Purpose

To work on speed, agility, and tackling technique

Drill Setup

  • Place 4 cones in a zig zag pattern, roughly 5 yards apart from each other.
  • Place a tackling dummy about 7 yards from the last cone, and have the players form a line 3-4 yards from the 1st cone.

How it Works

  1. On coach’s signal, first player in line will sprint forward to 1st cone, before backpedaling to the 2nd, continuing like this until the 4th cone.
  2. The player will then explode forward toward the tackling dummy, finishing the rep with a form tackle, drill continues with the next player in line.

Coaching Tips

  • This drill isn’t just for linebackers – any defensive player who plays off the ball will need to hone the ability to track the ball and come up to make a tackle.
  • To add an extra wrinkle, you can have players work on their lateral agility by having them shuffle sideways between the cones instead of sprinting and backpedaling.