61: Grow Coach Newsletter
Football Coaches: Develop your Coaching Craft.
Welcome from JustCoachMD. We are happy to have you on board and look forward to providing you with helpful content.
Here is What to Expect:
Coaching Craft: 1v2 dribbling.
Full 60-Minute Practice: 3 x practices to improve players in 1v2 moments.
‘‘Dribbling is not just about beating a player; it's about creating opportunities for your team. The best dribblers know when to take risks and when to play it safe." - Pep Guardiola
Double Trouble: Using 1v2 Scenarios to Sharpen Dribbling Skills
Dribbling is one of the most exciting and essential skills in football. It allows players to break through defensive lines, create scoring opportunities, and maintain possession under pressure.
Mastering dribbling requires more than just individual flair—it demands the ability to think quickly, adapt to challenges, and outmanoeuvre opponents. This is where 1v2 situations come into play.
A 1v2 scenario, where one attacker faces two defenders, is a high-pressure environment that forces players to make quick decisions, improve their ball control, and develop creative solutions to overcome numerical disadvantages.
By incorporating 1v2 drills into your training sessions, you can help your players build confidence, improve their technical skills, and enhance their tactical awareness.
This article explores how to use 1v2 situations effectively, with coaching points, tactical considerations, and thought-provoking questions to guide your players toward becoming more effective dribblers.
Key Coaching Points to Master 1v2 Moments
Body Positioning: Teach players to use their bodies to shield the ball and create space. Encourage them to keep their bodies between the ball and the defenders.
Change of Pace and Direction: Emphasise the importance of sudden changes in speed and direction to unbalance defenders.
Awareness of Space: Train players to scan the field and identify open spaces to exploit while dribbling.
Feints and Tricks: Introduce simple feints, step-overs, and other tricks to deceive defenders and create separation.
Decision-Making: Encourage players to decide quickly whether to dribble, pass, or shoot based on the defenders' positioning.
Ball Control: Focus on close ball control to ensure players can keep possession even under pressure.
Tactical Considerations in 1v2 Moments
Creating Overloads: Teach players how to use 1v2 situations to draw defenders in and create space for teammates.
Exploiting Weaknesses: Encourage players to identify and attack the weaker defender in a 1v2 scenario.
Timing of Runs: Work on the timing of runs to ensure players can break through defensive lines effectively.
Support Play: Even in 1v2 practices, emphasise the importance of teammates providing passing options or creating distractions.
Transition Play: Train players to quickly transition from defence to attack when they win the ball in a 1v2 situation.
3 Ways that 1v2 Practices Improve 1v1 Skills
Enhanced Decision-Making Under Pressure: In a 1v2 situation, players are constantly under pressure from two defenders, which forces them to make quicker and smarter decisions.
This heightened pressure prepares them to handle the less intense (but still challenging) pressure of a 1v1 scenario. When they return to 1v1 situations, the game feels slower, and they have more time to execute their moves effectively.
Improved Ball Control and Shielding: In 1v2 practices, players must protect the ball from multiple angles, which improves their ability to shield and maintain possession in 1v1 situations. They learn to use their body effectively to create space and keep the ball away from defenders.
Better Awareness of Space and Defenders: Facing two defenders forces players to scan the field more frequently and be aware of their surroundings. This heightened spatial awareness translates directly to 1v1 situations, where players can better anticipate the defender’s movements and exploit open spaces.
6 Common Mistakes Players Make in 1v2 Moments
Panicking Under Pressure: Players often feel overwhelmed by the presence of two defenders and rush their decisions, leading to poor ball control or reckless passes.
Encourage players to stay calm and composed. Teach them to use their body to shield the ball and buy time to assess their options.
Poor Body Positioning: Players fail to position their bodies effectively to protect the ball, making it easy for defenders to dispossess them. Emphasise the importance of keeping their body between the ball and the defenders. Teach them to use their arms and hips to create space.
Lack of Awareness: Players focus solely on the ball and fail to scan the field, missing opportunities to exploit space or identify passing options. Train players to regularly scan their surroundings, even while dribbling. This helps them anticipate defenders’ movements and make better decisions.
Over-Dribbling: Players try to dribble past both defenders instead of looking for a simpler solution, such as a pass or a quick change of direction. Teach players to recognise when to dribble and when to pass. Encourage them to use dribbling as a tool to create space for a pass or shot, not as the only option.
Predictable Movement: Players move in straight lines or use the same dribbling moves with the same foot repeatedly, making it easy for defenders to anticipate their actions. Encourage variety in movement, such as changes of pace, direction, and feints. Teach players to be unpredictable and creative.
Ignoring the Weaker Defender: Players fail to identify and exploit the weaker or less-positioned defender, missing an opportunity to create an advantage. Train players to quickly assess the defenders and target the ones who are out of position or less skilled.
Thought Provoking Questions
What did you see when you were dribbling? How did you decide which direction to go, How did you use your body to protect the ball from the defenders?
What could you have done differently to create more space for yourself?
How did you decide whether to dribble, pass, or shoot in that situation?
What was the most challenging part of the 1v2 moment, and how did you overcome it?
How can you use this experience in a real game situation?
Final Thoughts:
Incorporating 1v2 situations into your training sessions is a powerful way to develop your players' dribbling skills, decision-making abilities, and tactical awareness. These practices simulate real-game scenarios where players are often outnumbered and must rely on their technical and mental skills to succeed.
By focusing on body positioning, changes of pace, and quick decision-making, you can help your players become more confident and effective dribblers.
Remember, the key to success is repetition and encouragement. Allow your players to experiment, make mistakes, and learn from their experiences. Over time, they will develop the skills and confidence needed to excel in high-pressure situations on the field.
As a coach, your role is guiding, challenging, and celebrating their progress. With consistent practice and the right mindset, your players will soon dribble past defenders easily and creatively.
"In tight spaces, the ability to dribble past defenders is what separates good players from great ones. It’s about confidence and quick thinking." - Jürgen Klopp
1v2 | Full Practice | Dribble to Escape Pressure
1v2 | Pressure on Both Sides
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Effective use of receiving skills to escape pressured moments.
Set-Up:
18 by 14 space split into thirds. Place a mini goal at each end and add a scoring zone (Orange).
👕 Teams: ⚫️ Attackers, 🔴 Defenders, 🟡 Server
How to Play:
The coach serves a ball into the ⚫️. They ⚫️ can score any goal once they are in the shaded zone.
🔴s win back the ball and score in the furthest goals. If they regain centrally they can score in any goal.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Points for scoring -5 for scoring within 5 seconds - 3 for scoring beyond 5 seconds - 1st player to achieve 15 points.
👨🏫 Review: Changes of speed, use of first touch to open up space and isolate defenders.
🚫 Restriction: Once the attacker leaves the middle third they cannot turn back.
1v2 | Moving Across the Field
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Escaping the pressure using dribbles and changes of direction.
Set-Up:
24 by 24 space. Place 2 x mini goals on opposite sides of the playing area. (Left to right)
Place a pair of escape gates on the other sides of the playing area (high to low).
👕 Teams: ⚫️ Attackers, 🔴 Defenders
How to Play:
⚫️s try to dribble across the playing area into the shaded zone to finish on goal.
🔴s win back the ball and escape through any of the blue gates. 🔴s cannot enter the shaded zones so they need to win back the ball before that point.
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: A second ball for the 1 defender if they score. A new pair of defenders enter the pitch.
👨🏫 Review: Ability to twist and turn using feints and changes of direction.
🚫 Restriction: The ⚫️s have a 10-second time limit to end the duel.
SSG | 1v2 | Drop-In or Break Out
⚽️ Created On: @SSPlanner
Aim:
Playing out or through pressure in a small-sided game
Set-Up:
30 by 20 playing area. Place a mini goal at each end and include a 5-yard scoring zone (Orange). Split the field into thirds.
👕 Teams: ⚫️ Attacking and Defending, 🔴 Attacking and Defending
How to Play:
Conditioned game:
To start an attack one defender drops in to be pressured by two attackers. If pressing players win the ball they earn a 2v1 to score.
To score a goal- One attacker must be slid into the final third dribble into the orange zone and score a goal. 2 x Defenders can recover (defenders cannot enter the orange zone).
🚧 Constraints:
🏆Reward: Playing from back to front and scoring without a player interception is worth double.
👨🏫 Review: Decisions to stay on the ball or release it.
🚫 Restriction: Players can only dribble into the final third (cannot be a pass to slide them in).
"Dribbling is a tool, not an end in itself. It’s about creating advantages for your team and breaking the opponent’s defensive structure." - Marcelo Bielsa
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