Game version
Corridor guard: stay in front of your partner in a narrow lane and shadow them for 20 seconds, then swap. Nobody tackles. Your pair counts steady shadows.
1v1 Defending
Learn to jockey an attacker and win the ball without diving in.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth soccer coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Face an attacker in a 10-yard channel.
Core: Jogs. Beat your own run of patient jockeys.
- Ages
- 14 and up
- Time
- 10 min
- Players
- You and a partner
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Soccer ball, partner, cones
- Level · skill
- Developing · Defending
The steps
How it works
- Face an attacker in a 10-yard channel.
- Stay low and side-on, forcing them one way.
- Tackle only when the ball is loose.
- Do 8 reps, then switch.
Coaching point
Show them one way. Be patient.
Safety: Stay on your feet and play the ball, not the player. No slide tackles; any live challenge is only with a coach watching.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a level: Less (partner walks), Core (jogs), More (changes direction). Beat your own run of patient jockeys.
Story
You are a castle guard holding the bridge, patient and steady.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own run of patient jockeys. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
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