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Speed & Agility

Acceleration Ladders: Change Of Direction

Improve the first five yards

Speed & Agility
Warm Ups
Premium

Acceleration Ladders: Change Of Direction is a 12-minute speed & agility drill for 2-20 players, suitable for Under 5 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need cones, ladder. 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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Speed & Agility
Warm Ups
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Agility Kit
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Agility

Duration

12 min

Players

2-20

Pitch size

25 x 10 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Acceleration Ladders: Change Of Direction12325 x 10 yards

Acceleration Ladders: Change Of Direction — Marked area · 25 x 10 yards

Step 1 of 4Quick feet through the ladder then explode into a ten yard sprint.

  1. 1. Quick feet through the ladder then explode into a ten yard sprint.
  2. 2. Walk back to recover fully.
  3. 3. Six to eight repetitions.
  4. 4. Add a 90 or 180 degree turn into every repetition before the finish.
  • Cones mark the area
  • Dashed lines = zones / thirds
  • Ball
  • Agility ladder
  • Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

  • -Improve the first five yards
  • -Develop quick feet then drive
  • -Practise a strong start position

Setup

  1. 1Ladder at the start with a ten yard sprint zone after it.
  2. 2Cones marking start and finish.
  3. 3Two lanes to keep the group moving.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Quick feet through the ladder then explode into a ten yard sprint.
  2. 2Walk back to recover fully.
  3. 3Six to eight repetitions.
  4. 4Add a 90 or 180 degree turn into every repetition before the finish.

Coaching points

  • -Drive the knees and pump the arms
  • -Lean forward out of the ladder
  • -Full recovery to keep the quality high
  • -Low hips and a short braking step before the turn
  • -Push off the outside foot to exit

Common mistakes

  • -Slowing at the end of the ladder
  • -Standing upright on the first strides
  • -Short rests and dropping quality

Where this drill fits

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