Sharper angles cut them open!
This basic footwork session will benefit players in all positions as they attack defenders in close or wide situations. They will have to see where to run and change angle sharply and at pace to adjust.
This basic footwork session will benefit players in all positions as they attack defenders in close or wide situations. They will have to see where to run and change angle sharply and at pace to adjust.
Warm up time: 5
Session time: 6-9
Development time: 6-9
Game time: 15-20
Warm down time: 7
What to think about
Players need the confidence to change angles, especially those players who are not used to sprinting and conditioning. Therefore, these exercises will challenge your players and you might need to adjust the sharpness of the angles you want them to perform.
All the players need these types of exercises and might need a gentle introduction. But it is essential that they are eventually done at full pace.
set-up
- Run hard at the first gap, then change direction when indicated.
- Look up and run tall.
What you get your players to do
Put four lines of players about 2m apart. Get the first player to run towards a gate about 5m in front of the middle of the columns.
As he reaches the gate, indicate which coloured cones he has to run to after that. Once the first player has reached the gate, the next player from the next column goes and so on. After each run, the player returns to a different line.
Development
Push the coloured cones further back and sometimes change the colour of the cone indicated after the gate, so the player has to change direction twice.
Get the players to receive a pass on the way to the gate.
Once over the cone, the player returns to a different column.
Game situation
Put four defenders opposite four attackers as in the bottom picture. Each attacker has a ball. Call out an attacker and then, a few moments later, release a defender.
The attacker has to get across the try line without being two-handed touched on the shorts. You can develop this to full tackling. The defender and attacker join the opposite teams.
Call out an attacker and then moments later a defender. The attacker must run over the try line before he is two-handed touched by the defender (or use full tackling).
What to call out
- “Drive hard to change direction”
- “Don’t cheat on the cones – run through to the end”