How to Dominate 1v1s as an Attacker

1v1s are an attacker’s dream scenario. This is where you get to put some of your best attributes on display: speed, ball handling, and scoring as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

But if you’re up against a defender who knows what they’re doing, getting past them can be a real challenge.  The key to dominating 1v1s as an attacker is knowing how to take the defender out of position and make it difficult for them to follow your every move.

Exploit a Weakness

The most effective way to take a defender out of position is identifying a weakness and exploiting it. If the defender wants to slow you down, push to speed up. If they’re tall and physically dominant, tap into that speed and make them run.

If they are doing their job, they’re going to be patient and staying goalside. In that scenario, a good go-to option is a technique utilized by virtually every high-level striker on the planet: the Double Movement.

The Double Movement

The Double Movement tricks the defender into thinking you’re about to move in a certain direction, when your true intention is to move in another direction. That’s where the term “Double Movement” comes from: You make one movement to throw off the defender, and then a second movement in the direction you actually want to go.

When pro players get the ball in the attacking third and are going into a 1v1, they almost always moves in one direction to get the defender to commit, then throw them off balance by shifting and going in the opposite direction.

Disguise Your Intentions as You Move In 

As you can see, dominating 1v1s as an attacker is all about disguising your intentions and faking out the defender. As you approach the defender with the ball, make it look like you’re about to do one thing, and then do something different.