Reaction and Acceleration Race
A lead player jogs to the middle cone, throws a fake or two, and sprints for a corner — trying to beat the follower there, with five pushups on the line.
The race pits the leader's body fakes and quick sprint against the follower's quick reaction and acceleration — building both on every turn.
Set up · 3 actions · before the kids arrive
- Grab: Cones for the grid and its center, and balls for the later rounds.
- Build: Build a grid 30 by 30 yards with one cone directly in the middle.
- Place: Split the team up evenly on the four corners — no balls to begin; they join later in the drill.
Show me the setup picture
One thing to remember: Reaction time and acceleration — body fakes and feints, quick sprints out of the fake, and quick reactions; dribbling joins the same race when the balls come in.
How it runs — the whole game in one sentence
A leader and follower jog to the middle cone; the leader fakes and sprints for one of two corners, trying to arrive first — five pushups if the follower wins — and jobs switch after a few rounds.
1Organize the players▾
Coach does
Split the team evenly on the four corners. Players 1 and 2 are the lead players and players 3 and 4 are the followers — the diagram shows which line is which — and everyone returns to their same line after each turn.
Coach says
Four even lines on the corners. Two lines lead, two lines chase — and you always come back to your own line.
2Show the jobs▾
Coach does
Walk one turn — the leader and their follower jog toward the middle cone together; at the cone the leader makes a fake, or two, and sprints to either of the two target cones. The leader's goal is to make it to the cone before the follower — if the follower beats them there, the leader does five pushups.
Coach says
Jog in together. Leader — fake, then go! Get to your cone first or it's five pushups.
3Play▾
Coach does
Run the turns and keep the lines moving. Watch the two jobs — leaders using body fakes and feints then quickly sprinting to the cone, followers reacting quickly and accelerating to beat them.
Coach says
Sell that fake with your whole body! Followers — react and go!
Look for: The fake sold before the sprint — and the follower reading it, reacting quickly, and accelerating to answer.
4Switch and repeat▾
Coach does
Switch the leaders and followers after a few rounds so every player gets a chance to lead and follow. Then add the balls — dribble in, make a fake, and beat the follower to the cone.
Coach says
Switch jobs! Next round the balls come in — dribble, fake, and beat them to your cone.
If it's not working
If the lines tangle over who runs next, freeze it and ask — which lines lead, which follow, and where do you go when your turn ends? Let them answer, then play on.
Want to go deeper? Optional — not needed to run the game.