Soccer Drills: 1 v 1 Attacking Square Drill

Versatility is a necessity when you step onto the soccer pitch.

Your role on the field can change in an instant. One minute you can be pushing down the field with your team looking to score a goal, and the next, you could be looking to reverse field to shut down your opponent’s attack.

You’ll want to work through drills in practice that focus on both sides of the game. That is where the 1 v 1 Square Drill can come in handy. This drill requires you to work with your teammate and can help improve offensive and defensive skills at the same time.

To begin, create a square using four cones. The 1 v 1 Square Drill boils soccer down to the bare essentials as two players will enter the space and battle to gain possession of the ball.

There are no goals, and the victor is decided by who controls the ball for a longer amount of time. The longer you possess the ball, the more points you will score. Once possession switches, the clock resets.

This is a drill you can add to any practice to get the competitive juices flowing.

Now get ready to enter the square. Every second you hold onto the ball against your teammate will help you improve your ball-control skills for the next big game.

Continue working on your defensive skills with U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team defender Becky Sauerbrunn as she guides you on how to anticipate and intercept a pass.

Looking for more soccer drills using training cones? Try the Long Square Drill and the Dribbling Box Drill, too.