15 Best Ladder Drills for Soccer to Improve Footwork and Warm Up

Footwork is one of the most important parts of any sport, especially soccer, where you’re constantly running and controlling or kicking a soccer ball. To improve as a soccer player and to get in better shape, the most important things to focus on include your talent, mindset, athleticism, fitness, and recovery habits off the field.

Footwork falls under the athleticism category, and it’s either your greatest weapon or your biggest weakness on the field because every action in soccer starts with your feet and from the ground up. No matter your position or playing level, mastering quick directional changes, controlled movements, and explosive footwork separates elite players from average ones, and this all comes down to training your balance, footwork, speed, and agility.

One of the best ways to improve all of these athletic traits, especially if you’re a youth player or beginner, is by using a training ladder. A training agility ladder is an excellent tool for improving speed, developing fast feet, and improving lower-body quickness and coordination.

Although some ladder, plyometrics, and agility drills are helpful, players must first develop a strong athletic foundation through fascia training, breath training, mental training, and prioritizing recovery off the field to maximize the effectiveness of doing ladder drills. You also don’t have to spend more than 5-10 minutes using a training ladder, and it’s actually most effective when it’s used during a warm-up or before you move on to the main parts of a training session.

In this blog post, I will be going over the best soccer ladder drills that are important for players to develop basic footwork and coordination.

What are the Best Agility Ladder Drills for Soccer?

The following speed ladder drills can be done by using either a straight-line ladder or a circular ladder, which can add variety to your training. If you do not have a ladder at all, you can also use cones instead, or other agility training equipment like hexagonal or circular rings

Some other tips to keep in mind before you begin are to maintain proper form throughout all of the exercises, as well as to change the leading foot. For example, you can do two sets of each exercise and one time lead with your left foot and then lead with your right foot, if it applies to that exercise.

2 Feet Forward High Knees Drill

Step both feet into each ring while moving forward and keeping your knees high,

2 Feet Lateral High Knees Drill

Now, going laterally, step both feet into each rung, keeping your knees high until you get to the end of the ladder

Icky Shuffle / In & Out

Step one foot in, bring the other foot in, then step the first foot out to the side, alternating sides as you move forward through the ladder.

Backwards Icky Shuffle

Same as above, step one foot in, bring the other foot in, then step the first foot out to the side, alternating sides as you move backwards through the ladder.

Jumping Jacks / In n Out

To begin this drill, start with both feet inside of the first square of the ladder, then jump forward and place both feet outside of the next square, then once you jump again, you will bring your feet in and repeat this process as you move up the ladder

Single Leg In & Out

Start with one foot outside the rung and one foot inside. As you move up the ladder, stay on your toes and alternate placing your foot inside and outside each rung while keeping your balance and moving forward with each step

Lateral In & Out

Moving sideways, step both feet into the rung, then step both feet out to the sides, and repeat this in-in-out-out pattern as you move up through the ladder.

Two Forwards, One Backwards

Step both feet forward into two consecutive rungs, then take one step backward into the previous rung, and repeat until you reach the end

Crossover

Start laterally and put one foot in immediately, followed by putting the other foot across the body

Hip Twist

Jump and twist your hips as you step through the ladder, bringing your feet in and out of the rungs.

Carioca

Step sideways with a crossover motion, moving forward and diagonally through the ladder.

Foot exchange

Move laterally through the ladder and place both feet in each grid of the ladder and this time alternating feet

Two Footed Hop

Hop both feet together over each rung, landing in the next space and having a very low contact time, meaning as soon as you hit the ground, you jump back up forwards and diagonally through the ladder

One Footed Hop

This is the same drill as above, where you will be hopping through the ladder, but this time, one foot at a time

Two Forwards, One Backwards Hop

Hop forward with both feet into two consecutive rungs, then hop backward one rung,

Final Thoughts

To summarize, cone drills and ladder drills can help improve basic footwork and coordination, especially for youth soccer players and beginners, but they work best when combined with actual soccer-specific training and small-sided games. The key is maintaining proper form over speed and incorporating these agility ladder drills consistently during your warm-ups rather than treating them as a standalone workout.

Remember, the goal isn’t just to move quickly through the ladder—it’s to develop the fast feet, lateral movement, and change of direction skills that translate directly to better performance on the field.

FAQs

Are ladder drills good for soccer?

Ladder drills are good for soccer players, but especially for youth players and complete beginners, because they train fundamental movement skills like coordination, foot speed, and agility in a controlled environment. Ladder drills are most effective when used as a 5-10 minute warm-up tool before moving into soccer-specific drills with the ball, rather than as the main focus of training.

While ladder drills can improve your basic coordination and footwork, remember that they should complement, not replace, actual ball work against live opponents, since the best way to improve is by playing with the soccer ball.

What is the best drill for soccer?

The best drill for soccer is not necessarily a drill, and it is going to be any form of unstructured play, such as real games, small-sided games, pickup games, or even backyard kickarounds, where you’re constantly making decisions with the ball at your feet. These game-like situations force you to read the game, react to opponents, and develop soccer IQ in ways that structured drills simply can’t replicate.

While drills like ladder work, passing exercises, and cone drills have their place in building specific skills and athleticism, nothing develops a complete soccer player faster than actually playing the game itself against higher-level players.

What is the best training gear for performing ladder drills for soccer?

The most essential piece of training gear for doing ladder drills is obviously having a high-quality agility ladder itself, along with comfortable cleats or training shoes that provide good traction for the surface you’re playing on. If you don’t have a ladder, you can use other training equipment and accessories like cones or rings to create a “ladder.”