Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): 2v1 Drills

50-50+1

Objective: Work on winning a 50-50 ball, then counter-attacking. Couple with aggression, shielding, 2-touch, and 2v1 sessions plans.

Setup: 2 10x20 adjacent fields. with a 4 ft pug goal at one end as shown. Coach is situated opposite goal with all the balls. 2 lines each end, one for each team.

Play: Coach should bowl the ball down middle of field as if tryin to score a goal. Players race to ball. First to the ball plays to their teammate, game becomes 2v1. After ball is dead, all 4 players switch lines, even the player who did not receive the ball (otherwise the lines get too long). To start, do NOT play with any boundaries. Add boundaries / out of bounds when quality of play improves.

Coaching Points: Attacking players should step to - seal off ball with body and play a two touch pass to target. After pass spin out out wide. Receiver should draw in defender before passing. Play to front foot. Look for diagonal passes, give-n-goes.

Play way facing

Setup: 2 or 3 15x20yard zones. One (1) player for each team in each zone. One (1) line at each end. Each line player has a ball.

Conditions: Defenders are trapped in their zone. Attackers are trapped in their zone until the forward attacker passes them in. E.g., C takes a drop to A, then A can join C in zone 2. Play starts with A passing into B. B must check away / check to receive the pass. Then A & B work together to get the ball into C. C will need to check away / check to to get open. C then Plays the way they are facing and takes a drop to A or B. If B, then B can join A in zone 2 and they work to get the ball into D in Zone 3. Once in zone 3 D and C work to score. Attacking players advance to the next zone when the ball goes out of play. If Defender wins ball she tries to play ball forward and counterattack 2v1.  

Progressions: Start with one (1) zone. Move goals to either end, resize as needed. Add a second zone once they understand the concept. Only add a third zone when 2-zone is working well. Attacking players advance to the next zone.

Coaching Points: Check away / to to get open. Time your run carefully. Make a heads up pass. Spin out / make a support run.
Tip: Do a few runs without any defenders, then add defenders slowly once players understand the drill conditions. Knowing how to check away / to is needed for this to work well.

GnG Decisions