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Home/Training Drills/Crossing Drills/Beat Your Man and Cross
CrossingIntermediate

Beat Your Man and Cross

Beat the full-back 1v1 and cross. Take him on with a change of pace to reach the byline, keep the cross away from the keeper, and deliver for the striker to finish.

Create your own drill
Live animationCRO
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
4
Recommended
Pitch
48 × 36 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U11-U12
Any format

Setup & instructions

The winger takes on the full-back one on one, beats him on the outside to reach the byline, and crosses for the striker to attack. The full-back defends the take-on live. Emphasise the change of pace to beat the man and a quality delivery under pressure. Vary the finish and rotate the winger, full-back, and striker.

Setup time: 1 min

Tactical breakdown

A winger who has just beaten a full-back is travelling at speed, slightly off balance, with a defender recovering over his shoulder and perhaps a second closing from inside. The cross he delivers in that state has almost nothing in common with the one he delivers unopposed in a crossing drill, which is why players who look excellent in the isolated version disappear on a Saturday.

Joining the two skills is the entire point of this exercise, and the join is where the coaching sits. The first touch after the beat has to go into space that allows a clean swing, which usually means slightly further ahead than feels comfortable at that speed. Taken too close to the feet, the winger has to check, and checking lets the recovering defender get across to block.

The change of pace is what creates the room. Beating a defender by a yard and continuing at the same speed means crossing under pressure anyway; beating him and accelerating means two yards, which is the difference between a struck delivery and a blocked one.

Where to cross from is a decision, not a default. Reaching the byline gives the cutback angle, but only if the beat happened early enough. A winger who beats his man level with the penalty area should deliver early rather than force his way to a byline he will not reach, because the defence is not set yet and the early ball is available.

The honest note: this is a demanding rep, and against a genuinely competitive full-back most attempts will not produce a cross at all.

How to run this drill

  1. Set a live full-back in a wide channel. The defender must be genuinely trying to stop him. A passive marker turns this back into an isolated crossing drill and removes the whole point.
  2. Commit the defender before going. Attack his front foot so he has to react. A winger who runs wide of a balanced defender has not beaten him, he has simply moved further from goal.
  3. Accelerate through the beat. A yard of separation with no change of pace still means crossing under pressure. Two yards is the difference between a struck ball and a blocked one.
  4. Take the touch further ahead than feels natural. The ball needs room for a clean swing. Under the feet at that speed forces a check, and checking lets the recovering defender get across to block.
  5. Decide early or byline by where you beat him. Beaten level with the box means deliver early while the defence is unset. Beaten deep means take the extra yard and cut it back.
  6. Accept a low success rate. Against a competitive full-back most repetitions will not produce a cross. That is the exercise being realistic rather than the winger failing.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Attack the full-back, commit him, then go past
  • Change of pace to beat him on the outside
  • Get to the byline before you cross
  • Cross away from the keeper, into the danger area
  • Striker times the run to attack the delivery

Common mistakes

  • Crossing before beating the man, from deep
  • No change of pace, easy for the full-back
  • Cross too close to the keeper
  • Striker's run mistimed for the delivery

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add a second defender to track the striker
  • Let the winger cut inside as an option
  • Cross first time if the full-back overcommits

Regressions

  • Passive full-back to groove the take-on and cross
  • Start already past the full-back to work the cross
  • Walk the beat and the delivery first
Equipment
Cones×1
Full Goals×1
Tactical principles
beat your man and cross1v1 and crosswing play drillbeating the full backcrossing under pressurecrossing drillbyline crosswinger drilldribbling and crossingu12 crossing drill
Audience
U11-U12

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All Crossing drillsAll drill collectionsCrossing for U11-U12

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