Week 11

Outcomes

• ✓Players can identify which side of the defender is open
• ✓Players can react to a defender's weight shift before making their move
• ✓Players understand the concept of 'showing' and 'screening' a defender
• ✓Players make quicker decisions in 1v1 situations

Equipment

• 1 ball per player
• 20 cones
• 6 pinnies
• 2 small goals

Run of show

1. 1. Arrival Ball Mastery

   8m

   Set up: Free roam 20×20 yd.

   How to run it: Players dribble freely. Coach holds up a coloured cone to the left or right. Players must immediately change direction toward the cone. Progress: coach uses body language (leans left or right) instead of cones.

   • ›Head up to see the signal
   • ›React to cues, don't pre-decide
   • ›Lean body signals are more like a real defender's shifts

2. 2. Dynamic Warm-Up

   10m

   Set up: Pairs; one ball per pair; 10-yd space.

   How to run it: Player A holds the ball and shifts weight left and right. Player B mirrors the shift by moving the ball in the opposite direction (reacting to openings). Progress: A walks forward; B reads and reacts. Finish with dynamic stretching.

   • ›Read hips and shoulder – not the ball
   • ›Don't wait for full commitment – react to early lean

3. 3. Technical Practice – Decision Ladder

   15m

   Set up: Three defenders stand 5 yds apart along a 15-yd line, each holding a bib to their left or right side (indicating which side is 'closed'). Attacker dribbles through.

   How to run it: Attacker must identify the open side at each defender and pass through correctly. Change bib positions between runs. Ask: 'How early could you tell which side was open?' Progress to defenders using body weight shifts instead of bibs.

   • ›Read from 5 yds away – not 1 yd
   • ›First glance tells you the open side if you know what to look for
   • ›Hips square = equal; hips angled = the wider side is open
   • ›Act on your first read – second-guessing loses time

4. 4. Skill Game – Defender Reads Game

   15m

   Set up: Pairs; attacker and defender; 12×8 yd box.

   How to run it: Defender must hold a passive defensive stance and can only step in the direction the attacker fakes. Attacker scores by reaching the far end. Defender gets a point for each time attacker goes the 'wrong' way. Discuss post-round: what faked you out?

   • ›Attackers: make fakes convincing – sell with whole body
   • ›Defenders: watch hips, not feet
   • ›Role swap builds empathy for both roles

5. 5. Small-Sided Game – 4v4 Reading Challenge

   17m

   Set up: 28×22 yd pitch; small goals.

   How to run it: Play 4v4. Coach freezes play when a player misreads a defender and ask the group: 'What did the defender's body tell you? What should you have done?' Maximum two freezes per game.

   • ›Freezes are a gift – they slow the game to teaching speed
   • ›Ask the player, don't tell them – let them find the answer
   • ›Defenders: variety in your stance to challenge the reader

6. 6. Cool-Down & Review

   5m

   Set up: Circle.

   How to run it: Static stretches. Ask: 'What is the most important thing to look at on a defender?' Consensus should be: hips and shoulders, not the ball or feet.

   • ›Reinforce: eyes on hips
   • ›This is a mental skill as much as a physical one

Outcomes

• ✓Players can select the correct move based on defender body language
• ✓Players demonstrate quicker decision-making compared to week 7
• ✓Players can beat a defender by reacting to their commitment, not forcing a move
• ✓Players can explain their decision after a successful 1v1

Equipment

• 1 ball per player
• 20 cones
• 8 pinnies
• 4 small goals

Run of show

1. 1. Arrival Ball Mastery

   8m

   Set up: Free roam 20×20 yd.

   How to run it: Players dribble freely. Coach stands at edge and points direction silently. Players react by cutting toward or away from the point. Increase signal frequency each minute.

   • ›Peripheral vision – see the coach without stopping to look
   • ›Quick reaction = more time in the game

2. 2. Dynamic Warm-Up

   10m

   Set up: Pairs in a 10-yd box.

   How to run it: Defender takes a stance and shifts weight. Attacker reacts with the appropriate move (they must name it before doing it: 'scissors!' then scissors). Build to real pace. Switch roles every 2 minutes.

   • ›Naming the move before doing it trains decision speed
   • ›Eventually naming becomes internal and instant

3. 3. Technical Practice – Reactive 1v1

   15m

   Set up: 15-yd corridor; one attacker vs one defender.

   How to run it: Defender can only defend by stepping in a chosen direction; they cannot tackle – only block lanes. Attacker must beat them using an appropriate move and reach the end. Three rounds, then rotate. Ask: 'Which move did you use and why?'

   • ›Match the move to the defender's weakness, not your preference
   • ›Scissors on a defender who shifts early; chop on one who stands still
   • ›If first move fails, reset and try again – don't panic
   • ›Composure under reactive pressure is the goal

4. 4. Skill Game – 2v1 Decision Making

   15m

   Set up: 25×12 yd grid; two attackers vs one defender; small goal at each end.

   How to run it: Two attackers play vs one defender. The ball carrier MUST attempt to beat the defender 1v1 unless the defender closes the passing lane (visible open teammate). The pass is the last resort, not the first. Rotate the defender every 3 minutes.

   • ›Read the defender: if they step to block the pass, dribble; if they step to the dribbler, pass
   • ›Attackers communicate: 'hold!' or 'go!' based on what they see
   • ›The 1v1 attempt teaches you more than the safe pass

5. 5. Small-Sided Game – 5v5 with Observer Role

   17m

   Set up: 35×28 yd pitch; goals; 5v5 but two players per team sit as 'scouts' for 4 minutes then swap.

   How to run it: Scouts on the sideline observe and count how many times their team reads the defender correctly. They report at the swap. Both teams play 8 minutes total each.

   • ›Observers develop analytical eye – they see things players cannot
   • ›Reporting forces players to use the vocabulary: 'hips', 'open side', 'react'
   • ›Playing team: know you're being watched – perform

6. 6. Cool-Down & Review

   5m

   Set up: Circle.

   How to run it: Full-body stretches. Scouts give their reports. Most insightful observation wins a 'scout card'. Preview Week 12: in-game dribbling under match pressure.

   • ›Observation is a skill great players develop
   • ›This week's reading skill connects all previous moves