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Ball Mastery

Mirror Mastery Pairs: Shadow Pressure

Copy and repeat mastery patterns

Ball Mastery
Warm Ups
Speed & Agility

Mirror Mastery Pairs: Shadow Pressure is a 10-minute ball mastery drill for 2-20 players, suitable for Under 8 to Adults at beginner, intermediate level. You need balls, cones. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.

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Ball Mastery
Warm Ups
Speed & Agility
Warm Up
Beginner
Intermediate
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Quick 10 Minutes
Opposed
Under Pressure
Game Realistic

Duration

10 min

Players

2-20

Pitch size

10 x 10 yards per pair

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Mirror Mastery Pairs: Shadow Pressure1210 x 10 yards per pair

Mirror Mastery Pairs: Shadow Pressure — Pairs facing each other · 10 x 10 yards per pair

Step 1 of 4The leader performs a move, the partner mirrors it immediately.

  1. 1. The leader performs a move, the partner mirrors it immediately.
  2. 2. Swap the leader every thirty seconds.
  3. 3. Add sideways and backwards travel while mirroring.
  4. 4. A shadow defender applies half pressure and can win the ball only after the first touch.
  • Ball
  • Pairs working across a marked lane
  • Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

  • -Copy and repeat mastery patterns
  • -Add reaction to technical work
  • -Make technique work fun

Setup

  1. 1Pairs face each other five yards apart, one ball each.
  2. 2Cones mark a small working lane for each pair.
  3. 3Decide who leads first.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1The leader performs a move, the partner mirrors it immediately.
  2. 2Swap the leader every thirty seconds.
  3. 3Add sideways and backwards travel while mirroring.
  4. 4A shadow defender applies half pressure and can win the ball only after the first touch.

Coaching points

  • -Watch the partner, not the ball
  • -Match the rhythm as well as the move
  • -Stay balanced when moving sideways
  • -Take the touch away from pressure
  • -Protect the ball with the far foot and body

Common mistakes

  • -Leader going too fast to copy
  • -No eye contact between the pair
  • -Stopping between moves

Where this drill fits

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