Football with Purpose: Training to Play, Not to Repeat

 

As we’ve discussed before, in this section we’ll explore football training drills I’ve used with teams I’ve coached—always placing them in context and breaking down the “why” behind each one.

👉 If you’d like to know how these drills were designed and the ideas that led to this approach, click here.

Context

We’re in the 2023/2024 season at Black Leopards FC in South Africa, working with a young and talented group of players. 75% of the squad had no professional experience, and 50% were under 22 years old.

The drill we’re about to look at was typically used on the days leading up to competition. It came after the warm-up and before the main part of the session. While it introduced a competitive element, it was done in a more relaxed way—aiming to reduce pre-match stress and tension.

It’s important to consider that when we play away matches, the number of available players differs from what we’re used to in regular training. In our case, we traveled with 20 players, including two goalkeepers.

Whether or not to involve goalkeepers in these types of drills is something that should be decided in collaboration with the coaching staff—especially the goalkeeping coach. Personally, I believe that on the day before a match, especially in short sessions, keepers should start with position-specific work. But we always keep an eye on how the group is feeling and will bring the goalkeepers in if we see it’s needed.

1v1 Competitive Reaction Drill

 

Equipment needed: Two poles placed 8 meters apart, and two flat cones with holes in the middle—one in the hand of each first player in line.

We divide the group into two teams (as shown in the diagram). Each team forms a line, and the first player from each team steps up to perform the drill.

These two players position themselves face-to-face in the middle of the setup. One of them is designated as the “leader.”With the cone in hand, the leader runs toward either pole—their choice. The other player must react, mirror the movement, and try to beat the leader to the destination by placing their cone on the chosen pole first.

The player who wins earns the right to make their team the new leader—giving them control over which direction the next race will go. That early decision gives a significant advantage.

Things to Keep in Mind

• You can adjust the distance between the poles to make it easier or more challenging.
• If you place the cone on a different surface and require players to pick it up mid-drill, it increases the difficulty.
• You can even have players run to different poles: for example, the leader goes to one side, and the opponent is forced to run to the opposite. In that version, you can place a ball by each pole—players must finish on a mini-goal first, then place the cone to complete the drill.

⚽ Want more drills with purpose?

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📚 Check out more articles and discover how to train with intention—not just repetition.