2v1: commit, then release
Transcript
In a 2v1, make the defender choose, then take what they leave. Here's the game. You need three players, a ball, a small goal and a channel twenty metres by fifteen. Two attack, one defends. Watch. Dribble straight at the defender. First, if they come to you, pass. Then, if they stay with your teammate, keep going and score. Not this. Passing too early lets them cover you both. Our target is four rounds of six attacks, resting a minute between. Defend on your feet. After any knock to the head, if in doubt, sit them out. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
A 2 v 1 decision: dribble at the defender to make them choose, then pass if they come to you, or keep going if they stay with your teammate. England Football: decide based on how the defender reacts.
Set up
- 3 players, 2 v 1
- A ball
- A small goal
- 20 x 15 m channel
How it works
- Warm up first. Mark a channel 20 m long and 15 m wide with 4 cones, with a small goal in the middle of the far end (or 2 cones 3 m apart). Use a size 5 ball.
- You (with the ball) and a teammate start on the near line, about 6 m apart. The defender waits 10 m in front of the goal.
- Dribble straight at the defender to make them choose. If they come to you, pass to your teammate. If they stay with your teammate, keep going and score.
- The defender tries to win the ball, staying on their feet. Walk back and go again, and rotate roles every 3 goes.
Coaching points
- If they come, pass. Dribble straight at the defender with pace, so they have to deal with you. As they step in to you, pass firmly along the ground into the space in front of your teammate.
- If they stay, keep going. If the defender stays with your teammate and blocks the pass, the space in front of you is free: keep dribbling at speed and score with a low shot.
Not this
Passing too early, before the defender has committed. They just shift across, and one defender can cover you both.
Dose
- 4 rounds of 6 attacks
- 1 min rest between
Our target: 4 rounds of 6 attacks with 1 minute of rest between (the Football Reach target, not an FA rule).
Harder / Easier
Harder
The defender may chase back from behind, and you have 6 seconds to score. Or, if the defender wins the ball, they score by dribbling over your start line.
Easier
The defender may only move sideways, not step forward, until the timing of the pass feels natural.
Safety
- If in doubt, sit them out: anyone with a suspected concussion stops straight away, does no training for at least 24 hours and plays no matches for at least 21 days (UK concussion guidelines).
- Defenders stay on their feet: no slide tackles, and keep the ball on the ground.
- Peg or weight the goal down so it cannot tip over. Flat grass with space all round, never a road or driveway.
- Under 16: if your knees or heels hurt when you run, stop and tell an adult; a GP or physio can help.
Sources
- England Football Learning - top tips for dribbling (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning - turning and dribbling to score (12-16) (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA Training Centre - 2v1 plus 1 through the central channel (opens in a new tab)
- England Football Learning - passing and receiving to score (2v1s) (opens in a new tab)
- England Football - UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport (opens in a new tab)
- The FA Boot Room - growth and the physical corner (opens in a new tab)
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
Take the free test
