Week 8 · U14
Dribbling & 1v1 attacking
Objectives — what the players will do
- 1Keep the ball close at a sprint and own TWO named moves that beat a defender
- 2Win the duel with the burst AFTER the move — change of speed beats the trick
- 3Choose the right moment: go alone, or draw the defender and release a teammate
Play 1 — starts when the second player arrives
Dribble Wars
As players arrive, everyone grabs a ball and joins a 25x25 grid. Dribble anywhere; protect your ball while trying to knock anyone else’s out of the grid. Knocked out? Ten toe taps on the sideline and you are back in. No waiting for the whole team — the first two players to arrive start the game. Run rounds for about 15 minutes, shrinking the grid each round.
Practice — the one taught activity of the night
Duel Ladder — Beat or Release
Before you start, every player picks TWO moves from this week’s prep video — those are their moves tonight, and you call them by name (‘Show me your scissors!’). Then the ladder: 2v1 to a goal in a 20x25 channel — one attacker drives at the defender with a teammate supporting wide. Two ways to score: beat the defender with one of your moves, or dribble AT them until they commit, then slip the pass for your teammate to finish. Defender resets each rep; rotate all three roles. The decision — go alone or release — is the actual skill being trained. About 25 minutes.
Drop to dribbling only — no duel yet: rehearse both moves against a cone, then a walking shadow who cannot tackle. Newer players earn the live defender by beating the cone clean five times. Confidence first, chaos later.
Fully live defender plus a second defender recovering from behind, and a 5-second limit: hesitate and the chance is gone. Then make it 1v1 with no support — beat them or lose it.
Play 2 — always finish playing the real game
Brave Zone Game
4v4 or 5v5, 25 minutes. Mark a halfway line: in the attacking half, beating a defender 1v1 earns a point even without a goal, and goals after a take-on count double. In the defensive half, take-ons earn nothing — the game itself teaches WHERE bravery pays.
Key coaching points — in your own words
- ·Small touches when a defender is close, one big touch into space when you are free.
- ·Attack the space beside the defender, not the defender.
- ·Dribble at them until they commit, THEN decide: past them, or release the pass.
- ·‘Which move is yours tonight?’ — every player owns two moves by name and reports back on them.
- ·Celebrate failed take-ons in the right zone as loudly as successful ones — teens stop trying the moment mistakes get punished.
Remove the support player, add recovering defenders, shrink every space and the time limit.
Keep the 2v1 overload, passive or walking defenders, and guaranteed free first moves for newer players.
Game-day focus — watch for this on Saturday
Wide midfielders in the 1-2-3-1 get the green light: take your player on in the attacking half, every time, and the whole bench celebrates the attempt even when it fails. Leaders enforce the other half of the deal out loud: ‘simple in our half.’
Message to forward to your parents
We are teaching WHEN and WHERE to be brave on the ball — courage plus judgment. Ask on the drive home: ‘where on the field were you bravest today?’ And if a take-on fails in the right area, cheer it anyway — that is exactly what we asked them to do.
This week's two videos
Prep the night before; copy the activity on the field.
10 EASY 1v1 Skills to Beat Defenders
Watch the night before to understand the idea
Ten achievable take-on moves broken down step by step — the moves catalog for this band. Have players pick two go-to moves and rehearse them until the decision is automatic. Share the link with players; this one is built to be watched at home.
Watch on YouTubeAaron Danks: 1v1 and 2v1 Attacking | FA Learning Coaching Session
A drill you can copy on the field
An FA national coach delivering 1v1 and 2v1 attacking through small-sided games with academy players — the C-license standard our older bands train to. Watch how the game itself teaches the decision and the coaching is layered in around it. Bookend the month with it: watch in week 1, rewatch before your week 4 Apply session.
Watch on YouTube