Back to Back
Practice for beating a player in a 1v1 with a quick change of direction.
One pair's pitch: the ball waits on End A's line; players start back to back in the middle and race round their own end cone.
Set up
- Call the two ends End A and End B. Put the ball on the middle of End A's line.
- The two players stand back to back in the middle of the pitch: Player 1 faces End A, Player 2 faces End B.
One mini pitch per pair, 10 m long by 6 m wide (12 m by 8 m for 2017 and 2016), pitches 3 m apart side by side. Per pair: 4 cones for the corners, 2 marker cones, 1 ball.
How to play
- Player 1 shouts Go! and both players run to the end they are facing and around its marker cone.
- Player 1 collects the ball at End A and tries to dribble it over End B's line, while Player 2 comes back from End B to defend.
- Swap who faces the ball every turn, and change partners after 5 turns each.
- Each player counts their own successful dribbles out of 5 and tries to beat that number with the next partner.
Keeping everyone moving
Every pair has its own pitch and both players run every go.
Make it easier
- The defender only moves side to side.
- A wider pitch (8 m).
Make it harder
- A narrower pitch (5 m).
- The attacker must do a fake or change of direction before crossing.
Three things to say
- Run at the defender to make them stop.
- Change direction when they commit.
- If you lose it, run straight back and have another go.
Colts habit
Be brave: run at the defender, and go again if you lose it.
Both feet
Change direction with the practice foot for a bonus.
Heads up
See which way the defender is leaning.
For your birth year
Pick a birth year to show the tweak for that group.
- 2018
- As written.
- 2019 to 2020
- The defender may only move side to side.
- 2016 to 2017
- The attacker must stop the ball dead on the line with the sole to score. Pitch 12 m by 8 m.
Safety: Stay on your feet, no slide tackles. Keep pitches 3 m apart.
Keeping score: My successful dribbles out of 5, beaten with the next partner.