Zone Coverage Shadows
Positioning
Legend
- player
- defender
- cones
- movement path
How it works
Practice covering defensive zones by moving between shadow positions as a parent moves the ball across the field.
What you need
- soccer ball
- cones
Your focus
Defensive positioning requires continuous adjustment to the ball's location. Defenders who don't shift position as the ball moves leave gaps. This drill builds instinctive zone awareness.
Parent holds the ball and moves it slowly across a 10-yard line.
Player shadows the ball's position, staying 5 yards away at a goal-side angle.
Every 3 seconds, parent moves the ball to a new position, player adjusts immediately.
Parent occasionally plays the ball forward (rolls it), player must sprint to close.
4 rounds of 30 seconds with 20 seconds rest.
Goal
You've nailed it when you're always in the correct defensive angle before the parent stops moving.
Helpful cues
- Move when the ball moves, don't wait
- Stay at a 45-degree defensive angle to the ball
- Narrow when ball is far, wide when ball is near
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Parent moves the ball slowly and pauses.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Parent adds a second ball, player must track both.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.