Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 30: 1 vs 1 Drills & Speed

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

When to use: winter preparation

These sessions are ideal for U8/U9, U10/U11 and U12/U13 teams from grassroots league level upwards.

The first half of the winter preparation is complete, and with it the refresh and improvement of the basic techniques. The secondary focus of the first 9 sessions of the new year was coordination. Now the focus shifts to the players' speed. This is trained exclusively in playful and fun-based practices.

This week, preparation for the second half of the season continues with an individual tactical main focus: the attacking 1 vs 1.

A football match is not made up of a string of isolated duels, even though small-sided football in particular is still defended very much man-to-man. Even so, a player must be able to hold his own in a direct duel with his opponent.

When training the attacking 1 vs 1, the progress from the technique training of the last 2 weeks will also show. Good receiving, for example, helps players pick up speed straight away for a 1 vs 1. Of course, the work on dribbling and feinting will also show when beating the opponent. And finally, the improvements in passing and shooting will be visible in the follow-up actions.

The 1 vs 1 is coached from different distances, with a defender at your back and with one or more (dribble) goals that lead to success. In addition, the attacking 1 vs 1 is trained in small-sided games from 2 vs 2 to 5 vs 5, which will produce all kinds of duel situations. This variety of duels confronts players with different demands and so prepares them ideally for “real” competition.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

Attacking 1 vs 1 should of course be trained in isolation with 2 players in an area. Nevertheless, the 1 vs 1 is also trained very effectively and in a match-realistic way in small-sided games. In these, the players learn not only how to beat or shake off an opponent, but also in which situations it makes sense to go into a 1 vs 1 at all.

In addition, what else is happening in the game also has a very strong influence on the 1 vs 1. The space behind the defender, for example, can influence the direct duel. If this space is large, the player in possession can knock the ball well past their opponent and exploit any advantage in pace. If, on the other hand, the space is somewhat smaller, the ball naturally has to be kept closer.

Other team-mates can also influence the defender's position, because alongside the 1 vs 1 the defender is also trying to close a passing lane. The player on the ball can also use team-mates for pass feints in order to open up a route for a breakthrough.

When the training focus is attacking 1 vs 1, you should place particular emphasis on making the game wide and big, in order to create space for the players to take on duels.

Coaching points for this session
  • Try to pick up speed before the 1 vs 1
  • Go past the opponent with a feint and a change of pace
  • When feinting (lunge and step-over), shift the centre of gravity sufficiently
  • After winning a 1 vs 1, keep up the pace, cut across the opponent's path or look for a follow-up action, so as not to give the opponent a second go at winning the ball
Drill 1

How Many Bunny Tails Can You Catch?

15 min
  • The catchers try to grab all the bunny tails of the opposing team as quickly as possible.
  • Once a team has no players left in the playing area, it has lost.
  • Players who are caught automatically become catchers.
  • The team that has won the most rounds wins overall.

Variations: Introduce a third team in blue. The coach calls out a colour; that team is then chased by all the other players.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark the playing area.

Equipment: 4 cones and bibs in two, or optionally three, colours.

Players: Two teams in yellow and red, optionally a third in blue. Every player tucks the bib of the team colour into the back of the shorts; this is the bunny tail. Each team provides one catcher.

Coaching points
  • Always face the catcher.
  • Escape the catcher with changes of direction and body feints.
Drill 2

Duel | 1 vs 1

20 min20 x 20 metres
  • The coach plays a ball to the player standing further away, who controls it and takes it in the stride.
  • The player standing opposite moves into the playing area and becomes the defender.
  • The attacker tries to finish on the opposing goal.
  • If the defender wins the ball, the defender finishes on the defender's goal.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Poles or cones mark out the playing area; two mini goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 2 mini goals, poles or cones and several balls with the coach.

Players: Two players face each other.

Coaching points
  • Dribble past the defender with a feint and an explosive change of pace.
  • Start the feint in good time.
  • When feinting, shift the centre of gravity sufficiently.
Drill 3

Transition Play 2 vs 2

20 min
  • Play is continuously 2 vs 2.
  • After a goal the successful team leaves the playing area immediately, and the next two players of that team come into the playing area.
  • The goalkeeper of the team that has conceded the goal plays a new ball to the team-mates as quickly as possible, who if possible finish on the opposing goal immediately.
  • After balls go out of play, the goalkeepers bring a new ball into play.
  • If no goal is scored within two minutes, two new players per team come into the playing area.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones mark out the playing area; two goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 2 goals, 4 cones and several balls.

Players: Teams of two players each; plus goalkeepers.

Coaching points
  • Go into the 1 vs 1 with courage.
  • Get past the opponent with a change of pace and a feint.
  • Get to the finish purposefully.
  • Pick up speed immediately.
Drill 4

5 vs 5 Knocking Over Tall Cones

30 min
  • A 5 vs 5 is played inside the marked area.
  • The task of the teams is to pass into the opposition end zone.
  • The receiving player runs onto the ball and tries to knock over a tall cone first time.
  • The team that is first to knock over all three tall cones in the opposition end zone wins.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area with two end zones; there are three tall cones in each end zone.

Equipment: 6 tall cones, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of five.

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

Ask which factors are decisive in winning a 1 vs 1 and the answer will mainly be technical ability, speed and applying individual tactical instructions. Of course, good dribbling skills, an explosive burst and the targeted use of feints are crucial for coming out on top in a 1 vs 1.

However, particularly in tight duels, it is also the will that decides which player comes out of a duel as the winner. This willpower to win a 1 vs 1 can show itself, for example, in pressing immediately to win the ball back after losing it or in a hard but fair use of the upper body.

Prepare your players for duels not only tactically and technically, but also mentally. So demand from your players that their absolute determination to win the duel is visible at all times. This gives the drills the necessary intensity and ensures that the players make lasting progress in the 1 vs 1.

Coaching points for this session
  • Play hard but fair
  • Use the upper body too, to win a duel (try to keep/get the body between ball and opponent)
  • Go past the opponent with a feint and a change of pace
  • Do not give the opponent a 2nd go at winning the ball (keep up the pace, cut across their path or look for a follow-up action) • boldly look for 1 vs 1 situations
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

Speed Competition With and Without the Ball

20 min
  • A competition is held between the players.
  • The coach calls out three colours — as the drill progresses also numbers, players' names or club names.
  • In this order the players run round the cones and then sprint over the finishing line at the coach.
  • The winner gets a point.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eight cones in four colours, plus two tall cones as starting positions.

Equipment: 8 cones and 2 tall cones.

Players: The players stand in the middle at the tall cone.

Coaching points
  • Vary the distance of the finishing line.
  • Start and sprint inside the playing area with a low centre of gravity.
Drill 3

1 vs 1 with Mini Goals

25 min10 x 12 metres
  • Player 1 plays a firm pass to Player 2.
  • Player 2 takes the ball straight into the run.
  • Player 2 tries to score on one of the two mini goals.
  • Goals only count if the ball has been dribbled through one of the cone goals beforehand.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four yellow cones mark out the playing area at the corners, four red cones form two cone goals on the longitudinal axis. Two mini goals stand at the ends.

Equipment: 2 mini goals, 4 red and 4 yellow cones as well as several balls.

Players: Players 1 and 2.

Coaching points
  • Get away from the opponent with feints as well as changes of pace and direction.
  • Dribble the ball with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Finish attacks off purposefully.
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.

Session 3

4 drills

Today's session deals with different 1 vs 1 situations. Firstly, the head-on duel from different distances to the defender and the 1 vs 1 with an opponent behind are trained.

  • 1 vs 1 (short distance): the attacker has little time to pick up speed and is therefore more reliant on using feints. As the opponent can attack the ball at any time, the ball should be kept as close as possible.
  • 1 vs 1 (long distance): the attacker now has time to pick up speed, which can give them an advantage in the 1 vs 1. If the defender does not adjust their speed to the attacker in time, the defender can simply be run past. If the attacker is moving at high speed, they do not necessarily even have to use feints. If feints are needed after all, they should ideally not become an end in themselves and should be carried out without losing much speed. Skill moves such as the step-over or the lunge are therefore suitable, for example.
  • 1 vs 1 with a defender behind: The attacker starts from a difficult position, as the defender's behaviour is hard to observe. However, if the attacker can feel the defender behind because the defender is marking very tightly, the attacker has an easy job. It is simply a matter of turning into the defender with the foot furthest from the opponent. If, on the other hand, the defender keeps a large distance, the situation should be used to turn in front of the defender as quickly as possible. If the defender behind keeps the ideal distance of about an arm's length, feints and changes of direction help to beat the opponent or to turn in front of them.
Drill 1

Sprint Training Coordination and Speed of Action

20 min
  • After an acoustic or visual signal, the first player of each of the two groups carries out a coordination task — for example sideways over the two cones.
  • They then sprint through the poles.
  • Depending on the coach's instruction, they run to the blue or to the red cone.
  • Instead of a colour, the coach can also call out a number — for example 1 for blue and 2 for red.

Note: Have a few runs carried out at a moderate pace at the start, in order to warm the players up sufficiently. The drill can then be carried out as a competition between two players.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Two cones per group for the coordination task, behind them poles as obstacles and one blue and one red target cone.

Equipment: 4 poles and 8 cones.

Players: Two groups.

Coaching points

Coaching Points

  • Have a few runs carried out at a moderate pace at the start, in order to warm the players up sufficiently
  • Afterwards the drill can always be carried out as a competition between 2 players
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

1 vs 1 with a Defender Behind

20 minAdjust according to the ability level.

Midfielder M plays the ball towards attacker A. Player A sprints towards the ball and receives it. At the same time defender V sprints towards A in order to get into a position behind A.

Player A then tries to get past player V with feints and to finish. If player V wins the ball, player V scores a goal by dribbling through one of the two cone goals.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Set up as shown in the graphic. A row of cones marks the halfway line of the playing area and forms two cone goals there.

Equipment: 1 goal, 4 cones, 4 tall cones, several balls.

Players: Three groups — attackers, defenders and midfielders — plus a goalkeeper in the goal.

Coaching points
  • Start explosively towards the ball in order to get as far away from player V as possible.
  • This often makes it possible to take the ball with an open body position towards the direction of play.
  • Only start the feint when player V goes into the challenge.
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.
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