Defending
Two-Touch Delay and Show
Coach the approach and set position of the defender
Defending
Tackling
Pressing
Two-Touch Delay and Show is a 14-minute defending drill for 4-16 players, suitable for Under 8 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones, mini goals. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill libraryDefending
Tackling
Pressing
Skill Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Goals Needed
Two Touch
Duration
14 min
Players
4-16
Pitch size
24 x 16 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Two-Touch Delay and Show — 1v1 channel — beat your player and cross the line · 24 x 16 yards
Step 1 of 6Attacker drives at the defender who must delay and show one way.
- 1. Attacker drives at the defender who must delay and show one way.
- 2. The defender wins a point for forcing the attacker wide or winning the ball.
- 3. Swap roles after each duel.
- 4. Ball enters from the coach and the first receiver is on two touches from that moment.
- 5. Count completed sequences under the touch limit — best of three 3-minute rounds.
- 6. Rotation: Swap roles after each duel.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = scoring lines
- Ball
- Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
- Blue = attacker, dark = defender, queues outside the channel
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Coach the approach and set position of the defender
- -Show the attacker into the least dangerous area
- -Win the ball at the right moment
Setup
- 1A defending channel with two mini goals to protect in a 24 x 16 yards area.
- 2Place a marker at every receiving position so players know where to set the ball before it arrives.
- 3Balls with the attackers, bibs for defenders.
Coaching instructions
- 1Attacker drives at the defender who must delay and show one way.
- 2The defender wins a point for forcing the attacker wide or winning the ball.
- 3Swap roles after each duel.
- 4Ball enters from the coach and the first receiver is on two touches from that moment.
- 5Count completed sequences under the touch limit — best of three 3-minute rounds.
Coaching points
- -Close the space quickly, then slow down
- -Side-on with the low centre of gravity
- -Patience before the tackle
- -First touch out of the feet and into the direction of the next pass
Common mistakes
- -Sprinting straight through the attacker
- -Standing square and getting spun
- -Taking a settling touch that kills the tempo
Where this drill fits
- More football defending drills
- More football tackling drills
- More football pressing drills
- football drills for U8s
- football drills for U10s
- football drills for U12s
- football drills for U14s
- football drills for U16s
- Football session plans built around this theme