Evasive speed

Fast footwork allows players to avoid contact. This session uses competition to get players working on going forward, whilst avoiding traffic. This is then translated into a game situation, where the players use their footwork to make progress quickly and avoid defenders.

Warm up time: 5-7
Session time: 7-10
Development time: 10-15
Game time: 10-15
Warm down time: 5-7

What to think about

Using races helps players work out their own solutions to moving forward quickly whilst avoiding players. However, you can still give the players some key points:

1. Keep upright where possible.
2. Experiment with carrying the ball in two hands as well as one hand.
3. Grip the ground with the toes when changing direction. Though the foot is in the boot when this happens, it drives the turning point into the ground more effectively.

set-up

Move forward quickly, whilst looking to use footwork to move laterally.

What you get your players to do

Set out the cones as the top picture. Each pair of coloured cones represents a “gate”, which either has to be run through or run outside. Start two pairs of players between two cones to the side of the set up. One pair runs inside the darkest coloured cones and outside the lighter cones, one player on the right hand side, the other on the left. At the same time, the other pair run in the opposite direction, outside the darkest coloured cones, inside the lighter ones. Each pair finishes between the starting gate of the other. Once completed, they restart but race back the other way.