Last line of defence

Why use it

Last-ditch 1v1s are a big part of youth soccer. If your defenders are losing most of them, you will probably be losing matches quite badly too. But using 1v1 practices will give young defenders the chance to learn how to win some of these one-on-one battles.

Set up

Play a 5v5 including goalkeepers. Mark out a pitch 40x20 yards, with a five-yard zone for the keepers at each end and three 10-yard zones. Play 2v2 in the centre zone and 1v1 in the outer zone. Players must stay in their zones.

How to play

The idea is to have as many 1v1s in the final third as possible, to represent the last-ditch situations that cause defenders problems. They must remove the danger by either forcing the attacking player away from the danger area or by winning the ball. The ball cannot go above head height.

Technique

This practice has a lot of elements to it, from midfield battles to last-ditch defending situations. All the fundamentals of defending can be seen in the 1v1 zone: tackles, jockeying, blocking and clever positioning to block the attackers’ route to goal.