2v1 Plus One up the Middle
Two attackers take on one defender up the middle and finish on goal while a second defender runs in from behind.
Attacking 2v1 up the middle is how the extra player becomes a goal — dribble forward, tie up the defender, and make the numbers count.
Set up · 3 actions · before the kids arrive
- Grab: Cones, pinnies in two colors, a supply of balls, and a goal for each field.
- Build: Mark out two 32-by-36-yard fields, each with a goal.
- Place: Attackers and defenders at their starting positions on each field — the second defender behind the play, ready to run in. Ball with the attackers.
One thing to remember: Creating 1v1s and 2v1s, choosing when to pass or dribble forward, and shooting.
How it runs — the whole game in one sentence
Two attackers take on one defender up the middle while a second defender runs in from behind — live once the ball moves forward, over when a goal is scored, and defenders score on the goal line if they win it.
1Organize the players▾
Coach does
Set both fields, put attackers and defenders at their starting positions with the second defender behind the play, and give the first ball to the attackers.
Coach says
Two attackers on the ball. One defender in front, one coming from behind — go at the goal.
2Show the jobs▾
Coach does
Walk one rep — the ball moving forward makes it live, the two attackers take on the first defender while the second runs in from behind, and play continues until a goal is scored. A defender who wins it scores on the goal line.
Coach says
Pass, dribble, take them on — shoot.
3Play▾
Coach does
Run it with two breaks, the source's own way — at the first break, ask the guided question and let them keep playing to discover the answer; at the second, they share answers with you and each other.
Coach says
What should the forward do? Keep playing — show me.
Look for: The forward getting open with eyes on the ball carrier, accelerating forward — without running offside.
4Switch and repeat▾
Coach does
Reset both fields to starting positions after every goal and send the next rep — the ball moving forward starts it. Switch variants when the level is wrong — that is the design, not a failure.
Coach says
Reset! New ball — live when it moves forward.
If it's not working
Too hard? Drop the second defender — a plain 2v1 in the middle. Too easy? Squeeze the field to just 20 yards wide. Spend the thirty minutes either way.
Want to go deeper? Optional — not needed to run the game.
Why are we doing this?
What are they learning?
How can I change it?
Easier: 2v1 in the middle — the same game without the second defender.
Harder: The same game on a field just 20 yards wide.
Next: 5v2 on One Goal with a Goalkeeper — more finishers and a real keeper to beat, same scoring goal.