Break Down Drill
Setup
Player(s) simply stand roughly 12 yards in front of a coach.
Purpose
A lot of times, the wisest option for a defender charging towards a ball carrier is to break down and shuffle sideways in order to maintain his position in front of the ball carrier so that he does not miss the tackle. This drill works on the fitness and footwork involved in this situation.
Drill Description
Coaches signal for the player(s) to spring forward towards the coach while keeping their head up and eyes on the coach. After a few yards, the coach points to one side or the other. Players then break down from their sprint and begin shuffling to the side signaled by the coach.
After a few steps of shuffles, the coach then points in the other direction, and players reverse the direction of their shuffle.
The coach continues for a few more changes of direction before the drill is finished and reset.
