Speed & Agility
Shuttle Turns: Reaction Start
Improve deceleration and turning
Speed & Agility
Defending
Shuttle Turns: 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. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill librarySpeed & Agility
Defending
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Foundation Phase
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Reaction Speed
Competitive
Duration
12 min
Players
2-20
Pitch size
20 x 10 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Shuttle Turns: Reaction Start — Pairs facing each other · 20 x 10 yards
Step 1 of 4Sprint to each cone and back in sequence.
- 1. Sprint to each cone and back in sequence.
- 2. Touch the line with the foot at each turn.
- 3. Six repetitions with sixty seconds rest.
- 4. Every repetition begins from a visual or audio cue rather than a set count.
- Ball
- Pairs working across a marked lane
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Improve deceleration and turning
- -Repeat efforts at high speed
- -Build robustness in the change of direction
Setup
- 1Cones at 0, 5, 10 and 20 yards.
- 2Players in pairs at the start.
- 3Clear run-off space beyond the last cone.
Coaching instructions
- 1Sprint to each cone and back in sequence.
- 2Touch the line with the foot at each turn.
- 3Six repetitions with sixty seconds rest.
- 4Every repetition begins from a visual or audio cue rather than a set count.
Coaching points
- -Short chopping steps before the turn
- -Drop the hips to brake
- -Explode off the outside foot
- -Load the first step and explode on the cue
- -Stay light on the toes while waiting
Common mistakes
- -Rounded, lazy turns
- -Standing tall through the brake
- -Not touching the line