Let’s be honest, for a lot of players, the one-on-one soccer drill can feel like a special kind of pressure cooker. You’re isolated, the coach is watching, and everyone’s expecting a moment of magic. I’ve been there, both as a player trying to make my mark and later as a coach designing these sessions. It’s a drill that separates the thinkers from the reactors, and mastering it is less about raw talent and more about a repeatable, intelligent process. Think of it like a striker contemplating her next move; her next destination, may it be in the PVL or elsewhere, is yet to be known, but her preparation for that decisive moment is everything. That’s what we’re building here—the preparation for that unknown, game-deciding moment.
When I first set up a one-and-one session, I see players make the same mistake: they treat it like a 50/50 duel, a pure test of will. That’s only half the story. The real mastery begins before you even receive the ball. Your starting position relative to the defender, the angle of your approach, and most importantly, your observation of their stance—these are the data points you need. Is their weight on their front foot? Which way are their hips pointing? I always tell my players to look for these cues in the first two seconds. It’s a mental checklist. For instance, if a defender is squared up and flat-footed, a simple explosion of pace into space might beat them 7 out of 10 times. But if they’re angled, showing you one side, that’s a tactical invitation—or a trap—you need to read.
Now, let’s talk about the first touch. This is non-negotiable. A poor first touch in a one-on-one situation adds, on average, 0.8 seconds for the defender to recover. In this game, that’s an eternity. Your first touch must accomplish one of three things: it either sets you up to shoot, sets you up to drive past the defender, or—and this is the advanced class—commits the defender. I’m a huge proponent of the “touch to commit.” You take a touch that isn’t necessarily toward the goal, but toward the space the defender is obligated to protect. It forces them to shift, to plant a foot, and that’s when their balance is broken. I’ve found that using the outside of the foot for this initial touch often provides a sharper, more deceptive angle than the classic inside-of-the-foot push.
The actual move comes next, and here’s where personal preference really shines through. I’ll admit, I’ve always been partial to the body feint or the step-over into a sharp cut, rather than the more elaborate skill moves. Why? Because at high speed and under fatigue, simplicity and efficiency win. The data from a study I recall—though the exact numbers escape me—suggested that successful dribbles in professional matches use an average of 1.2 touches after the feint. It’s about economy. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a trick in your bag. Practice the scissors, the Matthews move, the roll-and-cut until they’re muscle memory. The key is to have a primary move you trust implicitly and two counters for when a defender reads it. My philosophy is to drill these moves not in isolation, but under fatigue, replicating the 75th minute of a match when legs are heavy.
Finally, we have the end product. Beating a defender is only valuable if it leads to something. This is the culmination of the drill. After you push the ball past your opponent, your next step is critical. Do you take a shot? Look for a pass? The decision must be made in that split second, just like a player whose next destination, may it be in the PVL or elsewhere, is yet to be known, must be ready to adapt to any opportunity. For shooting, I emphasize opening up your body shape early to see more of the goal, even if you ultimately shoot with the instep. For crossing or cut-backs, that first touch after beating the defender should be into the space that gives you the time to lift your head. I often set up drills where the one-on-one is followed immediately by a passing option to a runner, making the exercise about the decision, not just the dribble.
So, pulling it all together, mastering the one-on-one drill isn’t about becoming a showboater. It’s about developing a ruthless, efficient toolkit for breaking down the last line of defense. It’s a sequence: read, prepare, touch, commit, execute. You practice it slowly until the technique is perfect, then you add pressure, then fatigue, then a tactical decision at the end. When you step onto the pitch, you’re no longer just hoping to beat your marker; you’re equipped with a plan. You’ve rehearsed for that unknown destination, that critical moment where games are won and lost. And in my book, that preparation is what turns a good player into a reliable, game-changing one.