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Defending & Winning the BallFitness & AgilityMovement Off the BallFoundationalIntermediateWarm-UpFocused Drill
The Defensive T-Drill: Closing & Jockeying
5-10 minutes Solo, Partner, Group 4 cones, 1 soccer ball (optional)
Watch the Drill
Listen to your Coach
Coach Carter
A short spoken walk-through of this drill.
Goal
Develop quick closing speed followed by controlled, balanced footwork to keep an attacker in front of you.
Setup
Place 3 cones in a line 3 yards apart. Place a 4th cone 5 yards away from the middle cone to form a 'T' shape.
Drill Instructions
1. Start at the top middle of the T. 2. Sprint to the base of the T to 'close the space'. 3. Drop into a defensive stance, knees bent and body angled. 4. Jockey backwards at a 45-degree angle to one of the outside cones. 5. Shuffle sideways back to the middle and repeat to the other side.
Coach Tip
Stay on the balls of your feet and keep your hips low—never let your heels touch the ground or your feet cross.
Avoid
Avoid standing upright or lunging forward; this makes it easy for attackers to unbalance you.
Adjust on the fly
Make it easier
Slow down the movements to focus on correct body posture and foot placement rather than speed.
Make it harder
Add a partner with a ball who reacts to your movement, or increase the distance between the cones to build leg endurance.
Court diagram coming soon
Ready to train?
Add this drill to your Active Drills to start tracking time and progress.
AI Coach feedback
Upload or record a clip of yourself on this drill and your AI coach will spot what's working and what to fix next.
Setup
Place 3 cones in a line 3 yards apart. Place a 4th cone 5 yards away from the middle cone to form a 'T' shape.
Drill Instructions
1. Start at the top middle of the T. 2. Sprint to the base of the T to 'close the space'. 3. Drop into a defensive stance, knees bent and body angled. 4. Jockey backwards at a 45-degree angle to one of the outside cones. 5. Shuffle sideways back to the middle and repeat to the other side.
Goal
Develop quick closing speed followed by controlled, balanced footwork to keep an attacker in front of you.
Coach Tip
Stay on the balls of your feet and keep your hips low—never let your heels touch the ground or your feet cross.
Avoid
Avoid standing upright or lunging forward; this makes it easy for attackers to unbalance you.
Adjust on the fly
Make it easier
Slow down the movements to focus on correct body posture and foot placement rather than speed.
Make it harder
Add a partner with a ball who reacts to your movement, or increase the distance between the cones to build leg endurance.
Watch the Drill
Court diagram coming soon
Listen to your Coach
Coach Carter
A short spoken walk-through of this drill.
Ready to train?
Add this drill to your Active Drills to start tracking time and progress.
AI Coach feedback
Upload or record a clip of yourself on this drill and your AI coach will spot what's working and what to fix next.