Tackling drills
1v1 Tackling Drills for Football
58 football drills for this theme, filtered from the Football Coach Hub library with full set-ups and coaching points.
Tackling is taught badly more often than any other part of grassroots defending. Players are told to "get stuck in", so they lunge, miss, and the attacker is gone. These 1v1 tackling drills coach the order that actually wins the ball: close the space, set your feet, stay patient, then take the ball when it is away from the attacker's foot.
Each practice below is filtered from the drill library on player numbers and defending theme, so every one puts a single defender against a single attacker with a clear thing to protect.
Drill categories on this page
The four parts of a 1v1 tackle
Break the duel down and coach it in order. Almost every missed tackle at youth level is a problem with part one or part two, not with the tackle itself.
Say the same four words all season and players start self-correcting: close, set, patient, take.
- Close — cover the ground quickly while the ball is travelling.
- Set — last three yards slow down, feet apart, side on.
- Patient — stay a yard off and force the attacker to commit first.
- Take — front-foot block or step across when the ball leaves their foot.
Keeping tackling practice safe
Tackling drills only get dangerous when players arrive at full speed from opposite directions with no idea who is favourite for the ball. Start every duel with the ball clearly at one player's feet, and use a defined channel so contact happens side on rather than head on.
Mixed ability groups need pairing by size and confidence, not by who happens to be next in the queue.
- Ball starts at the attacker's feet, never rolled between two sprinting players.
- Pair players of similar size, especially from U13 upward.
- Ban slide tackles in training below U12 — teach the front-foot block instead.
- Stop the duel once the ball leaves the area; no chasing into other channels.
Common mistakes and what to say
Defenders dive in because standing still feels passive. Give them a reward for delaying: a point every time they force the attacker backwards or out of the channel, not just for winning the ball.
- Square on and flat footed — "turn your hips, show them one way."
- Arriving too fast — "sprint five yards, then brake."
- Reaching with the wrong foot — "nearest foot to the ball."
- Watching the ball only — "see the ball, feel the player."
1v1 Tackling Drills for Football
Every drill links to its own page with the set-up, coaching points, common mistakes, a progression and a regression.
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 1-2
- Time
- 14 min
- Area
- 15 x 10 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Skill Practice
1-to-1 Defending Technique
Individual defending shape and footwork
- Age band
- Under 5 to Adults
- Players
- 6-16
- Time
- 15 min
- Area
- 15 x 12 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Mini Goals
- Focus
- Skill Practice
1v1 Defending
Delay and control an attacker one against one
- Age band
- Under 7 to Adults
- Players
- 4-16
- Time
- 15 min
- Area
- 12 x 10 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Bibs
- Focus
- Skill Practice
1v1 Defending Duels
Delay and deny the attacker
- Age band
- Under 10 to Adults
- Players
- 2-14
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 15 x 10 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Block & Slide Tackle Technique
Perform a safe, firm block tackle
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 4-16
- Time
- 14 min
- Area
- 28 x 20 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Mini Goals
- Focus
- Skill Practice
Combination Delay and Show
Coach the approach and set position of the defender
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 2-14
- Time
- 12 min
- Area
- 20 x 14 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones
- Focus
- Technical Practice
Combination Front Block Tackle
Teach a safe, strong front block tackle
- Age band
- Under 10 to Adults
- Players
- 4-16
- Time
- 15 min
- Area
- 44 x 32 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Full Goals
- Focus
- Skill Practice
Combination Recovery Run Defending
Recover goal-side at speed
- Age band
- Under 9 to Adults
- Players
- 4-16
- Time
- 14 min
- Area
- 24 x 14 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Mini Goals
- Focus
- Skill Practice
Combination Side-On Duel
Win the ball while running alongside an attacker
- Age band
- Under 8 to Adults
- Players
- 4-16
- Time
- 16 min
- Area
- 26 x 18 yards
- Kit
- Balls, Cones, Mini Goals
- Focus
- Skill Practice
Continuous Delay and Show
Coach the approach and set position of the defender
Need a complete session, not just drills? Pick your age group, numbers, length and focus and get the whole plan.
Build one nowMore practices that fit
Every drill page has the full set-up, step-by-step instructions, coaching points and progressions.
- Continuous Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Continuous Recovery Run Defending — defending drill, 17 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Continuous Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Counter Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Counter Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Counter Recovery Run Defending — defending drill, 17 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Counter Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Cover And Balance Triangle — defending drill, 16 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Defend The Gate — tackling drill, 15 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Finishing Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Finishing Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Finishing Recovery Run Defending — defending drill, 17 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Finishing Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Front Block Tackling — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Overload Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Overload Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Overload Recovery Run Defending — defending drill, 17 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Overload Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Poke Tackle Pressing — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Pressure Delay and Show — defending drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Pressure Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Pressure Recovery Run Defending — defending drill, 15 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Pressure Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Rotation Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Rotation Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Rotation Recovery Run Defending — defending drill, 17 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Rotation Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Side-On Tackling Channel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Tackling Technique — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Tempo Delay and Show — defending drill, 14 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Tempo Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 12 min, Under 8 to Adults
- Tempo Recovery Run Defending — defending drill, 15 min, Under 10 to Adults
- Tempo Side-On Duel — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Transition Delay and Show — defending drill, 16 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Transition Front Block Tackle — tackling drill, 14 min, Under 9 to Adults
- Transition Recovery Run Defending — defending drill, 17 min, Under 10 to Adults
Session plans that use this theme
- U10 Passing Session Plan (60 Minutes, Free) — passing & receiving, 12 players, 60 minutes
- U8 Dribbling Session Plan (45 Minutes, Free) — dribbling & 1v1, 10 players, 45 minutes
- U12 Defending Session Plan (75 Minutes, Free) — defending & pressing, 14 players, 75 minutes
Coaching articles that help here
- How To Give Better Feedback — Five ways to make your feedback land, stick and actually change what a player does next.
- The Art Of Asking Better Questions — Questions turn players into problem solvers. Here is how to ask ones that get real answers.
- How To Plan A Better Training Session — One theme, four phases and a game at the end — the plan that works for almost every grassroots night.
- Coaching Confidence — Practical ways to feel calmer and more assured on the pitch, even when you're new to it.
Common questions
How do you teach a 1v1 tackle in football?
In four steps: close the space quickly, set your feet side on in the last three yards, stay patient a yard off the attacker, then take the ball with the front foot when it is away from their standing foot.
What age can players start tackling drills?
From around U9, once players are confident going to ground-level contact. Below that, focus on getting between the attacker and the goal and touching the ball away rather than tackling.
Are slide tackles safe in youth training?
Leave them out below U12. A front-foot block tackle wins the ball more often, keeps the defender on their feet and carries far less injury risk for both players.
How many players do you need for tackling drills?
Four is enough — two duel while two serve. With bigger groups, run two or three parallel channels so nobody stands watching.
Related topic pages
Browse by topic
- Football passing drills
- Football shooting drills
- Football dribbling drills
- Football defending drills
- Football possession drills
- Fun football drills
- Football warm up drills
- Small-sided games
- Goalkeeper drills
- Football rondo drills
- 1v1 football drills
- 1v1 tackling drills
- 2v2 defending drills
- Football session plans
Drills by age group
Browse by squad size
Put this theme into a full session
Pick the age group, numbers, length and focus and the session builder writes the whole plan around it.
7 days of full access, no card required, cancel any time.