Shuffle Shuffle Sprint Drill for Linebackers
Updated · Fact checked
A linebacker's first steps on a run play usually go sideways. You shuffle with the ball carrier to keep your shoulders square and stay in your gap, then the moment the play declares you open your hips and run to the ball. This drill packs that whole sequence into one short rep: two quick shuffles, a crossover and a 10 yard sprint.
It is one of three speed drills in 440's linebacker training plan, alongside the 5-10-5 pro agility shuttle and a zone drop that finishes with a break on the ball.
How to do it
Set your stance
Start in a linebacker stance at the first cone: feet about shoulder width, knees bent, chest up and shoulders square to an imaginary line of scrimmage.
Shuffle twice
Take two fast lateral shuffles, pushing off the trail leg. Stay low and keep the feet from touching or crossing.
Open and cross over
Turn the hips toward the sprint lane and cross over with the trail leg. No false step backward.
Sprint 10 yards
Drive out of the turn and sprint through the cone at full speed. Walk back, rest and repeat to the other side.
- Sets and reps
- 4 reps of 10 yards at max effort, 60 seconds rest. Lighter weeks, including some in-season weeks, drop to 2 or 3 reps.
- Equipment
- 2 cones, 10 yards apart, A partner or coach to point the direction (optional)
- Muscles and skills
- Glutes, Adductors
- Used in these 440 plans
- Linebacker
Coaching cues and common mistakes
Coaching cues
- Two quick lateral shuffles
- Open the hip, cross over
- Sprint 10 yd out of the turn
Common mistakes
- Standing tall in the shuffle
- False step before the sprint
Why shuffle first
The shuffle keeps your chest facing the line of scrimmage, so you can still see the blockers and the back and you can go either way. Linebacker coaches drill it with the feet staying apart: a wide base, no clicking heels and no crossing over while you shuffle. Cross your feet too early and you have committed to one direction before the ball carrier has.
The sprint is the payoff. When the ball carrier commits outside, you can't shuffle fast enough to get there, so you turn and run. The skill is the transition: one shuffle too many and you are late, one too few and you over run the play.
Make it a read, not a race
Once the pattern is clean, have a coach or partner point the direction and give the go signal. Now you shuffle on the point and sprint on the second cue, which is closer to what happens on Friday night. Keep the sprint at full effort and rest fully between reps so every rep is fast.
FAQ
How far should you shuffle before you sprint?
Two quick shuffles, about a yard or two, then turn and sprint 10 yards. The point is a short, fast transition, so don't add extra shuffles to make the drill look smooth.
Should linebackers cross their feet in a shuffle?
No. Keep the feet apart and the shoulders square while you shuffle. You cross over only when you open your hips to run, which is the third step of this drill.
More linebacker drills
Build my position plan
Tell 440 your level, measurables and schedule. Get a daily position plan with loads, timers and demo videos, adjusted for your equipment, training phase and readiness.
Build my position planSources
- Linebacker Four Corner Drill, Glazier Clinics
- Linebacker Backpedal, Shuffle and Plant Drill, Glazier Clinics
Program numbers (benchmarks, sets, reps, loads, protein targets) are 440 Football's own prescriptions. For athletes 13 and older; check with a physician or a registered dietitian before major training or diet changes.