Mirror Drill - Movement Copying

Instructions

1. 1ATK drives forward with the ball while DEF mirrors in a low defensive stance
2. 2ATK reverses direction sharply to the upper left, testing DEF's lateral reaction speed
3. 3DEF shuffles to match ATK's new position, maintaining eyes locked on ATK's torso
4. 4ATK cuts again to the lower right, forcing DEF to change direction under pressure
5. 5DEF recovers to a centered stance, completing the mirror sequence at match tempo

Coaching Points

• Fix eyes on the attacker's chest, not the feet or the ball — the torso telegraphs every move first
• Stay in a low, wide defensive stance throughout; standing up lengthens reaction time significantly
• Take small, quick shuffles rather than large crossing steps — crossover steps get beaten by direction changes
• Attackers must be unpredictable: mix slow-fast-slow sequences to stress the defender's timing
• Progress from 50% speed to full speed over three rounds so the defender builds correct movement patterns

Common Mistakes

• Watching the attacker's feet or ball instead of the chest and hips for directional cues
• Standing upright instead of staying in a low, wide defensive stance
• Taking large crossover steps that get beaten by quick direction changes
• Attacker being too predictable with consistent speed and rhythm
• Defender lunging at the ball instead of maintaining proper mirror positioning