1v1 Dribbling With Two Goals: The Drill That Teaches Change of Pace

Dribbling with pace, changing speed, then cutting back inside is one of the most valuable combinations in youth soccer. It is also one of the least coached, because it needs a defender, and most drills do not have one.

The 1v1 Dribbling with Two Goals drill from Sithembiso Nkosi solves that with two small goals and one opponent. It has been in our recommended list for years.

How the drill works

Two small goals sit side by side, a few yards apart, at one end of a small area. The attacker starts with the ball, the defender faces them. The attacker can score in either goal.

That choice is the whole drill. Because there are two targets, the defender cannot simply block one route, and the attacker has to commit them one way and then go the other.

What it develops

• Change of pace. The attacker must slow to commit the defender, then accelerate. A single speed does not work against two goals.
• Cutting back inside. The most common winning move is to attack one goal and cut back to the other.
• Head up. A player looking at the ball cannot see which goal the defender has left open.
• Defending too. The defender learns to stay on their toes and delay rather than diving in.

Setting it up at home

1. Two-goal 1v1

Two mini goals or cone gates, side by side, three yards apart. One attacker, one defender, small area.

• How to set it up: Four cones makes two gates. A parent or sibling can defend at walking pace.
• How long: 8 rounds of 30 seconds, swapping roles.
• What good looks like: The attacker changes speed at least once before committing.
• The usual mistake: Running straight at one goal at full pace. Predictable, and it never works twice.

2. Shadow version, no defender

The same two gates with a cone as the defender. The player practises the feint and the cut back at pace.

• How to set it up: One cone as the defender, two gates behind it.
• How long: 10 reps each side.
• What good looks like: A clear deceleration, then an explosive change of direction.
• The usual mistake: Going through the motions. If the feint would not fool a person, it is not a feint.

Where it fits in a week

This is a Saturday drill. It needs a second person and a bit of space, so it works best as the one session a week that is done together rather than alone. The rest of the week is where the technique gets built; this is where it gets tested.