More one v ones

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MORE One v Ones Why practise more one v one scenarios?

AUGUST 2019 EDITION

Contents Page 3 : Welcome Page 5: Speed up your Feet, BALL Mastery exercise Page 7: More one v one's Page 10: Attacking Ball Mastery TEchniques Page 12: One v One Skills Page 15: First Touch Techniques Page 18: Follow US PAGE 20: Focus on Your Own Development Page 23: OpportunityElite Store

WElcome Thanks for joining us for this month's player development magazine. In this edition we are looking in to one v ones and why we should use them more in our training.

All players should be comfortable on the ball, especially in one v one situations. We're taking a look at why they are so important for technically developing players and how we can use them to take young players' development to the next level.

We've also got new training videos, further articles and opinion, for you to read in preparation for the upcoming season.

Thanks for joining us once again!

Elliott Everson, OpportunityElite

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Speed up your Feet: Ball Mastery Exercise

"All players should practise one v one situations as much as possible. The more confident we are on the ball, the more we keep it.

The less confident we are, the more we rush and panic.

The more players play in one v one situations, the better they will become as they develop."

OpportunityElite

More One v Ones

One v ones is something that is inevitable in football. If we have the ball we will always be put under pressure, and how best as players do we deal with that?

Some players may look to receive and pass the ball more, moving around and away from the pressure, others may want to play the long ball, and in some cases players will rush and worry about making a mistake, forcing an incorrect decision.

One v one scenarios can be a nerve-wracking situation for a player, but the more they are practised, the more we see huge development in the player's game.

Players in every position will get benefit from practising one v ones, in an attacking sense, and also defensively. Practising these situations more will lead to significant improvements in the player's technical ability.

There is nothing more exciting than seeing a talented youngster beat a player with some skill, but one v ones aren't always about beating a player. They can focus on a whole range of aspects that develop technically confident players who can manipulate the ball and exert great control of it in a whole variety of situations On the next pages we'll be taking a look at how one to ones can benefit player development in a whole variety of technical areas.

How one v ones improve close control and manipulation of the ball...

One v one situations are intense, pressurised, fast moving, and also very tiring. For players to succeed at one v ones they need to be positive, direct, and have confidence in their abilities.

Continued practice in one v one scenarios will help players develop their close control in pressurised environments, allowing for greater success. In these situations players are assessing many options, whether to dribble past the player quickly, or move the ball faster, using skills, and quick feet. In these one v ones players need to begin to manipulate the ball. Do they drop their shoulder and push the ball past the defender with the outside of their boot, or do they roll the ball across their body and perform a quick chop?

The more that they are put in these situations, the more their manipulation of the ball will improve, increasing their reactions with the ball, close control, changes of direction and the use of both feet.

attacking Ball Mastery Techniques

One v ones improving both feet...

Using both feet is incredibly important for players. The younger that we can start with improving the weaker foot of the player, the better. We want to make sure that players are comfortable on the ball in all situations and in order to get to that level we will need to use both feet.

When attacking and taking an opponent on, it is important that the attacking player has the ability to go to the left, or the right of their opponent. If the right footed player is only comfortable in taking the ball on their right, to the right side of the defender, then their play will become very predictable. Being predictable gives the defending player the upper hand, therefore, to bring that unpredictability, we should aim to use both feet.

As we practise the one v ones more, players will experiment; experimenting the types of touches or movements they will take on the ball. As their confidence builds they will begin to use their weaker foot, if they haven't needed to already.

There will be times where the player is forced on to their weaker foot, which in turn puts them out of their comfort zone, leading to great improvements on their weaker side.

One v One Skills

One v ones to improve decision making...

We might have one of the most talented players with huge amounts of technical ability but, if they consistently make the wrong decisions, then they will not realise their potential.

Coming across players like this is very common but it is also one of the hardest things to coach. We can't over coach the decision making process as we are then in danger of taking the players' own decisions away from them. It is very important that we aren't telling players what to do; we should actually help coach them by providing them with information on the options available to them when they have the ball.

We can do this through a number of one v one drills. Changing the size of the area can help coach certain decisions. For instance, a small area can allow players to realise that they have to keep the ball close to their feet while protecting the ball from their opponents. On the other hand, a larger area will allow the player to attack the space in behind their opponent, allowing them to take larger touches on the ball.

How many times do we see players over-hit the ball and run off the pitch?

Simple adaptations, in a pressurised situation such as this, can be incredibly beneficial to the individual in a one v one situation.

We can also add other elements into the one v one, such as targets to pass to, or wall players to return the ball back to you with a quick one two, or short pass. This will help players look forwards, appreciate their surroundings and make the decision whether to pass, or to dribble.

One to ones to improve first touch...

If we have a player struggling to control the ball then they will find it very difficult to affect the game. Firstly, it is important, before being placed in pressurised situations that they practise control in an individual environment, learning how to control the ball on all parts of the foot (you can see our first touch techniques video on the next page) before pressurised situations.

Once more confident we should be looking at developing the first touch in a one v one situation.

How can the player control the ball with an opponent putting pressure on them? Does the player take a first touch that is forwards, straight at their opponent, or do they move the ball to the side of their body to protect it on their furthest foot from the opponent?

There are a number of factors that affect the first touch, even the standard of the pitch. Practising one v ones frequently will give players an understanding of what type of touch to take, depending on the situation that they are in.

The increased pressure from the opponent will make the practice match-like and give great opportunities to develop the individual.

First Touch Techniques

One v ones for defenders...

One v ones for defenders are vitally important. Does the defender commit to make the challenge, or shepherd the attacker away from the danger area, remaining patient?

There are many different situations and the most important aspect for the defender is to be exposed to as many as possible. The more that they are exposed to one v one situations in training, the more that they will feel comfortable when the situation arises.

If the player has practised these situations more, then they will make better decisions, become more patient and calm, and read the game better. One v ones benefit all players, in and out of possession.

Giving your defenders the opportunity to practise these situations will create defenders with a much more assured nature, confident in their decision making and defensive abilities.

Different constraints, pitch sizes, and limitations will provide the defender with many different scenarios to practise in. Increased training in the one v one areas of the game are one of the key areas for a defender to be working upon.

More one v ones, more touches on the ball. Decision making will improve, as will confidence on the ball.

Increasing one v one training will help young players become more creative and familiar in these situation so that when they get in the match there is more chance of them keeping the ball and impacting the game.

Even though traditional wingers, in the mould of Ryan Giggs, George Best, or Chris Waddle, are not as common as they used to be, there is still a huge need for players to be able to gain success in the one v situations. It is a part of football that happens all the time and an area of the game that must be practised frequently. If a player possesses the confidence, and ability, to beat their opponent then there is a much greater chance of keeping possession and creating goal-scoring opportunities.

It is also a fantastic way of players having fun. Varying the situation will build the social, psychological, technical and physical aspects of the FA's four corner model.

Keep working on these situations and watch your players' technical ability and confidence on the ball soar.

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Focusing on your own Development It happens all the time - you have been training hard, working on an individual aspect of your game, then your team-mate goes and shows to everyone else how good they are at exactly what you have been striving to learn.

It can be incredibly disheartening, leaving the player feeling that they are not as good and far behind others. But, what we must remember, as a player, or coach, is that we all develop at different stages and we don't always see the full picture.

It's what can be called, or referred to, as the iceberg effect. Someone may have just pulled off an outrageous bit of skill and we as players, or even coaches, can presume that they have the natural ability to do that. But, more often than not, we don't see the huge amount of training and effort that that player has put in to perfect that skill or technique. We are seeing just the tip of the iceberg, not the vast majority of it that is under water.

That is why it is so important for players to focus on their own development.

We don't know how much and what the other players are doing in their own time to aid their development, and, in reality, that shouldn't matter to you as an individual. If you are worrying and focusing on others, concerned that they are ahead of you then there is only one solution...

Focus your thoughts and efforts on your own development, spend your energy on the practice that no-one else sees so that eventually they can see the tip of the iceberg.

The Tip of the Iceberg People see the tip of the iceberg, but not the main body underwater.

It's the same with football. People see your performance on the pitch, but not the hours of practice you have done.

Build your iceberg so that everyone sees the top of it.

Players must spend their time focusing on their own development. Worrying about others will take away from the players' own development. If we can encourage and reassure players that their own development is most important then we will be helping them in taking the steps to reach their potential.

Every player develops at their own rate. Some may be physically more dominant and influence games at younger ages, whereas the technical ones may take more time to exert their influence. But, we have to make sure we encourage players and help them to keep progressing at what their game is suited to, rather than the individual worrying and spending time thinking of others.

Focus on your own development, and even use others as a barometer, working hard to progress and develop past their current level of ability. But players should be reminded that we all develop at our own pace.

Other players can provide a great challenge, but make sure not to worry about them potentially being better than you, use them as a goal to reach and keep driving yourself to the next level of your game.

Focus on developing your potential and making yourself the best player you can possibly be.

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