time with a ball.
  • First the ball is dribbled along the straight stretch with close control.
  • A slalom dribble follows at the cones.
  • Then the players dribble in a zigzag to the next cones.
  • After that the ball is passed under the hurdles; the players jump over them and run onto the ball.
  • The ball is controlled again and juggled to the end.
  • Finally there is a firm pass to the next player, who starts the next run-through.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: A straight dribbling stretch, then a cone slalom, after that a zigzag stretch made up of further cones and finally six hurdles.

Equipment: 4 tall cones, 16 cones, 6 hurdles and one ball per player.

Players: Two players start at the same time; the drill can also be trained as an individual run-through.

Coaching points
  • Perform the dribbling to a high standard despite the competition.
Drill 2

1 vs 1 in Central Areas, Long Distance

20 minAs shown in the graphic
  • The attacker starts on the counter-attack line at high speed into the 1 vs 1 against the defender.
  • The defender drops back and tries to take the pace out of the situation and to close off the opponent's stronger foot.
  • If the attacker gets through the cone goal, the attacker can finish freely.
  • If the defender wins the ball, the defender can counter over the counter-attack line.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two cones form a cone goal on the edge of the penalty area, two more mark the counter-attack line about 10 to 15 metres in front of it.

Equipment: 4 cones and several balls.

Players: The attackers wait with the balls behind the counter-attack line, the defenders to the side of them; both groups wear their own colour of bibs. In addition one goalkeeper.

Coaching points
  • The attacker has to use the pace to get past the defender quickly.
Drill 3

Small-Sided Game: 1 vs 1

20 min
  • Player 1 opens with a pass to Player 2.
  • Player 2 takes the ball in their stride and, as the striker, tries to score against the defending player — Player 1. If the ball is won, Player 1 can also score.
  • If a player scores a goal, a second player from the opposing team comes into the playing area, so that a numerical advantage is created.
  • If the team with the numerical advantage scores, the first player leaves the playing area and the other team gains an extra player.
  • If the ball goes out of play over the goal line or the touchline, the drill restarts with an opening pass in a 1 vs 1.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area; there is a mini goal at each end.

Equipment: 2 mini goals, cones and at least one ball — the more the better, in case balls go wide of the goal.

Players: Two teams.

Coaching points
  • The defenders should close down the distance to the attacker immediately.
  • When outnumbered, drop back and defend the space in front of the goal.
Drill 4

Small-Sided Game: 2 vs 2

25 min15 x 25 metres
  • Each action starts with the coach, who plays the ball to the pair waiting for it.
  • After a goal or after one minute, the next two pairs come into the playing area.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark the playing area; four small goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 4 small goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Teams of two players each.

Coaching points
  • The defenders push the attackers towards the outside.
  • Attack in the overload without losing sight of the second goal.
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