• Drill Type
  • Football Coaching Focus
Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill football drill
Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill visual

What is Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill?

Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill is a free football drill on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub for football coaching work. Use the setup notes and coaching cues below to add it to this week’s practice plan.

  • Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill is part of FantasyHQ’s free football drills library.
  • Focus: Football Coaching.

How to run this drill

Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill is built for youth, high-school, and volunteer coaches who need clear drill language — not a random cone circuit. Beginners can install the first progression; experienced staffs can layer competition.

  1. Read the purpose once, then walk the setup on air before live tempo.
  2. Demonstrate one clean rep so players see landmarks, pad level, and finish.
  3. Run short competitive periods — quality reps beat long lines.
  4. Close with one coaching cue players can repeat in the huddle next period.

Full drill

Try these [tag]football cone drills[/tag] are especially effective for coaching your [tag]defensive backs[/tag]. These are great EDD drills that only takes a few minutes a day and really pays off during those rainy games.

“Zig Zag Drill”
1. Two lines of parallel cones five yards apart.
2. Each straight line contains 6 to 8 cones 5 yards apart.
3. The parallel lines are staggered so that there is a cone every 2 1/2 yards between them.
4. Players form a line at one end, straddling the cone with one hand on the cone the player waits for the whistle.
5. On the whistle, the first [tag]football[/tag] player sprints at a 45 deg to the parallel line, breaks down, staddles the cone, touches with the hand, and breaks at another 45 deg to the next cone in the first line (“zig zag”)
6. Once the first player reaches the second cone in the first line, the [tag]football coach[/tag] blows the whistle for the next player in line to take the same course. The players continue to zig zag down the line of cones until all players end up at the opposite end of all the cones.

Coaching point:
A. Coach should be at the far end of the cones facing the players.
B. Shoulders of the players should always face forward to the coach.
C. Players eyes must always be on the coaches eyes.
D. Players must break down, drop hips and straddle cone before each change of direction. Never reaching to touch the cone (creates off balance)
E. The players should all look uniform (moving left to right) as they’re making their way through the zig zag.

Coaching tips

  • Keep one cue per rep so kids hear the same language every time.
  • Film the first live set; pause on footwork and finish, not just the ball.
  • Pair this drill with a matching play install so practice transfers to game day.
Free drill sheet · Inbox

Youth Football Drills

Practice drills without the clipboard chaos

Setup notes, coaching cues, and weekly drill ideas for youth staffs — free, no spam.

Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill FAQ

What is the Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill drill?
Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill is a free football drill on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub for football coaching work. Use the setup notes and coaching cues below to add it to this week’s practice plan.
Who should use this football drill?
Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill is built for youth, high-school, and volunteer coaches who need clear drill language — not a random cone circuit. Beginners can install the first progression; experienced staffs can layer competition.
How do I run Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill in practice?
Read the purpose once, then walk the setup on air before live tempo. Demonstrate one clean rep so players see landmarks, pad level, and finish. Run short competitive periods — quality reps beat long lines.
Is this drill free?
Yes. Browse FantasyHQ football drills, youth plays, and coaching guides free on Football Coaching.

Guide · Football Coaching

Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill

Football Cone Drills – Zig Zag Drill is a free football drill on FantasyHQ’s Football Coaching hub for football coaching work. Use the setup notes and coaching cues below to add it to this week’s practice plan.

Try these [tag]football cone drills[/tag] are especially effective for coaching your [tag]defensive backs[/tag]. These are great EDD drills that only takes a few minutes a day and really pays off during those rainy…

What you get

Practice drills with setup notes, youth play diagrams ranked easy to hard, FLAG and tackle coaching guides, and a path into live NFL coaching staffs.

Categories

Football Coaching Football Drills