Skip to content
Every month at THA Football Centres, our players work towards a theme, including 1v1 Battles, across the whole Player Pathway.
For November, the theme will focus on 1v1 Battles.
But that doesn’t mean every child is doing the same thing.
A 3-year-old experiencing football for the first time needs something very different from an 11-year-old learning when to press an opponent. That’s why our curriculum develops the theme progressively across each age group.
The challenge changes as the player develops.
Why 1v1 battles matter
Football constantly presents players with individual moments.
Can I get past an opponent?
Can I protect the ball?
Can I stop somebody getting past me?
Should I press, delay or recover?
For younger players, those ideas begin with simply becoming comfortable moving with a ball and recognising space during 1v1 Battles. As players progress through the THA pathway, those individual actions become more technical, more opposed and eventually more tactical.
November gives us the opportunity to develop that journey from the very beginning.
Ages 2–4: Exploring the ball and finding space
For our 2–4 Parent & Toddler players, 1v1 Battles doesn’t mean putting two toddlers into a competitive duel.
Our curriculum at this age has a strong focus on movement, ball discovery and learning through fun games, with parents and carers involved in the sessions.
During November, our two focuses are:
Ball Discovery: able to chase the ball
Spatial Awareness: able to move into space
These might sound simple, but they are important building blocks.
Children are learning to move towards a ball, react to where it goes and begin understanding that there are spaces they can move into.
At this age, we want exploration, movement and confidence rather than complicated football instruction.
Ages 5–7 Beginner: Can you beat the defender?
When players reach our 5–7 Beginner sessions, November starts to look much more like the traditional idea of a 1v1.
The curriculum focus is:
Weeks 1–2: 1v1 Attacking
Target: Able to beat a defender
Weeks 3–4: Dribbling
Target: Able to dribble with control
This age group has a strong focus on ball mastery and confidence, with lots of touches and lots of opportunities to dribble.
Players begin learning one of football’s most exciting challenges: How can I get past the player in front of me?
But beating a defender is only useful if the player can remain in control afterwards. That is why the second part of the month brings the focus back to controlled dribbling.
Ages 5–7 Advanced: Adding disguise, speed and defending
Our 5–7 Advanced group moves from simply learning skills towards applying those skills.
November develops both sides of the 1v1.
For the first half of the month, players work on Advanced Dribbling, with the targets:
- Able to perform feints
- Able to perform changes of speed
Players are encouraged to use disguise and changes of pace to unbalance defenders rather than simply running straight at them.
For the second half of November, attention moves to Defending Basics:
Able to perform the correct tackling technique
That means players experience the battle from both perspectives.
How do I create an advantage when attacking?
And how do I respond when I’m the defender?
Ages 8–11 Beginner: Applying 1v1 skills in the game
At 8–11 Beginner, the curriculum has a greater focus on game understanding and using skills under pressure.
Players begin to understand not only how to perform an action, but why and when it might be useful.
November focuses on:
Dribbling in Game Situations: able to dribble in a 1v1
followed by:
Defending: able to defend in a 1v1
The important change here is context.
Players aren’t simply practising a move in isolation. They are being challenged to recognise a genuine 1v1 situation and solve the problem in front of them.
Attackers need to decide how they can create space or get past their opponent.
Defenders need to manage the situation, stay in the contest and try to prevent the attacker progressing.
Ages 8–11 Advanced: From the individual battle to the team
By the time players reach 8–11 Advanced, the November theme develops again.
The individual duel is now connected to the wider tactical picture.
The first focus is Pressing:
Able to recognise when to press
The second is Defensive Shape:
Able to stay compact
At this stage, winning a battle isn’t just about charging towards the player with the ball.
Players have to recognise the right moment to apply pressure and understand what is happening around them.
If one player presses, what should their teammates do?
Can the team stay connected?
Can players prevent spaces appearing between them?
It shows how the same underlying theme can progress from an individual technical challenge into a greater understanding of the game.
One theme. A different challenge at every stage.
That progression is an important part of the THA curriculum.
During November, a child might be:
Chasing a football at 3.
Trying to beat a defender at 6.
Using a feint and change of speed at 7.
Attacking and defending realistic 1v1s at 9.
Or recognising when to press and stay compact at 11.
The theme remains 1v1 Battles, but the learning develops alongside the player.
That is what we want our Player Pathway to provide: the right challenge at the right stage, while keeping players engaged, confident and enjoying their football.
💚 Family. Football. Development.
Find out more about THA Football Centres and our Player Pathway at: