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Home/Training Drills/Defensive Drills/Defending 1v1 in Wide Areas
DefensiveIntermediate

Defending 1v1 in Wide Areas

Contain and beat a winger in a wide 1v1. Approach at an angle with your back foot in line to force the play down the line, stay side-on and patient, and time the tackle rather than overcommitting.

Create your own drill
Live animationDEF
Duration
12 min
Total drill time
Players
2
Recommended
Pitch
32 × 20 m
Setup space
Level
Intermediate
Skill required
Intensity
High
Physical demand
Age band
U9-U10
Any format

Setup & instructions

A winger attacks a fullback in a wide channel, trying to get to the byline to cross. The fullback closes fast, slows, gets side-on to show the winger down the line, jockeys, and wins the ball or prevents the cross. Insist on the approach: fast, slow, sideways, low. Do not dive in. Rotate roles and serve from both flanks.

Setup time: 2 min

Tactical breakdown

In a wide area a defender has an extra teammate who never gets beaten, never tires and never makes a mistake, and it is the touchline. Understanding that changes the whole exercise from stopping a winger to steering him, which is a far more achievable task and considerably more effective.

The steering is done with the back foot. Angling the approach so the back foot is in line with the ball closes the inside route and leaves the outside apparently open. A winger going down the line is going towards a shrinking space with the touchline doing half the defending, and his cross has to come from a worse angle. A winger allowed inside is running towards goal with the whole pitch in front of him.

Which side to show should be a team instruction rather than an individual preference. Some teams show wingers inside deliberately, into midfield congestion. What must not happen is a full-back improvising while the covering midfielder assumes the opposite.

The approach itself follows the same pattern as any 1v1: fast while the ball travels, slowing over the last few yards, arriving low and side on. Sprinting the whole way arrives with the weight going forwards, and a winger only has to check inside once to be past.

Patience is the hardest part to coach because it looks passive. A defender who delays for four seconds while support arrives has done his job, and a coach who only praises tackles will get a full-back who dives in and concedes a cross behind him.

How to run this drill

  1. Decide as a team which way to show. Down the line or inside, agreed in advance. A full-back improvising while the covering midfielder expects the opposite is how wide areas get broken open.
  2. Set the back foot in line with the ball. That body angle closes the inside route and leaves the outside available, which is where the touchline becomes an extra defender.
  3. Close fast, then slow to arrive. Sprint while the ball travels, slow over the last few yards. Arriving at full speed means one check inside is enough to beat you.
  4. Get low and stay side on. A low base with small steps lets you move either way. Standing tall and square means committing to a guess as soon as he moves.
  5. Delay rather than tackle. Four seconds of containment while support arrives is a successful repetition. Tackling is optional; being beaten is not recoverable in a wide area.
  6. Time the tackle to the heavy touch. Only step in when the winger pushes the ball beyond his own reach. Anything earlier is a guess against a player who is set and balanced.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Fast, slow, sideways, low: control the approach, do not sprint in
  • Back foot in line with the ball to force the winger down the line
  • Low, side-on body shape: stay balanced and patient
  • Stay inside the pitch and show them the outside, away from goal
  • Jockey and delay: buy time and wait for the mistake
  • Time the tackle: commit only when you are sure to win it

Common mistakes

  • Sprinting in and overcommitting, so the winger goes past easily
  • Square body shape, letting the winger cut inside
  • Diving in early instead of jockeying and delaying
  • Getting too tight and being knocked past on the outside

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add a target goal for the winger to cross to, to raise the stakes
  • Winger free to cut inside or go down the line to test the shape
  • Add a covering defender to coordinate press and cover

Regressions

  • Winger at reduced pace to groove the body shape and approach
  • Widen the channel so the fullback has more time
  • Walk the approach and the jockey before adding pace
Equipment
Cones×3
Tactical principles
defending 1v1wide defendingfull back defendingshowing the winger down the linejockeyingdefending drill1v1 defending techniquecontaining a wingeryouth defending drillu10 defending drill
Audience
U9-U10

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