“People often think about skills and tricks, but that is only part of a 1v1,” explains PDP Technical Advisor Dan Wright, who maintains that attributes like the ability to find space, or receive the ball and play out in tight situations, are just as important to helping players become 1v1 dominant.

“There are many different 1v1s in the game that you have to consider.”

Understanding that 1 on 1’s occur throughout the game, and giving kids experience in these situations, is crucial to helping them develop a technical base and preparing them for their journey in soccer.

“Within the 1v1, there are three parts of the game: Attack, defense, and transition,” says Dave Wright, Co-Founder of PDP. “So much within that moment represents the game, so it’s critical in player development.”

In a Masterclass with PDP, Kris Van Der Haegen, Director of Coach Education at the Belgian FA, explains how the famous Belgian Model of player development embraced this approach by transitioning to small-sided games centered on individual duels — a move credited in the development of world-class soccer players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.

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