Activity

1v1 To Endzone - Individuals

Set Up

Make your end zone wide to start so attackers can have more success you will narrow the end zone as you progress. Also give your end zone some depth to make it easier for your players to stop the ball inside.

One player will start with ball and the objective is for them to dribble past the defender and get the ball into End-zone under control. If the attacker lets the ball go through the back of the End-zone they do not score a point they must stop the ball within the End-zone.

Add an objective for the defender so that they are focused on winning the ball not just tackling and kicking the ball away. You can do this by telling the defender they win a point only by stealing the ball and then passing it to the coach or another player off to the side.
Try and keep the attackers flowing quickly so as soon as one 1v1 battle is over the next attacker should go. Do not stop every time and reset the exercise make the defender have to react quickly to the next attacker.

For beginner players we recommend keeping the same defender for a period of time and then switching. With older players you can have the attacker stay and become the next defender so there is constant change of who is the defender. The only issue with this is the defender will always be going against the same player and they never get more than one repetition in a row.

Videos

Variations

Have your attackers all start in different positions so the defender has to react to a new position. This also gives the attacker a different space to attack.

Change where your attackers start have them positioned on the sideline so they have to create space and options through dribbling to space first.

Make your end zone narrower and less deep to make the activity harder for your attackers. Have the attackers start closer to the defender and end zone.

Coaching Points

Have the attacker try a change of pace/speed. Show them how to dribble at the defender at one speed and then change speed when they want to try and go around or past the defender.

Have the attacker try to get the defender to commit to going one way by using a feint or a move and then when the defender commits to going to one side change direction and go the other way past the defender.

Coaching Points

Have the attacker try a variety of moves, feints and fakes to unbalance the defender and then change direction. Make sure they are making the feint/move early before they get to close to the defender and run out of space to change direction.
Show the players that if they make the move too early the defender can recover, if they make it too late there is no room to change direction and go around the defender and finally show them the correct distance which allows them to have success.

Tips

Remind the attacker that he or she needs to have control of the ball in the end-zone so the kick and chase method is not going to be the most effective in this situation.
Have the attacker try and keep the ball as close to them as they can until they have gotten past the defender then they can take a larger touch towards/into the end-zone.
Show the attacker how we want to try and keep the ball moving at all times to make the defender have to guess where you are going and have to adjust to the moving ball.