The one-two in soccer is where the sport most closely resembles basketball and its give-and-go. While even 10-year-olds can begin to incorporate the one-two in recreational play, the technique becomes an art form in the hands of teams, such as Barcelona and Japan's national women's team, that hone their passing to perfection. Japan's women in fact scored a World Cup goal against Germany that brought forth diagrams from the television commentators of the ways in which the team chained together series of one-twos.
Elements
The one-two, also called the double pass or wall pass, occurs when a player passes the ball to a teammate, runs around her defender to a new spot and receives the ball back. The one-two nickname refers to the fact that the original player touches the ball once to the teammate and the teammate returns it with one touch. The term "wall pass" refers to the fact that the receiving teammate acts as a wall, essentially just rebounding the ball, typically at an angle 45 to 90 degrees to the original pass.
Application
The one-two can be carried out anywhere on the field in which there is open space behind a defender, notes Danish exercise scientist Jens Bangsbo in "Offensive Soccer Tactics." For example, wing players can advance on a defender, feed the ball to a teammate arriving from a central position, speed down the touchline, receive the return pass of the one-two and cut in toward goal for a shot. Even a faked one-two can confuse and exhaust the opposition, as the winger runs into goal, drawing the defense, but the ball goes to another open player.
Keys
Signaling by eye contact is key to successfully completing the one-two. For example, player 1 sends the ball to a teammate, makes eye contact and darts his eyes to a new area. Player 2 receives the ball and notices acceleration by player No. 1 to the signaled spot. Player 2 passes the ball with one touch down the field to where player 1 can collect it. This pattern can repeat for multiple one-twos by the same two players. Such soccer played by Japan's women, Barcelona or even a recreational team playing for fun is aesthetically pleasing. Argentina, for example, passed the ball 24 times in a row, including one-twos, to score a goal in the 2006 World Cup, to the delight of soccer fans.
Sample Drill
Coach Joe Luxbacher in "Soccer Steps to Success" recommends a drill called "one-two combination in the box" to work on your wall passes. Each player pairs with a partner, one ball per pair, and stands in the penalty box. Players jog randomly within the box. Dribblers look to execute a one-two with any player who doesn't have a ball. You make eye contact with the free player, send a quick pass with the outside of the foot, sprint forward to receive the return pass and dribble forward looking for another opportunity for a one-two pass.
References
- "The Christian Science Monitor"; Women's World Cup Final: Can US Cope with Japan's Passing Carousel?; Mark Sappenfield; July 2011
- "Offensive Soccer Tactics"; Jens Bangsbo, et al.; 2004
- BBC Sport World Cup 2006; Argentina 6-0 Serbia & Montenegro; June 2006
- "Soccer: Steps to Success"; Joe Luxbacher; 2005
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