Soccer drill to practise losing a marker

There's nothing worse than having your toes bruised by a tight marker, who wins the ball every time a pass is sent your way. Use the following soccer drill to coach players in the skills of losing a marker so they can receive a pass.

In this soccer drill you need to tell your players to move in one direction, then quickly double-back to lose the defender and create space to receive a pass.

How to organise the drill

Use a whole pitch for partner work.
Use a 30 x 30 yard area for the 2 v 1/3 v 2 work, with one goal and a goalkeeper.

In pairs

Arrange your players into pairs.

One player acts as a defender and one acts as an attacker. Get one player to make a movement away from where he wants to receive the ball, then immediately make a sharp double-back movement into the space where he wants to receive it.

For example, get your players to make a sharp movement to the right, taking the defender with them, before changing direction and making space to receive on the left and vice versa.

Extend the soccer drill to make it 2 v 1

Now add a passing player. When the pass is made, the ball is live and the two attackers must combine to complete the move by creating a goal-scoring opportunity.

3v2 soccer drill to help players practise the skills for losing a marker

Soccer drill becomes a 3 v 2

Add an extra attacker and defender so that 2 v 1 becomes 3 v 2.

Soccer coaching tips

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