Shuttle relay races
Teams race over 5, 10 and 15 metre shuttles, touching each line. Short, sharp and competitive, with a ball version to keep it football-specific.
Your assistant coach: turn this drill into a full session, plan the weeks around it and tell me how it went.
Set-up
- Cones at 0, 5, 10 and 15 metres in each lane.
- Teams of 3 or 4 in a queue at the start.
Equipment: Cones, balls
How it works
- Sprint to the 5 m cone and back, then 10 m and back, then 15 m and back.
- Tag the next teammate; first team done wins.
- Ball version: dribble the shuttles, stopping the ball on each line.
Coaching points
- Low and quick on the turns.
- Plant the outside foot to change direction.
- Rest fully between races: it's about quality speed.
Add this drill to a session plan โ
Make it easier
- Two distances only
Make it harder
- Dribble version
- Backwards on the way out
AttackersDefendersKeeper / neutral- - โ Passโ Runใฐโ Dribble
Free AI coaching help from Gafferbook. Ask anything about coaching your team.
More fitness and agility drills
Zig-zag agility and finish
Players sprint through a zig-zag of cones, receive a pass and shoot. Agility work with a football reward at the end, so it never feels like running for the sake of it.
See the drill โReaction races
Partners start in funny positions (sitting, lying, facing away) and race to a ball or gate when the coach calls. Short sprints, quick reactions and lots of competition.
See the drill โ4v4 intervals (fitness through football)
Short, intense 4v4 games with full rests between. Builds match fitness with the ball, which is how youth players should get fit.
See the drill โMirror me (pairs agility)
One player moves side to side and forwards and back between cones; their partner mirrors every move. Quick feet, reactions and the defensive footwork used in 1v1s.
See the drill โAgility, balance and coordination circuit
A circuit of short stations: hopping, jumping, side-stepping, balancing and a ball skill at the end. Builds the ABCs (agility, balance, coordination) that young players need for everything else.
See the drill โDribble shuttles
Dribble to a line, turn and back, increasing the distance each time. Conditioning and close control together, and the turns make it football-specific.
See the drill โ