Competitive 1 v 1 Games

The following post comes from the Soccer Awareness Training Center.

The Soccer Awareness Training Center provides unlimited access to Wayne Harrison's Soccer Awareness systems, training sessions, drills and more. Wayne's system helps develop world class youth soccer players and teams in a systematic and imaginative manner that guarantees performance at the highest level of competition. Whether you’re a beginning coach who needs help getting started or someone who wants to add some variety to their training sessions, the Soccer Awareness Training Center offers a wide variety of drills to choose from. Join Today


Have three balls and anyone can have the balls and keep them

  1. Initially using any players on the outside of the grid so it is easier.

  2. Then only using their own color on the outside so there are fewer options of support making it more difficult.

Competitive 1v1 games.png

Now have three 1 v 1’s in the middle practicing various dribbling and turning and passing skills trying to maintain possession of the ball:

  1. Initially using any players on the outside of the grid so it is easier.

  2. Then only using their own color on the outside so there are fewer options of support making it more difficult.

Play for one or two minutes then rotate the outside players in for their turn.

Good conditioning too if they work properly.

Each competitive pair use the same ball at all times to avoid confusion

Within this you can have variations of games and themes, depending on your numbers, if 12 players then you could advance this to two 2 v 1 situations going at the same time, or a 2 v 2 and a 1 v 1 then go to a 3 v 3 finally.


2v1 game.png

A 2 V 1 And A 1 V 1 In The Same Area

In this game the players on the inside can use all the players on the outside. A 1 v 1 game is usually more physically challenging than a 2 v 2 game.


Three V Three Game Situation

3v3 game.png

Now we have a 3 v 3 competitive game encourage dribbles and turns and one and two touch passing, try to get it all in here.

  1. Initially using any players on the outside of the grid so it is easier.

  2. Then only using their own color on the outside so there are fewer options of support making it more difficult.

Outside players can be conditioned to 1 or 2 touches on the ball when supporting.

Inside players can play at various stages depending on their level of ability and what you are trying to get out of the session with conditions of all in (as many touches as they like), 3 touch, 2 touch and 1 touch where it is on to do so.

All in touches encourages dribbles and turns, fewer touches encourages quick passing.