Point and shuffle
Footwork drill for a child and a grown-up at home. Focus: stay low; push off, do not cross the feet.
What you need
- Players
- A child and a grown-up
- Time
- 3 to 5 min
- Level
- Beginner and intermediate
- Equipment
- Partner (parent)
- Ball fed by
- Not needed
- Space
- A clear room
- Ages
- 7 to 14
Setup
- A clear space about 4 m (13 ft) wide.
- The child in a ready position: feet wide, knees bent, arms out in front.
- The grown-up stands in front and calls "Left!" or "Right!".
How it runs
No ball needed. The child waits in a low ready position with the platform out. The grown-up calls a side and the child shuffles two quick steps that way, stops balanced, and shuffles back to the middle. It builds the quick, low feet that get a passer to the ball before it arrives.
Time and reps: 4 rounds of 20 s, 30 s rest.
Coaching points
- Low like a goalie, weight on the balls of your feet.
- Push off the far foot; never cross your feet.
- Stop balanced with your platform out, as if the ball is coming.
- Back to the middle fast, ready for the next call.
Ways to change it
- Easier: the grown-up points instead of calling, slowly.
- Harder: add "Up!" (two steps forward) and "Back!".
- Harder: call faster, or point one way and say the other.
Make it easier or harder
Make it easier
- Hold the ready position first, then add one shuffle at a time.
Make it harder
- Call two sides in a row before the child returns to the middle.
Terms on this page
- Platform
- The flat surface your forearms make when you pass: arms straight, thumbs side by side, angled at the target.
- Ready position
- A low stance with the feet wide, the knees bent and the hands out in front.
Safety at home
Clear the space and use a non-slip floor or grass: shoes, or bare feet on a non-slip surface, never socks on a smooth floor.
- Keep the steps short and quick.
- Stop when the steps get sloppy.
