In this full version of our Live Session with A League club, Melbourne Victory’s U20 squad, UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright delivers 3 practices with a defensive focus. Dave will deliver 3 parts to the session designed to keep a defensive theme throughout but allow all elements of the game to emerge in the form of attack, defence and transition. This is an example of taking a theme or topic and tying a range of practices together where the coach can observe outcomes from…
1v1
In this practice, UEFA A licensed coach, Dave Wright gets out on the grass with a group of Melbourne Victory U20 players. Dave sets up three stations for the players to work on 1v1 defending in groups of four. The session is designed to recreate a turnover and get players thinking about defensive decisions, when to press and when to hold, whilst encouraging attackers to express themselves and be creative. Defenders are encouraged to work on character traits like persistence, and determination and you’ll see Dave…
In this Masterclass webinar replay, the PDP team share a top presentation on developing 1v1 players. PDP Co-Founder Dave Wright hosts a conversation with PDP Technical Advisor, Dan Wright and PDP Coaching Advisor, James Coutts on the value of 1v1s and how you can support your players confidence in developing this key attribute. The conversation covers a range of topics related to 1v1 football: – Position specific 1v1s – Various session plans for you to adapt – Discuss where 1v1s happen on the pitch –…
At every level of the game, 1v1 duels are a fundamental part of soccer. So it’s vital that we help our players develop the skills to feel confident and thrive in these situations when they arise on gameday. Below, we look at the different kinds of 1v1 soccer skills, explain why they’re so important to player development, and outline some of the best 1 on 1 soccer training exercises. In This Article Why are 1 on 1 Soccer Skills So Important? Many people associate 1…
Quick Navigation About the Video Interpreting the Diagrams Part 1: Ball Mastery: Colours Game with Defenders Part 2: Messi/Maradona Game Part 3: Neymar/Messi Game Part 4: Small Sided Game Moments of the Game The PDP team believes that in football, there are four moments of the game. They are, controlling possession, defending, transition (attacking or defensive) and creating and scoring. In line with this view of the game, we are producing full 60-90 minute training plans on these four topics that you can take to…
Helping our players to build a connection with the ball is a crucial part of coaching. But it requires more than simply teaching techniques in isolation. Ball control encompasses a range of skills beyond an individual’s first touch or their ability to dribble past an opponent, and can be exhibited in a variety of ways. Below, we examine these attributes in more detail, and explain how, by coaching skills such as movement, awareness, and retention, we can deliver effective ball mastery sessions. In This Article…
This practice is primarily for use as a warm-up activity, allowing for high numbers of repetitions of first-touch receiving and short distance passing. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the Video In the video below, Dan will talk you through the structure of the practice, various outcomes and how you can adapt it for your players. Do you want to improve your ability to plan and deliver great sessions? Sign up for…
This practice is designed to provide players with high repetition of 1v1 and even 1v2 dribbling and scoring scenarios. The practice can easily be adapted for a 2v2 and is a great way to engage your players, encourage bravery and confidence, as well as help them work on opposed finishing. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the Video In the video below, Dave will talk you through the structure of the practice,…
This practice is a positional game which focusses on getting wingers into position to take their opponent on 1v1. There are some great opportunities within the structure of the practice to work on position specific themes, particularly midfielders combining to exploit width. The practice is easily adapted based on smaller or larger player numbers but in this case is based on 12 players at training. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the…
Individual duels comprise a large part of any football match. So it’s vital that our players feel comfortable beating defenders and facing opponents one-on-one. Below, we examine why 1v1s are so important, discuss the different skills that can help players to be 1v1 dominant, and present some practical examples of exercises to help players improve their dribbling, ball retention, and composure in 1v1 situations. In This Article The Importance of 1v1s The ability to beat opponents is a vital skill. Football matches are often a…
This session helps players understand how to use the sideline as an extra defender. The constraints of the practice encourage players to use the sideline, forcing their opponent out while creating opportunities for attackers to cut in and work on their 1v1 dribbling or running with the ball. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the Video In the video below, Dave will talk you through the structure of the practice, various outcomes…
This practice is provides players an opportunity to work on their 1v1 skills with a view to playing forward as much as possible. Players will be challenged with finding space to receive, receiving skills, retention under pressure and of course completing a pass in order to get success. Be conscious of the physical demands within the practice and try to be creative in how you could adapt this to make it easier or harder. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the…
This practice provides players with a high level of repetition around a 1v1 moment in the game. Attacking players are challenged to run with the ball at speed and win their duel. Defenders are tasked with trying to win the ball from the side and transition to attack if successful. Be mindful of group sizes to keep repetition high and ensure pitch dimensions allow players plenty of space to exploit when running with the ball. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting…
This 1v1 practice is designed to provide players with a chance to work on 1v1 attacking and defending from a variety of angles. The narrow nature of the pitches means that going forward is encouraged and of course, the designs you see here could be adapted for 2v2 scenarios as well. Quick Navigation About the Video Additional Information Practice Overview Interpreting the Diagrams Diagrams Objectives Organisation Observations & Interventions About the Video In the video below, Dave will talk you through the structure of the…
Understanding the Practice This practice is designed to provide opportunities for players to work on 1v1 skills with pressure from behind. The aim is for the attacker to try and beat the defender by receiving to face forward, or twisting and turning to find space. The practice can be adapted to a 2v1 session to allow more variety. Defenders focus on winning and securing the ball. This practice is very physically demanding, so be mindful of the size of the area and variables such as…
In this PDP Live Session, UEFA A licensed Coach, Dave Wright shares a practice designed to help players work on individual possession, really focussing on receiving and retaining the ball. The video shows Dave using a variety of coaching interventions including Q&A, guided discovery, positive reinforcement and demonstrations. Dave presents the session and explains some of the progressions as well as reflections on what went well and what could have been a lot better. The context of this session is a group of grassroots U12…
In this PDP Live Session, FFA Coach Developer & Academy Coach, Anthony Frost demonstrates a whole-part-whole practice which focusses on 1v1 finishing against the goalkeeper. Anthony shares three components which allows the players opportunities to finish on the back of quick build up and running with the ball. Anthony then demonstrates how to use a small sided game to get repetition of finishing and through the second component of the practice, ramps up repetition before allowing the players back into a directional small sided game.
PDP Video Session Plans are adaptable sessions designed by academy coach, Dave Wright. All sessions show key focus points, set up, and progressions so you can use them in your next practice.