Cone drills are agility training exercises that use cones as markers to define a course requiring full-speed sprinting, deceleration, and change of direction. They are the primary tool for developing the athletic qualities most directly relevant to team sport performance — the ability to accelerate, change direction, and decelerate under the forces and speeds that competition demands.
Cone Drills Versus Ladder Drills: An Important Distinction
As covered in the ladder drill article on this site, ladder drills develop foot speed, coordination, and movement pattern fluency through precise foot contacts in a low-force, low-speed context. They are valuable warm-up and coordination tools.
Cone drills are categorically different. They involve:
Full sprint speed: Cone drills require genuine acceleration to near-maximum speed between cones, producing the ground reaction forces and neuromuscular demands of actual sport movement.
High-force deceleration: Stopping or changing direction from sprint speed requires the eccentric lower limb strength covered in the deceleration training exercises article on this site. This high-force demand is absent from ladder drills.
Reactive and planned change of direction: Cone drills can be pre-programmed (athlete knows the course) or reactive (athlete responds to a signal at a cone), developing both planned agility and reactive agility.
Measurable performance benchmarks: Cone drill times (5-10-5, T-drill, L-drill) are used as athletic performance tests in professional sport combine testing worldwide. Ladder drill times are not.
This distinction means cone drills and ladder drills are complementary rather than interchangeable — ladder drills warm up the foot speed system; cone drills train the speed and power system.
The Athletic Qualities Cone Drills Develop
Linear acceleration: The sprint between cones develops the first-step quickness and acceleration mechanics needed for sport.
Deceleration and braking: As covered in the deceleration training exercises article on this site, the ability to decelerate from sprint speed to a controlled stop is one of the most undertrained athletic qualities. Every cone drill change of direction requires it.
Change of direction speed (CODS): The mechanical efficiency of the plant-and-cut — how quickly and sharply the athlete can redirect momentum — is the primary quality developed by cone drills.
Reactive agility: When cone drills include a decision-making element (responding to a coach signal rather than a pre-planned course), they develop the reactive agility that separates good movers from great ones in competition.
Sport-specific conditioning: Cone drills performed in the work-to-rest ratios of the relevant sport develop the specific energy system demands of that sport.
The Essential Cone Drills
Drill 1: 5-10-5 Shuttle (Pro Agility Drill)
The most widely used cone drill in professional sport combine testing, specifically developing lateral change of direction from a stationary start.
Setup: Three cones in a straight line, 5 yards (4.5 metres) apart.
How to do it:
- Straddle the middle cone in a two-point or three-point stance
- Sprint to the right cone (5 yards)
- Touch the cone with the right hand and immediately change direction
- Sprint to the left cone (10 yards, passing the starting cone)
- Touch the left cone and immediately change direction
- Sprint back through the middle cone (5 yards) to finish
Technical requirements:
- The starting stance matters: a two-point athletic stance (hips down, weight on balls of feet) or a three-point stance (hand on floor) allows a more explosive first step than standing upright
- The plant at each cone must be a sharp, outside-foot plant — not a rounded arc
- The hand touch is not optional — it forces the athlete to decelerate sufficiently to control the direction change
- The sprint out of each cone should reach maximum effort within 2 to 3 steps
Performance benchmarks:
- NFL combine average: approximately 4.4 seconds
- Recreational athlete target: under 5.0 seconds
- Good recreational performance: 4.5 to 4.8 seconds
Sets: 4 to 6 attempts with 90 seconds full recovery between
Why this drill specifically: The 5-10-5 tests and develops the most common athletic movement in team sports — accelerating, decelerating, and changing direction laterally. It is short enough to produce maximum effort on every attempt and measurable enough to track improvement.
Drill 2: T-Drill
Combines forward sprint, lateral shuffle, and backpedal in a single course testing multiple movement qualities simultaneously.
Setup: Four cones in a T shape.
- Cone A: Base of the T (starting cone)
- Cone B: 10 yards directly ahead of Cone A
- Cone C: 5 yards to the left of Cone B
- Cone D: 5 yards to the right of Cone B
How to do it:
- Sprint from Cone A to Cone B (10 yards)
- Touch Cone B and shuffle left to Cone C (5 yards) — do not cross the feet
- Touch Cone C and shuffle right past Cone B to Cone D (10 yards total)
- Touch Cone D and shuffle left back to Cone B (5 yards)
- Touch Cone B and backpedal to Cone A (10 yards)
Technical requirements:
- The shuffle between cones must maintain the body facing forward — feet never crossing
- Each cone touch must be a genuine deceleration and direction change, not a rounded arc
- The backpedal to Cone A should be controlled — rushing it and stumbling adds time
Performance benchmarks:
- Elite athlete target: under 9.0 seconds
- Good recreational performance: 9.5 to 11.0 seconds
Sets: 4 to 6 with 90 seconds recovery
Drill 3: L-Drill (3-Cone Drill)
Specifically develops the ability to accelerate through a tight turn — relevant to route-running in American football, cutting in soccer, and any sport requiring 180-degree direction changes.
Setup: Three cones in an L shape.
- Cone A: Starting cone
- Cone B: 5 yards directly ahead of Cone A
- Cone C: 5 yards to the right of Cone B
How to do it:
- Sprint from Cone A to Cone B (5 yards)
- Touch Cone B and sprint back to Cone A (5 yards)
- Sprint again from Cone A to Cone B (5 yards)
- Turn tightly around the outside of Cone B and sprint to Cone C (5 yards)
- Loop tightly around Cone C and sprint back through Cone B to finish
Technical requirements:
- The tight turns around Cones B and C are the defining feature of this drill
- The athlete must lean into the turn while maintaining speed — standing up straight to negotiate the cone kills momentum
- Use the outside foot as the plant and lean the body into the inside of the turn
Performance benchmarks:
- NFL combine average: approximately 7.0 to 7.2 seconds
- Good recreational performance: 7.5 to 8.5 seconds
Sets: 4 to 6 with 90 seconds recovery
Drill 4: Box Drill (Four-Corner Drill)
Develops multi-directional movement by requiring four different movement patterns across a square course.
Setup: Four cones in a square, 5 yards apart on each side.
How to do it:
- Sprint forward from Cone A to Cone B (5 yards)
- Shuffle right from Cone B to Cone C (5 yards)
- Backpedal from Cone C to Cone D (5 yards)
- Carioca (grapevine step) from Cone D back to Cone A (5 yards)
Variation — called box drill:
A coach calls a direction (forward, shuffle right, shuffle left, backpedal) as the athlete reaches each cone, adding a reactive element.
Technical requirements:
- Maximum effort on the sprint leg
- Controlled, body-facing-forward shuffle
- Controlled backpedal without losing balance
- Rhythmic carioca with the hips rotating smoothly
Sets: 4 to 6 with 60 seconds recovery
Drill 5: Star Drill (Five-Cone Reactive Drill)
As covered in the footwork drills article on this site (the reactive cone sprint), the star drill develops reactive acceleration to multiple directions from a central starting position.
Setup: Five cones — one in the centre, four at the corners of a 5-yard square.
How to do it:
- Begin at the centre cone in the athletic stance
- Coach calls a number (1 to 4, each corresponding to a corner cone)
- Sprint to the called cone, touch it, and sprint back to centre
- Coach calls the next cone immediately upon the athlete’s return
- Continue for 6 to 8 calls per set
Why this drill is specifically valuable: The reactive element eliminates anticipation — the athlete cannot pre-plan the movement. This most closely replicates the reactive agility demands of game situations.
Sets: 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 calls with 90 seconds recovery
Drill 6: Illinois Agility Test Drill
A longer course that tests sustained agility over a more complex pattern, widely used as a fitness and agility assessment.
Setup:
- Two cones 10 metres apart (start and finish)
- Four cones in a line between them, 3.3 metres apart and 1.2 metres to the side
How to do it:
- Start lying face down at the start cone
- On the signal, jump up and sprint to the first centre cone
- Weave through the four centre cones (slalom)
- Sprint to the far end cone
- Sprint back to the first centre cone
- Weave back through the centre cones in the other direction
- Sprint to the finish
Performance benchmarks (male):
- Excellent: under 15.2 seconds
- Good: 15.2 to 16.1 seconds
- Average: 16.2 to 18.1 seconds
Performance benchmarks (female):
- Excellent: under 17.0 seconds
- Good: 17.0 to 17.9 seconds
- Average: 18.0 to 21.7 seconds
Sets: 3 to 4 with 2 minutes recovery (longer recovery needed due to the greater duration)
Drill 7: Flying 10 (Acceleration Cone Drill)
A speed development drill rather than a change of direction drill, developing the acceleration phase of sprinting.
Setup: Three cones in a line — Cone A (start), Cone B (20 metres ahead), Cone C (10 metres further).
How to do it:
- Begin a rolling start 20 metres behind Cone B (at Cone A)
- Accelerate progressively from Cone A to Cone B
- Sprint at maximum effort from Cone B to Cone C (the flying 10)
- The time between Cones B and C is the performance measure
Why this drill: The rolling start means the athlete reaches maximum velocity at Cone B, measuring pure top-speed sprint rather than acceleration from rest. This develops the maximum velocity phase of sprinting that cone change-of-direction drills do not specifically address.
Sets: 4 to 6 with 2 minutes full recovery (sprint speed requires more recovery)
Sport-Specific Cone Drill Applications
Football/Soccer: 5-10-5 and T-drill for lateral and multi-directional agility. Star drill with ball touch at each cone for combined technical and conditioning work.
Basketball: As covered in the dynamic warm ups for basketball article on this site, the T-drill and box drill specifically develop the defensive shuffle and multi-directional movement. Add a dribbling element for sport-specific integration.
Rugby and American football: L-drill for tight turning, 5-10-5 for lateral agility, flying 10 for speed development. Heavier athletes may require larger cone spacing.
Tennis: Box drill with specific footwork patterns (split step at each cone) for court movement development. Smaller cone spacing (3 yards) more appropriate for the distances of court movement.
Boxing and martial arts: Star drill with footwork pattern requirements (specific stance maintained) as covered in the why do boxers skip rope and footwork drills articles on this site.
Programming Cone Drills
Session structure:
- General warm-up: 5 minutes (light jogging, dynamic stretching)
- Ladder drills: 5 minutes (as covered in the ladder drill article on this site — foot speed activation)
- Cone drills: 15 to 20 minutes (the primary training stimulus)
- Speed development (flying 10 or short sprints): 10 minutes optional
- Cool-down
Frequency:
- Pre-season development: 2 to 3 cone drill sessions per week
- In-season maintenance: 1 to 2 sessions per week
- Allow 48 hours minimum between sessions — the high-speed deceleration forces require recovery time
Progressive overload:
- Week 1 to 2: Learn the course patterns at 80 percent effort, focusing on technique
- Week 3 to 4: Full effort, timed — establish baseline times
- Week 5 to 6: Add reactive elements (star drill, called box drill)
- Week 7 to 8: Combine cone drills with sport-specific skills (ball, opponent, decision)
Session placement:
Cone drills require full neuromuscular readiness. Place them at the start of a training session after the warm-up, before any fatiguing strength or conditioning work. As covered in the deceleration training exercises article on this site, high-speed deceleration performed while fatigued produces poor mechanics that increase injury risk.
Common Errors
Rounding the cones: Athletes arc around cones rather than planting sharply and redirecting. This adds time and eliminates the deceleration training stimulus.
Insufficient acceleration between cones: The sprint between cones should approach maximum effort. Half-speed cone drills develop half-speed agility.
Poor first step: The starting stance determines the first step quality. Practise explosive starts from the athletic stance before adding the full cone course.
Skipping recovery: Cone drills performed with insufficient recovery between sets produce fatigue-compromised mechanics rather than speed and agility development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between cone drills and ladder drills?
As covered in the ladder drill article on this site, ladder drills develop foot speed, coordination, and movement pattern fluency at low speed and low force. Cone drills develop change of direction speed, deceleration capacity, and reactive agility at full sprint speed and realistic athletic forces. Both are valuable — ladder drills warm up the coordination system; cone drills train the speed and power system. A complete agility session typically includes both.
How do I improve my 5-10-5 time?
The 5-10-5 time is determined by three factors: first-step explosiveness (improved by sprint starts and jumping exercises), deceleration quality at each cone (improved by the deceleration training exercises covered on this site), and the efficiency of the direction change plant (improved by practising the outside-foot plant technique repeatedly). Addressing all three produces the fastest improvement.
At what age should athletes start cone drills?
Cone drills at reduced intensity and distance are appropriate from approximately age 10 to 12, starting with the simpler courses (box drill, basic shuttle) before the more complex patterns. The deceleration forces of cone drills are significant, so technique instruction and gradual progression are important for young athletes. The star drill at reduced distance is particularly appropriate for youth athletes because the reactive element keeps the training engaging.