Four corners and quick feet
Ready when: nothing needed.
What you are learning
Quick feet and sharp changes of direction: stepping through a chalk ladder, then sprinting to a cone, planting the outside foot and cutting to the next. Receivers get free and defenders keep up with this footwork.
Words on this card Receiver, Slant, Plant, Agility ladder
- Receiver
- A player who runs to catch a pass.
- Slant
- Route names. Slant: a few steps, then a sharp diagonal cut. Hitch: run forward, stop and turn back. Out: run forward, then cut straight to the sideline. Post: run forward, then cut toward the middle of the goal end. Corner: run forward, then cut toward the far corner. Fly: run straight and fast.
- Plant
- Pushing hard off one foot to change direction sharply.
- Agility ladder
- A row of boxes on the ground for quick-feet steps.
Set up
Four cones or shoes in a 5-yard square; a chalk ladder of 8 boxes.
Weather: dry ground
Show it first for the one teaching
- Step through the ladder slowly: one foot in each box, then two feet in each box, then sideways.
- Stand in the middle of the square, low, feet apart.
- Sprint to one cone, plant the outside foot hard and push off toward the next.
Your part while they practise
Call each cone.
Step by step
- The chalk ladder: one foot in each box.
- Two feet in each box.
- Side steps through it.
- Four corners: sprint to the cone you hear, plant and cut to the next.
- Stay low; do not cross the feet.
How much: 4 rounds 6 min a session 3 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Corner call
You call a cone; the child must touch it before you count to 3.
Who plays: the child against you; swap so you run.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Number the cones 1 to 4
- The child starts in the middle
- Call a number and count "1, 2, 3"; the child touches that cone and comes back to the middle
- 10 calls
- Fair play
- A grown-up must touch the cone before "2".
- Points
- 1 point for each cone touched before "3".
- Fouls
- No point for that call
- Crossing the feet
- Going to the wrong cone
- Standing up tall instead of staying low
- Winning
- Beat your best from 10 calls.
- 5 points for 1 star
- 8 points for 2 stars
- 10 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Walk it.
Change the spacing or time it.
What you will see, and what to say
- the feet cross over
Feet apart, stay low
Shuffle, do not cross. - the turns are wide
Plant and cut sharp
Push off the outside foot.
Self-check
The four-corner drill done without crossing feet 3 times.
Stop and get a coach when
Pain in the knee or ankle.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains agility, change of direction.
Basic is done when the child meets the self-checks on b1 to b3.
awiseathlete.com/sports/flag-football/flag-football-b4