Finishing and 2v1: a ready-made football drill for U10+

All U10+ drills

In this session, dribbling and shooting combine with attacking together with a teammate. The player on the ball looks to see whether the defender is coming to meet them or cutting out the pass. The aim is to score. A pass is one possible solution.

U10+ is a guideline starting age. Players should already be able to dribble, pass short and shoot at goal. If ball control takes all their attention, start with the U8+ finishing drill.

U10+ · 60 min

Finishing and teamwork in a 2v1

Have balls, cones, bibs and small goals ready. Set up similar areas for small groups within the coaches' sight. Start with a playing area of about 20 x 15 metres, for example, and adjust the size to the players' pace. Keep the shooting lanes separate and keep waiting players away from behind the goals. This plan is played without goalkeepers. The times include instructions, recovery and transitions.

Open the complete plan without signing in. Adjust the timings and notes for your team.

Follow the leader · 10 min

Form small groups. Everyone has a ball. The leader dribbles, stops and changes direction while the others follow. Change the leader often. Start calmly and gradually add short changes of pace. Leave space between players. Watch whether the ball stays under control when the pace changes.

Shooting Rally · 10 min

Set up separate dribbling routes to the goals at opposite ends of the pitch, as in the image. The player dribbles and shoots at the latest at the cone gate. The next player goes only when the route is clear. The shooter collects the ball and moves around the outside to the other starting spot. In this version the goalkeepers in the image are left out. Start close and try both feet. Watch the last touch before the shot. Add a parallel lane if the waiting gets long.

Progression 2v1 · 20 min

Split the small group into two bib colours. On the colour signal, two named attackers and one opponent start. The player on the ball goes round the nearer cone at their own end, the partner round the farther cone, as in the drill bank image. The defender comes to meet them via the cone at the opposite end. They attack the goal at the opposite end. There are no goalkeepers in this version. The attacker may dribble, pass or shoot. After winning the ball, the defender may try to score in the opposite goal. A goal or the ball going out ends the turn. Rotation: the attackers return around the outside to their own starting spot, the defender to theirs, and the next players start. Change the attacking colour and the starting player on the ball often. Make it easier by letting the defender start a moment later.

Basic game (e.g. 3v3 / 4v4) · 15 min

Play small-sided games with a goal at each end of the pitch and no goalkeepers. After a goal, the other team starts from their own end. After the ball goes out, the opponents continue by passing in from the nearest boundary. Defenders give space. Do not demand a pass before a goal. Watch whether the player on the ball notices the free route or a teammate when the defender comes to meet them. Change players between short periods.

Shared finish · 5 min

Ask when it was worth shooting yourself and when a pass helped to score. Collect the equipment together. Write down one observation for the next session.

Instructions and editable plan: coachtruly.com/blog/u10-finishing-and-2v1. CoachTruly plan. Source: FIFA Training Centre, Dribbling, shooting and teamwork.

Prepare dribbling and shooting

football drill: Follow the leader — Follow the leaderView Drill →

Change the leader often. Start with calm dribbling and add changes of pace only when players have space. Ask how far away they can touch the ball without losing control of it.

football drill: Shooting Rally — Shooting RallyView Drill →

Keep the shooting lanes separate and start without goalkeepers, even though they appear in the drill bank image. The last touch should leave the ball where the player can shoot. Shorten the distance if needed. The player collects their ball and returns around the outside once the shooting lane is clear.

Choose the solution based on the defender

football drill: Progression 2v1 — Progression 2v1View Drill →

The colour signal starts a situation with two attackers and one defender. Use the starting routes in the image, but leave the goalkeepers out. First show slowly which cone each player goes round and which goal they attack. Keep only one situation on the pitch at a time.

The player on the ball may go forward alone when the route is open. If the defender closes the route, the teammate can offer a pass to the side. Do not stop every attempt. At a break, ask what the defender did before the decision was made.

A goal or the ball going out of play ends the turn. Rotate the starters and the attacking colour so that everyone gets to dribble, support and defend. Make it easier by delaying the defender's start. Make it harder only when the attackers have time to make their own choices.

Let the decision show in the game

football drill: Basic game (e.g. 3v3 / 4v4) — Basic game (e.g. 3v3 / 4v4)View Drill →

Return to a normal small-sided game. A goal does not need to be preceded by a pass. Watch whether players find a place to shoot or help a teammate without constant instructions. Highlight one successful choice, even when the shot does not go in.

Adapt to your group

Run the same drill in parallel areas if you have enough coaches and space. Players left over join in after every 2v1 attempt. If the waiting gets long, make the groups smaller or shorten the attempt. A single coach keeps the areas close together and uses the same start signal in all of them.

Coaching background source

FIFA Training Centre's Dribbling, shooting and teamwork combines dribbling, shooting and teamwork. Its small-sided game can be made easier by turning it into a 2v1. This is CoachTruly's own plan using drills from our bank. The group splits, durations and goalkeeper-free variation are our own choices.

Open the plan to edit it or print the instructions for the pitch. Choose another U10+ drill.