Elusive Feet: Sidestep and Change of Pace Through Cones

In coned lanes, students practice rugby evasion footwork: sidestep, change of pace and swerve. It prepares ankles and knees for the changes of direction in the game.

How to play

1. Easy jog through the lanes with ankle and hip mobility (2 min).
2. Sidestep: at each cone, plant hard on one foot and push off the other way (2 min).
3. Change of pace: slow jog to the disc, then a five-step burst (2 min).
4. Swerve: run straight at the cone and bend away in a curve without slowing (2 min).
5. Free combo: each student links two moves and their partner guesses which ones (2 min).

Rules

• One student per lane at a time; the next goes when the first passes the second cone.
• Keep your knee over your foot when you plant, not caving in.
• Walk back on the outside of the lanes.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair users: zigzags and stops in a wider lane.
• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: signal changes with a raised arm.
• Students with knee discomfort: only change of pace and swerve, no sharp sidestep.

Learning goals

• Perform the sidestep with a firm plant.
• Tell the difference between change of pace and change of direction.
• Prepare the joints for the game.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 30
• disc cones: 20

Teacher tip

Set up 5–6 lanes so no one waits more than ten seconds. Common mistake: slowing before the cone; ask for the plant to land right beside it.

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