Cone Steal | Friends | WorkOnFitness

Quick Intro

Cone Steal is a reaction race. A single cone sits on the ground with the two partners the same distance from it, approaching from two sides at a right angle, in a ready stance. At an unpredictable moment, a third person or a timed sound calls “go”. Both react and sprint for the cone, and whoever gets a hand on it first wins the point. The first to an agreed number of points, often five, wins the match.

Reacting to a sound and exploding into a sprint from a ready stance is covered at Reactive Agility — Auditory Cue. This guide covers the game: setting the distance, calling fairly, what counts as a grab and keeping it a race to the cone.

What You’ll Need

One training cone.
A flat, non-slip space about seven metres square.
A third person to call “go”, or a phone app that plays a sound after a random delay.

How to Play

Place the cone on the ground and mark two start lines the same distance from it, set at a right angle to each other, so the two paths meet only at the cone and never head on. Four to six metres from the cone is a good start.
Both partners stand behind their own line, facing the cone, in an athletic ready stance.
The caller waits a random few seconds, then says “go”, or the app sounds.
Both sprint to the cone. The first hand on it wins the point.
Walk back to your lines and reset.
Play until someone reaches the agreed number of points.

What Counts

First hand on the cone wins the point. Once one hand is on it, the round is over.
No pulling once it is grabbed. The other partner does not try to take it.
No early starts. Moving before the call is a false start, and the point goes to the other partner.
A true tie is replayed.

The caller judges who touched first. Without a caller, agree that close calls are replayed.

A Race to the Cone

Grabbing the cone is fine. Grabbing, blocking or bumping the other person is not. Both people are running toward the same spot at speed, so arriving together is common, and that is where the game can go wrong. Both reach for the cone with one hand and nothing else. That is why the start lines sit at a right angle: two runners coming from different sides reach in from their own side, and nobody runs straight into the other. Slow down in the last stride so you can stop at the cone. If close arrivals still end in a bump, shorten the lines a little, which lowers the speed at the cone.

Calling Fairly

The caller’s job is to be unpredictable. Vary the wait, sometimes one second and sometimes five, so neither partner can guess. Use the same word every time. Say it clearly and loudly enough that both hear it at the same moment, and stand where both partners are the same distance from you, so neither is closer to the voice.

An app with a random delay removes any suspicion of favouritism and works well when there is no third person.

Making It Fair

The handicap is distance. The slower partner starts slightly closer to the cone, with the difference agreed before the match. Half a metre makes a difference over five metres. Adjust after a few rounds if one person wins every point. For more on this kind of handicap, see Training With a Friend.

Staying Safe

Clear, non-slip approach on both sides of the cone.
No contact. One hand to the cone, nothing to the partner.
Stop at the cone. Decelerate as you reach, and do not dive.
Warm up first. Short reactive sprints are hard on cold hamstrings.

Common Mistakes

Guessing the call. It costs a false start. Wait for the sound.
Standing too tall. You react slower. Stay low in a ready stance.
Reaching with the whole body. Stay on your feet and reach with one hand.
Lines too close. At very short distances the game is decided by reaction alone, with almost no sprint.

Fitting It Into a Session

Cone Steal makes a good short round between longer exercises, or a lively warm-up contest. It is high in focus and short in effort, so five to ten points per match is plenty. Ideas for what to play around it are in Building a Partner Session.

Getting Better Over Time

Track wins and losses each session. Once the slower partner starts winning half the points, remove part of the handicap.

Cone Steal Crawl plays a version on hands and feet in a bear crawl.
Cone Touch Reactive Call has one partner call a cone for the other to sprint to.
Ball Drop Sprint is a short hand-reaction game.
False Start Sprint Drill plays with the start call in a sprint.

FAQ

What if we both grab the cone at the same time?

Replay the point.

Can we play without a third person?

Yes, with a phone app that sounds after a random delay. Avoid having one of the players call, since they will always react first.

How far should the start lines be?

Four to six metres from the cone each side. Further apart makes it more of a sprint and less of a reaction test.