Week 11

Outcomes

• ✓Players can execute a step-over or shoulder drop to unbalance a defender in a 1v1
• ✓Players can win an aerial duel with correct jump timing, arm position, and contact point
• ✓Players can maintain a 1v1 in the final third without losing the ball for 3 seconds
• ✓Players can use a 1v1 win to deliver a cross or cut inside and shoot in one movement

Equipment

• 12 balls
• 20 cones
• 8 pinnies
• 2 full-size goals

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & FIFA 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Wide channels on both sides. Players working individually with a ball each.

   How to run it: Ball mastery in wide channels: inside cut, outside cut, roll-and-go combinations. Progress to FIFA 11+ jumping and landing: vertical jump with controlled landing, lateral jump over a cone (3 each side), and bounding forward 10 yds. Partner heading warm-up (soft volleys at chest height, progress to head height). Finish with 2×25-yd dribbling acceleration runs: slow start, maximum pace through the final 10 yds.

   • ›Inside cut: plant foot 45° from the ball, cut across with explosive body lean
   • ›Vertical jump landing: two-foot landing, absorb through ankle and knee — never stiff-legged
   • ›Bounding: each ground contact is explosive — treat it like a takeoff, not a landing

2. 2. Technical Practice – 1v1 Skill Circuits

   15m

   Set up: 4 duel stations around the pitch, each 15×10 yds. 1 attacker vs 1 defender per station. 3-yd gate at one end = attacker's goal.

   How to run it: 1-min rounds at each station. Attacker must beat the defender using a skill move — step-over, scissors, shoulder drop, or feint — to play through the gate. Defender uses the 1v1 technique from Week 3 (sideways-on, delay). Rotate every 90 seconds. Count attacker wins vs defender wins at each station. Coach demonstrates each skill move at the start.

   • ›Skill move must be executed with conviction — a half-hearted step-over fools no one
   • ›Speed of execution: the move must be fast enough that the defender can't recover
   • ›After the skill move: immediate acceleration — the gap you created closes in 0.5 seconds
   • ›Defender: don't dive into the move — wait for the touch that takes the ball away from them

3. 3. Skill Game – 1v1 Tournament

   15m

   Set up: 10×10 yd grids. Multiple 1v1 games simultaneously. Each grid has a 3-yd gate at each end. Attacker goes 60 sec, then swap.

   How to run it: Bracket-style 1v1 tournament. Players compete in their grid; winners advance, losers stay and face a new challenger. 60 seconds per duel; most gate passes wins. Keep energy high and competitive but fun. Coach observes and gives individual technical cues between rounds.

   • ›Competition makes you better — embrace the challenge, not the result
   • ›Defenders: a 1v1 win is as valuable to us as an attacker's win — we need both to improve
   • ›Every skill move you practise is one more tool in your game — add to your range

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – Duel-Intensive Game

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch. Two teams of 7. Extra points: 1 additional point for a goal scored directly from a successful 1v1 win in the final third. No team play restrictions otherwise.

   How to run it: Normal game with the bonus point incentive. Coach tracks the number of 1v1 duels in the final third and announces the most exciting duel win at half-time. Encourage players to take on their direct opponent rather than always looking for a pass.

   • ›1v1 in the final third: you have the ball, the defender has one decision — exploit it
   • ›Don't force a duel if a better option is available — read the situation
   • ›Win the duel and cross, cut inside, or shoot — not win the duel and then dribble into a crowd

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Game

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, normal rules, both GKs.

   How to run it: Free play. Coach calls out great 1v1 moments (both wins and quality attempts) loudly and positively. Create a culture where taking on a defender is celebrated as brave, not risky.

   • ›The best wingers in the world take their defender on every time they get the ball — be that player
   • ›Failing in a 1v1 is not failure — it's data. Adjust and go again

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players in a circle.

   How to run it: Partner calf and hip flexor stretches. Coach asks: 'What makes a skill move effective?' Answer: deception (the defender believes the fake), speed (the move is faster than the defender's reaction), and commitment (no hesitation). Players discuss their best move and the one they want to improve.

   • ›Every player should have at least 2 reliable skill moves — practise them until automatic
   • ›Your 1v1 ability makes you harder to defend — it creates space for your whole team

Outcomes

• ✓Players can sustain technical quality (first touch, passing weight) after 45 min of high-intensity work
• ✓Players can complete conditioning circuits without dropping below 80% technical success rate
• ✓Players can recover from a 30-yd sprint within 30 seconds to execute a technical skill
• ✓Players can identify signs of fatigue in themselves and teammates and adjust intensity accordingly

Equipment

• 10 balls
• 20 cones
• 6 pinnies
• 2 full-size goals
• cones to mark sprint zones

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & FIFA 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch. Players moving across the pitch in groups of 4.

   How to run it: Groups walk through the following FIFA 11+ sequence: straight-line jog, side shuffle, high knees, hamstring scoops, lateral bounds (3 each side), and backwards jog. Increase pace with each lap. Add ball work: passing in groups of 4 at each pause. Finish with 3×20-yd acceleration runs building to 85% — the highest intensity warm-up yet.

   • ›Warm-up intensity matches the session — we're going hard today, so warm up fully
   • ›Lateral bounds: maximum push-off from each foot, explosive and aggressive
   • ›85% run: this is match pace — feel what it costs, then manage it across the session

2. 2. Technical Practice – Sprint + Technique Circuit

   15m

   Set up: Circuit of 4 stations around the pitch: (1) 25-yd sprint, (2) 1v1 shield, (3) receiving under pressure, (4) 10 short passes with a partner. Groups of 4 rotate every 3 min.

   How to run it: Station 1: sprint 25 yds at 90%, jog back. Station 2: shield the ball from a passive defender for 20 seconds. Station 3: receive passes from 3 servers and control first touch correctly. Station 4: 10 passes with a partner, increasing pace each set. The circuit never stops — players move to the next station at the whistle.

   • ›Fatigue test: does your first touch deteriorate after the sprint? Work to maintain it
   • ›Shield: low centre of gravity, ball between your feet and the defender — use your body, not arms
   • ›Conditioning with the ball builds football fitness AND football skill simultaneously

3. 3. Skill Game – High-Intensity Possession (5v5, 2-touch max)

   15m

   Set up: 30×25 yd grid. Two teams of 5. 2-touch limit, high tempo, 3-min rounds with 30-sec rest.

   How to run it: 3-min possession rounds at high tempo. 2-touch maximum forces quick decision-making. Teams earn 1 point per 5 consecutive passes. After each 3-min round: 30-sec water break, then immediately back in. This is conditioning disguised as football. Run 4 rounds.

   • ›2-touch limit under fatigue is the real test — if you need 3 touches when tired, your first touch isn't sharp enough
   • ›Quality doesn't drop in the last round — that's what we're training: mental and physical resilience
   • ›Between rounds: breathe deep, hydrate, then lock in immediately when play resumes

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – High-Intensity Tactical Game

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch. Two teams of 7. 5-min periods with 1-min rest between them. 3 periods total.

   How to run it: Normal game at maximum intensity. During the 1-min rest, coach gives one team instruction (tactical or technical) that must be applied in the next period. Intensity should be 85–90% for the entire 5-min period — this is interval training. Coach tracks which team maintains their shape and quality later in the session (conditioning test).

   • ›The team that manages their energy best wins the last 5 minutes — pace yourself intelligently
   • ›Tired legs = slower passing — compensate by moving earlier to give yourself more time
   • ›Team instruction in the rest period: your brain still works when you're tired — use it

5. 5. Scrimmage – Free Game, Final Test

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch, normal rules, both GKs.

   How to run it: Free play after a high-intensity session — this is the fatigue test. The team that applies the session principles (press, shape, transitions) while tired is ready for match conditions. Coach observes and tracks technical quality under fatigue.

   • ›You've been working hard for 70 minutes — how you play this last 15 minutes is who you are
   • ›Physical conditioning is mental conditioning — decide that fatigue doesn't change your quality

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players lying on the pitch — full recovery position.

   How to run it: Comprehensive cool-down: legs up the wall (if fence available) for 1 min, hamstring stretch, hip flexor, calf, quad — 30 sec each. Coach debrief: 'How did your technical quality change over the session? What did you do to maintain it?' Players share honest answers.

   • ›Recovery starts immediately after the final whistle — don't sit down, keep moving slowly
   • ›Eleven weeks of pre-season conditioning: your fitness base is being built. Trust the process.