Week 24

Outcomes

• ✓Players can win a 1v1 duel without committing so early that they are beaten by a change of direction
• ✓Players can channel an attacker without diving in for 3 consecutive seconds while waiting for support
• ✓Players can use the standing tackle, the block tackle, and the jockey technique appropriately based on the attacking player's body position
• ✓Players can recover immediately after a lost 1v1 without losing their defensive position relative to teammates

Equipment

• 15 cones
• 6 flat markers
• 4 bibs
• 3 balls
• 2 large goals

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Pairs across a 10×5 yd corridor. Each pair has one ball.

   How to run it: Shadow 1v1 warm-up: attacker dribbles slowly, defender mirrors with correct side-on posture. After 3 minutes, add live pressure: defender can attempt a tackle. Progress through: jockeying only, then one tackle attempt per sequence. Add 11+ single-leg balance, lateral hops, and two 15-yd sprint-and-brake sequences.

   • ›Side-on posture: lead foot on the inside, body angled to channel
   • ›Sprint-brake: last 3 steps shorten progressively – do not brake with a fully extended leg

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – Tackle Technique by Scenario

   15m

   Set up: Three 10×5 yd corridors side by side. Coach assigns a specific scenario to each corridor: (A) attacker moving at full speed, (B) attacker has stopped to look, (C) attacker moving to shoot.

   How to run it: In corridor A: defender jockeys and waits for cover before tackling. In corridor B: defender closes aggressively and uses the standing tackle. In corridor C: defender uses the block tackle to prevent the shot. Each player cycles through all three scenarios. Coach gives specific technique feedback between reps. Run 3 reps per scenario per player.

   • ›Scenario A jockey: stay between the attacker and goal – do not lunge
   • ›Scenario B standing tackle: plant the non-tackling foot beside the ball, drive the tackling foot through the ball
   • ›Scenario C block: throw the body in front of the shot with arms tucked in – do not extend arms
   • ›After every tackle (won or lost), immediately recover to defensive position relative to teammates

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – 1v1 Duel Tournament

   15m

   Set up: Six 10×6 yd corridors across the pitch. Each corridor has two mini-goals. Two players compete per corridor.

   How to run it: Round-robin 1v1 tournament. Each duel is 90 seconds: attacker tries to score in the far mini-goal, defender tries to win the ball and counter-score. Winner progresses to the next corridor. Coach circulates and gives technique feedback. After 12 minutes, the top-scoring defender and top-scoring attacker are revealed.

   • ›Defenders: patience is the best weapon in a 1v1 – the attacker will make a mistake
   • ›Attackers: change of pace is more effective than change of direction against a technically correct defender
   • ›Celebrate the player who jockeys for the longest time before winning the ball – that is the hardest discipline

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 7v7 Individual Duel Focus

   20m

   Set up: 50×35 yd pitch. 7v7 with GKs. Flat markers create three 1v1 zones across the pitch where support players must stay outside for 3 seconds.

   How to run it: Normal 7v7 match. Whenever the ball enters a marked 1v1 zone, the player on the ball must duel 1v1 for at least 3 seconds before any support player can enter. Coach enforces the 3-second rule. This isolates and improves individual defending across the pitch. Bonus point for winning a 1v1 in the defensive 1v1 zone.

   • ›Defenders in the 1v1 zone: this is your moment – use the correct technique for the scenario
   • ›Support players must be positioned to enter immediately when the 3 seconds end
   • ›A clean 1v1 win maintains the team's defensive shape – it is not just individual pride

5. 5. Scrimmage

   15m

   Set up: Same pitch, free 7v7 play.

   How to run it: Free scrimmage. Coach watches the quality of individual defending moments and whether the technique from the practice is transferring to the game.

   • ›Note how many times defenders dive in early vs. jockey patiently
   • ›Watch for defenders turning their back when beaten – they should recover facing the ball

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players in pairs, one ball between them, seated on the pitch.

   How to run it: 2 minutes slow partner passing while seated (to cool down). Then static stretches focusing on groin, hip-flexors, and quads – the muscles of jockeying and tackling. Debrief: coach names three scenarios and players call the correct tackle type. Close: 'Winning 1v1s gives the whole team confidence. Lose yours and the shape breaks.'

   • ›Patience in 1v1 defending is a mindset as much as a technique – reinforce it verbally
   • ›Preview: next session applies 1v1 quality across the full team in defensive transitions

Outcomes

• ✓Players can maintain pressure/cover/balance while one teammate is in a live 1v1 duel
• ✓Players can offer immediate support to a teammate who loses a 1v1 without abandoning their own defensive assignment
• ✓Players can choose between tackling and jockeying based on the availability of cover behind them
• ✓Players can transition from a 1v1 win to a team attack within 3 seconds

Equipment

• 20 cones
• 8 bibs (2 colours)
• 4 balls
• 2 full-size goals
• 1 whiteboard

Run of show

1. 1. Activation & 11+ Warm-Up

   15m

   Set up: Full team in 3v3 groups in a 25×20 yd area.

   How to run it: 3v3 possession: two teams keep the ball and one player from each team is randomly called out by name to compete in a separate 1v1 duel in a small corridor. The rondo continues 2v2 while the 1v1 plays out. When 1v1 is resolved, both players rejoin their rondo. Builds multi-tasking defensive awareness. Add 11+ Nordic curls and two sprint starts after 8 minutes.

   • ›Rondo players: maintain possession even with one fewer player – this tests depth of technical quality
   • ›1v1 players: finish the duel quickly and return – your team needs you in the rondo

2. 2. Technical/Functional Practice – 1v1 Within Defensive Shape

   15m

   Set up: Half-pitch. 11 defenders in 4-3-3. Coach nominates a 1v1 by playing a ball to a single attacker in different positions on the pitch. Other defenders maintain their shape.

   How to run it: Coach plays the ball to an attacker in a different position each time. The nearest defender goes into a 1v1. All other 10 players must maintain their assigned defensive positions (checked by coach). If the 1v1 is won, the ball is played forward immediately. If lost, the nearest cover player engages while others drop. Run 8 scenarios in different pitch zones.

   • ›The player in the 1v1 makes their decision based on cover: if cover is close, tackle; if not, jockey
   • ›The 10 players not in the 1v1 must resist the urge to collapse – they maintain shape
   • ›When the 1v1 is won, the nearest midfield player makes an immediate forward run for the outlet pass
   • ›Lost 1v1: cover player shows the attacker back toward the weak side – press/cover/balance reformed

3. 3. Skill/Phase Game – 6v6 Duel and Support

   15m

   Set up: 45×30 yd pitch. 6v6 with GKs. Coach designates a duel zone (changes every 3 minutes) where any 1v1 must be held for 2 seconds without support.

   How to run it: Normal 6v6. Whenever the ball enters the duel zone, the nearest defender must hold the 1v1 for 2 seconds before any teammate can assist. After 2 seconds, teammates can press. Defending team earns 2 points for winning the duel alone, 1 point for holding it until support arrives. Encourages individual quality and teamwork together.

   • ›The 2-second duel player: stay on your feet – do not lunge
   • ›Support players: position to arrive on second 2 – not before, not after
   • ›Duel won alone is celebrated as a moment of individual excellence within a team context

4. 4. Conditioned Tactical Game – 11v11 Duel Integration

   20m

   Set up: Full pitch 11v11 with GKs.

   How to run it: Full 11v11 match. Coach awards 2 points to a team every time a 1v1 is won cleanly (ball won without the attacker being fouled or escaping) and the team immediately transitions to attack. Points are tracked on a whiteboard. Standard goals also count. Encourages clean defending with a quick transition mindset.

   • ›A clean 1v1 win that does not lead to a transition is wasted – the team must attack immediately
   • ›The team must shift into attack the moment the 1v1 is won: runs forward, width offered, GK distributes
   • ›Fouls are not duel wins – they reset the game and remove the transition opportunity

5. 5. Scrimmage

   15m

   Set up: Full pitch 11v11, free play.

   How to run it: Free scrimmage. Coach watches the quality of 1v1 defending moments and their impact on team shape. Count the total number of clean 1v1 duel wins vs. lost duels across both teams.

   • ›Report the ratio at the debrief – teams that win more 1v1s typically control the game
   • ›Watch for players tackling when jockeying was required (no cover behind) – most common individual error

6. 6. Cool-Down & Debrief

   5m

   Set up: Players in a single-file jog around the pitch.

   How to run it: 1 lap easy jog, then seated static stretches (groin, calf, thoracic rotation). Share the 1v1 win/loss ratio from the scrimmage. Debrief: 'What is the single biggest factor in a 1v1 win?' Players answer. Consensus: patience combined with correct cover behind. Close: 'Defend 1v1 with courage. The team gives you the security to be brave.'

   • ›Emphasise that correct team shape gives individual defenders the confidence to jockey patiently
   • ›Preview week 25: finishing under defensive pressure – the attacker's side of the duel