Agility Ladder Scissors
Build quick, coordinated footwork.
What this drill teaches
Quick, precise feet. The ladder's rungs punish sloppy steps immediately, so players learn to place their feet fast AND accurately — the combination games actually demand.
In games: Quick feet show up everywhere on game day — closeouts that arrive on balance, cuts that lose a defender, slides that stay in front of the dribbler.
- Light, quiet steps on the balls of the feet
- Clean patterns before speed gets added
- Arms pumping instead of hanging
U10: walk each pattern first — tangled feet are normal. U14–U16: expect full-speed patterns, explosive sprint finishes and the ball-in-hands version.
Equipment
agility ladder or cones
Setup
Lay a ladder flat. Form one or two lines.
Steps
- 1Scissors: one foot in, one foot out, down the ladder.
- 2Two feet in every rung, as fast as you can.
- 3Lateral in-in-out-out down the ladder.
- 4Finish with an explosive sprint off the end.
Coaching points
- Stay light on the balls of your feet.
- Pump the arms.
- Quality first, then add speed.
Why kids love it
Fast-feet patterns feel like a challenge and improve real court quickness.
Variations
Walk the pattern first to learn it.
Finish every pattern with a two-step sprint and a jump stop on the coach's call.
Hold a ball in two hands through the whole ladder so the feet work without the arms helping.