Footwork drill
Shadow Run
Build continuous evasive movement with a live shadow behind you.
- Time
- 15 minutes
- Players
- 2 to 10 players
- Intensity
- High
- Equipment
- Ball, cones
- Space
- 20m x 20m grid
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
A 20m x 20m grid and one ball per pair.
How to run it
- The ball carrier sprints with continuous evasive movement while their partner shadows about 1m behind, copying every move.
- Work 5-15 seconds per rep with equal recovery, then swap roles, 6-10 reps each.
- Carry the ball in two hands with your head up and eyes open.
- Progress it two ways: have the carrier turn, set and pass to the partner who becomes the runner; or start the partner in front so that if the carrier beats them the roles reverse - that second version turns it into a genuine reactive one-on-one rather than a shadowing exercise.
Coaching cues
- Ball in two hands throughout
- Head up, eyes open
- Progress to the partner in front for a real contest
Common mistakes
- Shadowing so close that the carrier cannot commit to a real plant
- Running in predictable arcs rather than genuine changes of direction
Related drills
- One-on-One EvasionBeat a live defender in a confined space, which is the real skill cone work only imitates.
- Narrowing Channel EvasionFind the exact width at which your evasion breaks down, and then train there.
- Evading the PlayerBeat a defender inside a channel that forces you to step rather than run around.
- Reactive Side-Step vs DefenderTrain the reactive cut, which is mechanically a different movement from a pre-planned one.
- The StepGroove the side step - the plant, the lean and the acceleration out of it.
- Cue Cone AgilityPattern the deceleration and lateral cut that a genuine side step is built on.