1. Arrival · 0–6 min
Get hips, ankles and heart rate ready before any ball work, so the first changes of direction are sharp.
A movement-first activation: through the ladder, into a stride, back to the queue — hips, ankles and heart rate ready before any ball work.
Watch for: Quick feet and an upright body, with the stride building to its fastest at the end.
Moving on: After two full rounds, pack the ladder away and keep the whole group together. Mark out the 22 × 16 m area, set up the two mini goals as the targets, the two start cones and a passive defender in the mannequin's place, and give every player a ball.
2. Development · 6–18 min
Learn one deliberate move against a passive defender who becomes active after the first change of direction, then finish to a chosen target.
Players approach a defender marker at speed, use one chosen change of direction, and carry the ball into a composed finish.
Progression: Live defender
Watch for: A clear body feint before the change, and eyes up before the finishing touch.
Moving on: Keep the group together and collect the balls, keeping one for each feeder. Mark out the 24 × 18 m area, put the mini goals aside for the duels, and set up the goal, the mannequin and the three start cones.
3. Development · 18–33 min
Receive with a defender nearby, protect the first touch, turn away from pressure and finish.
A receiver checks toward a feeder, protects the first touch, turns away from pressure, and finishes into a clear target.
Watch for: Players scan before the pass arrives and use the arm and body legally to feel where the defender is.
Moving on: Collect the goal, mannequin and cones, mark out the 16 × 10 m channel with the two mini goals as the targets, keep four balls and give half the group bibs.
4. Application · 33–45 min
Put the session into a live contest: attack a defender with two goals to choose from, and if the defender wins the ball, they attack the halfway line.
Attacker against defender in a narrow channel, two mini goals to attack — the duel that teaches both sides of a 1v1.
Watch for: Attackers choose the goal the defender left; defenders stay on their feet and show the attacker one way.
Moving on: Collect the bibs and balls, then start the cool-down with an easy one-minute jog.
5. Close · 45–50 min
Wind down with an easy jog and a held stretch, and recap one thing the team did well and one focus for the next session.
A five-minute wind-down: easy jog, then a held stretch through calves, hamstrings, quads, hips and groin while the coach recaps the session.
Watch for: Even holds on both sides and no bouncing in the stretch.
What players practise
- Players use a clear body feint, then a change of direction at speed, to get past a defender.
- Players scan before they receive, protect the first touch and turn away from pressure.
- Players look up after the move and choose their target before the finishing touch.
How the session builds
The ladder prepares the legs. Move, Beat, Finish teaches one change of direction against a passive defender who becomes active after the first change of direction, with a finish at the end, so players learn the move at pace before the full duels. Turn and Strike moves the problem to receiving with a defender close: scan, protect the first touch, turn and shoot. The duels in 1v1 to Mini Goals bring both sides of the contest together: the attacker picks the goal the defender left, and the defender learns to stay side-on and not dive in. The cool-down closes the session with an easy jog and a held stretch while the coach recaps one thing the team did well and one focus for next time.
Coaching cues
- Show a real feint, then change direction while you are still moving fast.
- Keep the ball close enough to change direction, and look up before the finishing touch.
- Scan before the pass arrives so your first touch protects the ball.
- Attackers: go at the front foot, then take the goal the defender left.
- Defenders: stay side-on, show the attacker to one side and do not dive in.
Adapting the session
- Run the whole session as one group of 8 to 12 players. The duels cannot pair evenly with 9 or 11 and the drill records no rule for the odd player, so decide beforehand who sits out each duel and rotate them in.
- Move, Beat, Finish is labelled for under-9s, so this session runs it with its recorded Live defender progression: the marker is replaced by a passive defender who becomes active after the first change of direction.
- Add pressure to Turn and Strike only after players can turn and shoot cleanly: use its recorded Add live pressure progression, where a defender replaces the mannequin and may press after the receiver's first touch, with legal contact only.
- For a newer group, use the easier recorded options: in the duels the defender starts passive and only closes space, and in Turn and Strike the mannequin moves wider and players rehearse the turn before adding a finish.
- If time is short, leave out Turn and Strike and run the other four blocks in 35 minutes (6 + 12 + 12 + 5): go from Move, Beat, Finish to the duels, mark out the 16 × 10 m channel with the mini goals as targets, keep four balls and give half the group bibs. Receiving and turning are then missed.
