1v1 shoot and defend

By Michael Beale

Reacting swiftly is a vital part of any attacker's skill, especially when faced with different problems to solve in order to create goalscoring chances. The ball will be passed to the attacker and he might have to pass, dribble or shoot, depending on the scenario that opens up in front of him.

You can create different scenarios by using this exercise, in which the attacker has to react to a pass by using receiving, passing, dribbling and shooting skills.

You need a 30-yard square, two cones and a goal. I put three players next to one cone and use a forward and a goalkeeper, while I stand at the other cone. You can change the numbers involved depending on the size of your squad.

How to play it

1. The first player at the cone passes to the forward and runs to receive a lay-off pass.
2. The starting player shoots at goal. Immediately after laying the pass off, the forward must react and receive another ball from you.
3. The forward now attempts to dribble and score, while the starting player must react as a defender and try to stop him.

How to rotate it

• The starting player becomes the forward.
• The forward joins the back of the queue.