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Speed & Agility

Acceleration Ladders: Reaction Start

Improve the first five yards

Speed & Agility
Warm Ups
Premium

Acceleration Ladders: Reaction Start 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
Reaction Speed
Competitive

Duration

12 min

Players

2-20

Pitch size

25 x 10 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Pitch diagram

Pitch set-up: Acceleration Ladders: Reaction Start12325 x 10 yards

Acceleration Ladders: Reaction Start — 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. Every repetition begins from a visual or audio cue rather than a set count.
  • 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. 4Every repetition begins from a visual or audio cue rather than a set count.

Coaching points

  • -Drive the knees and pump the arms
  • -Lean forward out of the ladder
  • -Full recovery to keep the quality high
  • -Load the first step and explode on the cue
  • -Stay light on the toes while waiting

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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