Annual training plan · U9–U13

Week 5: 1 vs 1 – Shielding the Ball

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

In the first two training weeks, the dribbling topic also covered dribbling to keep possession. The feints and sharp changes of direction learned there are very helpful this week, because the focus is on attacking 1 vs 1 with the aim of keeping the ball.

The 1 vs 1 practices are played with no fixed direction of play, so players can wrong-foot their opponent again and again with feints and changes of direction.

So this training focus is more about preparing an action, such as a pass or a shot, than about beating the opponent.

Author Luis Österlein

Session 1

4 drills

The warm-up works on various feints combined with sharp changes of direction.

After a coordination drill, it is on to the 1 vs 1. After a short sprint duel, the players have the chance to finish on one of 4 mini goals. Excellent conditions for sending the opponent the wrong way again and again. Nevertheless, the 1 vs 1 should be won quickly and decisively.

The training session ends with a 3 vs 3.

Coaching points for this session
  • Keep the body between ball and opponent
  • When feinting, work clearly with the upper body
  • Get away from the opponent with changes of direction and pace
  • Dribbling with the foot furthest from the opponent
  • Close ball control
Drill 1

Dribbling and Feints with a Pass

20 min
  • Player A starts towards the first cone and performs a feint in front of it.
  • Player A dribbles to the second cone and performs a feint there as well.
  • Player A then dribbles to the third cone and performs another feint.
  • After that, Player A plays three passes with Player B — first down the left, then down the right side.
  • Player B takes the ball along and at cones four to six also performs feints and changes of direction towards the next cone.
  • Player A stays at Player B's position.
  • Player B then plays five passes with Player C.
  • Player C takes the ball along and dribbles to the start; Player B stays at Player C's position.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Six tall cones and one cone mark the dribbling stations, three poles the positions.

Equipment: 1 cone, 6 tall cones, 3 poles and several balls.

Players: Positions B and C are filled by one player each, all the other players stand at position A.

Coaching points
  • Start the feint in good time.
  • Cut sharply.
  • Perform an explosive change of pace after the feint.
Drill 2

Sprint in the Cone Forest

20 min
  • The coach calls out a cone colour with an acoustic signal.
  • Two players each dribble around a cone of the corresponding colour.
  • They then dribble back to the starting line.

Variations: The players dribble freely in the cone forest. The coach uses a visual signal to indicate which corner cone they have to dribble to.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four tall cones in four different colours mark out the playing area; cones in various colours are spread across the area.

Equipment: 4 tall cones, cones in various colours and several balls.

Players: Two groups; the drill can also be organised as a relay.

Coaching points
  • Perform an explosive feint at every cone.
  • On the signal, lift the head to get orientation.
  • Also pay attention to the team-mates.
Drill 3

Endurance with Ball Techniques

25 min12 x 12 metres
  • Two players at a time play 1 vs 1, one pair after the other.
  • The coach plays a ball into the playing area.
  • As soon as the ball is in the playing area, the first player in each line may set off into the playing area.
  • Both players try to score on one of the four goals as quickly as possible.
  • If the ball goes out of play or into the goal, the attack ends and the players leave the playing area.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area. The four mini goals stand evenly distributed in the playing area, with their backs to each other and the openings facing outwards.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams of equal size. The players stand in two lines one behind the other, to the left and right of the coach.

Coaching points
  • Use feints as well as changes of pace and direction in order to get away from the opponent.
  • Dribble with the foot furthest from the opponent.
Drill 4

3 vs 3 in a Marked-Out Area

25 min32 x 32 metres
  • The two teams play 3 vs 3 with goalkeepers.
  • The aim is to score as many goals as possible in two minutes.
  • The outfield players are then changed.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones mark out the playing area; there are two goals at the ends.

Equipment: 2 goals, cones and several balls.

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

Coaching points
  • Use the size of the playing area to make the game wide.
  • Make the opponents run.
  • Get to the finish quickly.
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

The warm-up works on dribbling again, making the feints even smoother and the change of pace even more explosive.

Exercise 2 is then simply about shielding the ball. Above all, this requires a mix of using the body and cleverness in order to keep the distance between opponent and ball as large as possible.

The 3rd exercise of the training session then gives the chance to apply the feints learnt in the warm-up in a head-to-head duel.

To finish, play is again always 3 vs 3, only this time with dribbling goals. The small team sizes lead to many actions on the ball for all players, in which you keep encouraging the players to solve the situations by dribbling as well.

Coaching points for this session
  • Dribbling with the foot furthest from the opponent
  • Keep the body between ball and opponent
  • When feinting, work clearly with the upper body
  • Make the change of pace when cutting
Drill 1

Cutting and Driven Pass

20 min
  • The red player dribbles at pace towards the first cone and cuts just in front of it with the outside of the right foot.
  • The red player then dribbles to the next cone and cuts just in front of it with the outside of the left foot.
  • After the last cut, the red player plays a driven pass to the yellow player, who starts the same action.
  • The passing route matches the running route: red to yellow, yellow to blue, blue to green and so on.

Variations — feints for cutting sharply: scissors, pass feint, shot feint, lunge as well as cutting behind the standing leg.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: 16 cones form four identically built zigzag lanes of four cones each; each lane has its own cone colour: blue, green, red and yellow. The lanes lead to the penalty area from different directions.

Equipment: 16 cones in blue, green, red and yellow as well as several balls.

Players: One player stands at the starting position of each lane.

Coaching points
  • Perform a change of pace with the cut.
  • Start the feints in good time.
Drill 2

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 3

Duel Training 1 vs 1

25 min
  • A player from the starting group dribbles into the area.
  • Level with the mini goals, this player passes to the opponent.
  • This player then puts the receiver under pressure.
  • Both try to score a goal as quickly as possible — for a maximum of 20 seconds.
  • Both goals are open to both players.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four poles mark out the playing area; there are two mini goals on the sides.

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

Players: Two groups; one group is designated as the starting group.

Coaching points
  • Demand a feint immediately after the first touch.
  • Steer the opponent towards the wrong goal with feints and changes of direction.
Drill 4

3 vs 3 to Dribbling Goals

15 min15 x 20 metres or 20 x 20 metres
  • The game is played as a free 3 vs 3.
  • Goals only count if a player dribbles over the opposition's dribbling line — the red team over the right line, the green team over the left one.
  • If a team scores a dribbling goal, possession passes to the other team and a new 3 vs 3 starts.

Variations:

  • As a competition, until one team has scored 3, 5 or 10 goals.
  • With considerably more than six players, change the attacking team after every goal or mark out several playing areas and play in parallel.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Four cones form the dribbling goals on the left and on the right, further cones mark out the playing area.

Equipment: Cones and at least 1 ball.

Players: At least six players, split into two teams of three.

Coaching points
  • Demand plenty of 1 vs 1 situations.
  • The goals are very wide, so switches of play create a lot of space.

Session 3

4 drills

To keep the ball in the 1 vs 1, it is particularly important to run with the ball on the foot furthest from the opponent. It is therefore essential to be able to dribble securely with the weaker foot as well.

Demand this from your players constantly in Exercises 1 and 2 in order to prepare them ideally for the next two drills.

In Exercise 3 the work is then done in a 1 vs 1. Here in particular it will become clear which players have flexible solutions ready thanks to two-footed dribbling and leave the opponent no chance of winning the ball.

In the 4th drill the work is again done in small teams in order to provoke lots of dribbling.

Coaching points for this session
  • Carry the ball with the foot furthest from the opponent
  • Keep the body between ball and opponent
  • When feinting, work clearly with the upper body
  • Make a change of pace after the feint
Drill 1

Twist-Off, Cutting with Lofted Ball and Firm Pass

20 min
  • The blue and the yellow player start at the same time and dribble towards the cones.
  • At station 1 the blue player performs a twist-off four times and plays a lofted ball to the second yellow player.
  • At station 3 the yellow player cuts four times and then plays a firm pass through the line of cones to the red player.
  • The red player either takes the ball to the side first time or drags it to the side behind the standing leg.
  • Change of positions: the passing route corresponds to the running route.

Note: Only introduce the lofted ball after a few rounds so that the muscles are sufficiently warmed up.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Cones in three colours are set up as shown in the graphic: yellow cones form two zigzag lanes, blue cones form a line as a passing obstacle, red cones mark the starting and target positions.

Equipment: Cones in different colours, bibs and several balls.

Players: One blue, one yellow and one red player each.

Coaching points
  • Only play the lofted ball after a few rounds in order to warm up the muscles sufficiently.
Drill 2

Speed with the Ball

20 min
  • On command the first player dribbles off and dribbles around the first two cones in a figure-of-eight loop.
  • After the slalom the ball is passed to the player at the upper end and that position is taken over.
  • The receiving player takes the ball along and dribbles at speed to the starting cone; there the ball is handed over to the player at the front.
  • If a cone is knocked over or a short cut is taken, the team has to start again from the beginning.
Equipment & set-up

Pitch: 16 tall cones form a figure-of-eight loop and a slalom for each group; three cones mark the starting positions.

Equipment: 16 tall cones, 3 cones and one ball per group.

Players: Three groups.

Coaching points
  • Train with both feet.
Drill 3

1 vs 1 After Activation

20 min
  • The coach plays or throws the ball roughly into the middle of the playing area.
  • One player each from Red and Blue starts towards the ball.
  • The players may only score a goal once they have dribbled through one of the four yellow cone goals.
  • The finish is on the two goals that are further away from their own starting position.

Variations: It can also be played 2 vs 2.

Equipment & set-up

Pitch: Eight yellow cones form four cone goals about two metres wide; plus four mini goals.

Equipment: 4 mini goals, 8 cones and several balls.

Players: Two teams — Red and Blue — waiting at opposite starting positions.

Coaching points
  • Dribble with the foot furthest from the opponent.
  • Use feints and changes of pace to get away from the opponent.
  • Keep the ball close.
  • Get to the finish promptly.
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.
Your training. Your web app.

Get the complete training plans in the web app

  • All 52 weeks, up to three sessions per week
  • More than 3,000 drills – many of them animated
  • Build your own training plans & share them with your team
Start for free

No subscription, no credit card. Sign up in 1 minute.