23: Grow Coach Newsletter
Football Coaching: Here are 5 reasons you should be practicing 1v1s
A warm welcome from JustCoachMD. We are happy to have you on board. We are looking forward to providing you with helpful content.
Here is what to expect:
Education: 5 benefits of 1v1 Football.
Activity 1: 1v1s when pressure is behind.
Activity 2: 1v1 facing the press.
Activity 3: 1v1s pressure is in front.
Session Commentary: Tips on how to coach the 1v1s.
Football is a sport that requires a lot of skill and strategy. Whether you’re playing as an attacker or a defender, you need the right skills to perform well on the field.
One way to improve your skills is through regular 1v1 play. Discover the benefits of 1v1 activities for players of all levels. These types of practice are necessary for improved technique and better decisions.
Why are 1v1 activities important?
1v1s involve two players in various positions on the field. The objective is for one player to get past the other and score a goal or escape the pressure.
These actions help players develop their dribbling, attacking, and defensive skills. 1v1s also help players to improve their speed, agility, and decision-making abilities.
1v1s teach players how to dominate their duels. A further benefit of 1v1s is that each duel can be practised from various angles, distances, and positions. When players get familiar with the 1v1 duel they are faced with they, develop the tools they need to take control in these situations.
The repetition of the drills brings composure and control.
The best 1v1s are realistic and specific to the game. It is the coach’s responsibility to design drills that recreate the decisions and pressures of the game.
Every position on the field has slightly different versions of 1v1. Part of your job is to recreate these pressures in a training environment. The coach must observe the modern game and identify the player’s needs.
5 Benefits of 1v1 Games
01 Enhanced attacking skills:
Dribbling is an essential football skill. A great benefit of 1v1 play is that it allows players to practice dribbling against a defender in a realistic game-based scenario. They also help players improve their dribbling and ball control whilst under pressure from a defender.
The players develop skills such as stops starts, turns, changes of pace, and dragging moves. These moves are useful for planting the defender’s feet and allowing the attackers to create a space to escape the defender’s pressure.
Additionally, 1v1 football helps players learn how to:
Create space for themselves by losing markers.
Experiment with different skills to beat defenders.
Create scoring chances or get an end product on whatever skill occurs after a dribble.
1v1s encourage players to take on defenders and make quick decisions in high-pressure situations.
02 Improved defensive skills:
1v1 games help players develop their defensive skills. Players learn how to anticipate their opponent’s moves, block shots, tackle, and intercept effectively. They practice their defence against an attacker in a game-like scenario.
Positioning and timing are two additional defensive qualities that are enhanced as a result of 1v1 drills. Players learn to position themselves to force play in specific directions or to protect certain spaces.
They learn to delay attacks and make attempts to win back the ball at the right time.
The defender learns to read the following triggers so that the ball can be won back:
A poor first touch.
A big touch out of the attacker’s feet.
A lack of space - The attacker gets trapped near the sideline.
An attacker that turns back where they came from helps to inform the defender that the time is right to get after the ball.
03 Increased confidence:
A great benefit of 1v1 play is that it helps players gain confidence on the field. When a player can successfully beat a defender in a 1v1 action, it boosts their confidence and motivates them to keep improving. The exposure and repetition of such drills ensure that players are confident to try out new skills or keep going against a tough opponent.
When players practice in activities that involve lots of touches of the ball they have no choice but to take control of the situation. The familiarity of playing repeat bouts of 1v1 from a variety of distances, angles, and positions ensures that the player can learn how to cope.
With time the exposure to pressure does not seem as intense and the player becomes quietly confident that they can find a way to dominate the opponent they are up against.
04 Develops decision-making skills:
1v1 football requires players to make quick decisions on the field. They need to decide whether to pass, dribble, or shoot the ball. These drills help players improve their decision-making skills and teach them how to make the right decisions under pressure.
Further decisions such as how to position the body during a 1v1 are also developed. The player becomes aware of when to shield the ball, when to get forward-facing or skills to use that unbalance the defender and help them to escape the pressure.
05 Enhances fitness levels:
1v1 is an excellent way to improve your fitness levels. These moments involve a lot of running, sprinting, and direction changes. They help players improve their endurance, speed, and agility. The intense bursts of activity mean that they are an excellent way to mirror the demands of a game. An additional benefit is that these practices maximise contacts on the ball.
The attacking and defending elements of the 1v1 mean that players get lots of opportunities to accelerate and decelerate. These are important skills for players to learn. The footwork involved in speeding up and slowing down develops strong, powerful muscles.
Recovery time improves as a result of 1v1 play. The repeated nature of activities means that players perform short but intense periods of work. These are followed by short periods of recovery. Exposure to this interval-like training is a great way of improving fitness. It enhances the player’s ability to perform repetitive actions over and over.
1v1 football can look different every time !!
Further benefits of 1v1 football include their adaptability. These actions can be performed from different angles and formats to mirror various moments of the game. For example, the 1v1 drills can be performed in a variety of formats.
Pressure from in front: The attacker is facing the defender when trying to beat them.
Pressure from the back: The defender is behind the attacker trying to win the ball.
Sideways pressure: The defender is at the side of the attacker.
Directional: This means the 1v1 activity has a direction for each player.
Multi-directional: This typically does not have a direction of play, players have the freedom to roam.
Skill-based: The 1v1 is set up with a focus on skills such as shooting, turning, and crossing.
Coaches should use different variations of 1v1 football. This allows the players to develop the skillsets required to deal with the demands of the game. These activities can be incorporated as arrival activities, as a part of the training session, or as stand-alone sessions.
Common mistakes when performing 1v1 soccer drills
If you plan on incorporating 1v1, then it might be useful to look out for some of the following common errors:
Missing the chance to use changes of speed. Ideally, an attacker should only have to beat the defender once. If the attacker has to keep beating the same player over and over it suggests they are not using a change of pace following the skill.
No end product. Players need to strive for an end product in their 1v1 moment. A shot, a cross, or a pass preceding the skill is vital. Too often players produce a 1v1 moment then mess up the next part or lose the ball.
Poor balance between attacking and defending. The defending quality needs just as much emphasis as the attacking. Are the defenders closing down quickly enough? Are they tough to beat? The coach should challenge the defenders to make it as difficult as possible for the attackers.
Poor use of the first touch. The attacker’s first touch should be out of their feet towards the space they want to travel or at the sides of the defender. Players often take their touch into pressure or towards the defender. This makes it easier for them to steal the ball.
It is a joint effort between the player and the coach to fix these errors. The player needs to self-correct if they are experiencing a problem. The coach needs to check for errors and offer fixes.
‘FAILURE HAPPENS ALL OF THE TIME. IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY IN PRACTICE. WHAT MAKES YOU BETTER IS HOW YOU REACT TO IT.’
M. HAMM
1v1 Practices
Players can experience the benefits of 1v1 football by using the following practices. They will allow players to get the returns they need to become better in attacking and defending moments. Here are three different activities that may be of some use.
1v1 Practice with Back to Play
Created On: @tacticalPad
Aim:
Escape pressure when the defender is behind you.
Space and Set Up:
On a 15 by 20-yard rectangle pitch with 4 target goals. Add an end zone in front of each pair of goals. Arrange the players in pairs, 1 attacker and 1 defender.
Split the group into pairs of attackers and place them diagonally, at opposite ends of the pitch. Place a target player between the goals at each end of the pitch.
Play the game:
The first attacker dribbles around between the goals. A defender follows the attacker. The ball must be passed to the target player between the goals.
The attacker must get turned and score in the goals behind them. The defender must regain and score in the goals that are in front of them.
Progression:
To add a little more traffic two pairs of players could go at the same time. This might mean that the attackers need to adjust their movements and positioning if another pair of players is in the way.
1v1 Inner and Outer Goals
Created On: @tacticalPad
Aim:
Escape pressure when the defender is in front of you.
Space and Set-Up:
On a 15 by 15 yard square, line up 4 goals through the centre of the pitch. The outer goals face into the practice and the inner goals face out of the practice.
The attackers start on one side of the square and the defenders start on the opposite side of the square.
Play the game:
The defender dribbles the ball onto the pitch and passes to the attacker. The attacker tries to beat the defender and score in any of the inner goals.
The defender must win the ball and score in any of the outer goals.
Progression:
This activity could allow two pairs of players to go together. This means four players would be on the pitch at the same time.
More traffic means players must manipulate the ball to avoid the other pair. The activity could also be played as a 2v2.
Around the Goals 1v1
Created On: @tacticalPad
Aim:
Escape pressure when the defender is in front of you.
Space and Set Up:
On a 15 by 25 yard rectangle pitch set up 4 mini goals. Place players on each corner of the pitch.
One team (⚫️) has a ball each and the other team (🔴) acts as defenders. Players must run around the goal and then onto the pitch.
There is an endzone in front of each pair of goals (dashed line).
Play the game:
Four players run around the goals and then enter the pitch at the same time. 2 players have a ball (attackers) and 2 players (defend).
This means that two 1v1s are happening at the same time. Each 1v1 must be played until a finish.
Either the attacker scores, the ball goes off the pitch, or the defender wins the ball and scores. The scorer must be beyond the dashed line to score.
As soon as a ball goes dead. The attacker and defender from the game that has just finished can help the other attacker/defender. This means that the game can become a 2v2 with the same rules and conditions.
Progression:
A coach could serve in a second ball to the red defenders once the initial two 1v1s have ended.
This means that the defenders would get the chance to attack in a 2v2 and there would be lots of gamelike transitions within the drill.
Session Commentary
Tips on how to coach the 1v1 activities:
Player Intention: Use the correct physical asset to dominate the 1v1 duels.
Coach Pay Attention:
The asset the attacker uses to escape - skills, speed, strength, shielding.
Do the attackers use changes of pace? Are the defenders using the correct footwork to slow down the attack?
Do the attackers use disguised movements to hide their intentions?
Are defenders using their bodies correctly to steal back the ball?
Notice how:
Players drag the ball in one direction before making explosive dribble movements in another. (Unbalancing the defender).
How the attackers use their bodies to hide or reveal the ball to dominate the duel.
The changes in speed to get beyond the defender.
The defender’s body position and footwork are difficult to beat.
Timing and anticipation of the defenders to win back the ball.
Physicality: The defender stepping into the space of the attacker as they try to go past them.
Conclusion
1v1 football is essential for developing a player’s skills. There are many benefits of 1v1 they help players to improve their attacking and defending skills. They also help players improve their decision-making, confidence, and fitness levels. By incorporating 1v1 games into the player’s training routine, they will become better and improve their overall game.
1v1 activities should be performed from a variety of angles and distances. This will place different pressures on the players. It will create problems that the attackers and defenders have to solve. The various types of 1v1 moments will develop different skills that players have to master and overcome.
There are common mistakes that occur in 1v1 games. Not using changes of speed to beat the defender or a lack of end product are two examples. As coaches, we should be observing our players and try to help them fix or overcome the problems that occur in 1v1 moments.
Please feel free to get in touch or share your ideas, actions, and interventions. We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, post them here; we will do our best to answer them.
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