1 v 1 Battle Game

This session plan and content was produced by PlayerDevelopmentProject.

Player Development Project offers hundreds of hours of coach interviews, tips and advice as well as hundreds of coaching drills & individual coaching support to help coaches with teams of all ages.

As players enter the u10 age category and move through the foundation phase, they are still building up their knowledge of soccer but we need to use this age to really reinforce the technical side of their game too. Maximizing time spent on the ball and experimenting with SSG (small sided games) to dominate individual battles which happen all over the field.

The below u10 drill focuses on 1 v 1 skill and helps your players deal with pressure, working on ways to protect the ball and also move forward with the ball.

TIPS

  • Encourage your players to be brave, don't take the easy route.

  • Encourage quick, forward play - avoiding turning their back to protect the ball

Game 1: Set up

Players on the outside dribble across the circle and link up with a player without a ball.

Defending yellows in the middle must stop them.

This can cause 1 v 1s or 2 v 1, allowing another red more space (you can use this to challenge the more advanced players)

Try to discourage passing, you want the red player to dribble across the circle and spot the ball on the line.

1 v 1 Battle Game

Some potential outcomes allows us to see the different scenarios each red will face.

1 v 1 Battle Game

Game 2: Set Up

Moving this set up to a more familiar rectangle pitch you will have red v yellows - you must stop the ball between the goals to score a point before running back to your goal to stop the other player coming forward.

Encourage fast, positive dribbling.

1 v 1 Battle Game

Potential progressions could include 2 neutral players that can be used to aid the player in possession.

This could be used for more advanced players to highlight combination play, but be aware not to get too far away from the focus of dribbling & 1v1.

You could offer 2 goals if they can take on the opposition 1v1 or 1 goal for a 1-2 - this will depend on your focus for the session.

1 v 1 Battle Game

This session plan and content was produced by PlayerDevelopmentProject.

Player Development Project offers hundreds of hours of coach interviews, tips and advice as well as hundreds of coaching drills & individual coaching support to help coaches with teams of all ages.