Here are a number of 10-20 minute footwork routines for individual and group practice that are most suited for foil fencing.

If you’re not familiar with the terms accelerated attack, foot tempo or taking over the attack see the article entitled Hungarian Method.

Tactical Practice

Practice each of the following for 1 to 2 minutes without stopping.

1. Advance a few times focusing on accelerating the advance each time. Now practice advance lunge, advance advance lunge, and so on up to five advances. Here we’re practicing the accelerated attack. Occasionally, stop when advancing to make sure that you have balance.
2. Now create the accelerated attack opportunity with a very relaxed and slow beginning (dropping the hand helps too) or change the rhythm of the advances (fast slow fast).
3. Retreat retreat lunge. Mix up the number of retreats from 1 to 5 before lunging. Here we’re practicing foot tempo actions. Make a single tempo lunge or hold the start of the lunge with a feint  and then deceive (the answer for an opponent making an invitation). Also practice beat attack. 
4. Make an active foot tempo by starting back with a half retreat to get the opponent to follow then lunge. Also set up a pattern by advancing several times then retreat then change it by following the advance by a half retreat lunge. Both of these actions can also be executed with a half retreat advance lunge too.
5. Create foot tempo by disrupting the opponent. Suddenly make a strong parry or a false counterattack to get the opponent to hesitate. Follow with an immediate lunge.
6. Retreat, retreat advance lunge. Execute with different number of retreats. This is a taking over the attack tempo.
7. Create the taking over the attack opportunity by hesitating with a false counter attack (then stepping back out of distance and taking over the attack) or stepping back with a line to stop the opponent. When they stop, take over the attack. 
8. Create the taking over the attack tempo by advancing several times then suddenly (without hesitating) make a half retreat advance lunge. The opponent is likely to freeze for a moment, but the referee does not perceive that your attack ever stopped.
9. Go forward and make a sudden hesitation (as if you were going to parry an opponent who simply makes an advance lunge). Practice the parry riposte. Mix this up with the assumption that the opponent also stops. Here the job is to suddenly renew the attack with advance lunge.
10. Advance advance then invite the attack on the third step (open a target and take a quick step). Now react to the opponent’s response. If they attack stop and parry. If they freeze lunge or advance lunge depending upon the distance. If they ignore start the advance again to stay in control of the action. 

Rehearse Footwork Tactics With A Shadow Opponent

Execute each for 90 seconds each

• Move forward in a balanced way. See the opponent letting you have distance (attack), lunging into the beginning of your advance (parry riposte) or advancing into the beginning of your step (retreat and take over the attack). Also, see your opponent attacking after you've begun an attack and you just finish.
• Continue with above, but your opponent is keeping good distance, and you need active tactics. Try starting an advance very softly or making double advance then soft fast. Still assume that your opponent could try foot tempo, advance into your preparation as in the first exercise.
• Make invitation and then parry riposte (if the fictitious opponent lunges), retreat and take over the attack (if they advance lunge) or attack (if they freeze when you make the invitation
• Practice changing directions to catch your opponent. Half retreat foot tempo or half retreat advance lunge. You could also make the half retreat after a number of retreats. Visualize your opponent falling for your tactic or not falling for your tactic.
• Now going backwards make false counterattack. Respond with either a parry riposte (opponent lunges), take over the attack (opponent advance lunges) or foot tempo (opponent freezes).
• Now practice counter riposte, remise and redoublement. You lunge and release your hips and begin to recover. You see your opponent making a parry riposte make a counter riposte, or withdrawing, remise. Or you lunge and your opponent is leaning backward and you redouble.
• Practice the variations on the line. Step back and make line. Stop and hit if the opponent looks for the blade. Take over the attack if they look for the blade.
• Half step forward and hit in preparation, step back twice and parry riposte.

Speed and Strength Footwork with a Partner Or Group

• Follow the leader distance (keep changing leaders every 30 seconds). After a bit of a warm up the leader can lunge periodically and the group does a parry riposte or steps back and takes over the attack in response..
• Follow the leader recognizing right of way. A nice variation is that the leader moves with the hand moving slowly forward with each slow step. If the teacher withdraws the hand at the beginning of a big fast step, then students lunge in foot tempo. Any other cue (sudden hand but slow foot) the students simply stay
• Advance then squat to the end of the strip and retreat squat back
• Advance squat lunge two lengths of the strip
• Suicides

Footwork drill with a leader

With a leader. Do each of the following series for 60 to 90 seconds each.

• The group faces the leader and moves side to side (basketball movement) or jumps in response to the teacher's commands
• Advance until the leader claps. Then stop and change directions.
• Advance until the leader claps then lunge and recover and begin to retreat. On the next clap lunge and begin to advance again.
• Retreat until the leader claps then advance lunge.
• Advance until the leader claps then double retreat advance and lunge.
• Retreat until the leader claps and double advance half retreat advance lunge.
• Advancing or retreating and fleshing on the clap.

Footwork with partners- no weapons

• One person leads distance (touching hands) and the other person follows for 30 seconds. Then switch. Now move to advance lunge distance and make a bit harder to follow for 30 seconds each. Third time make it very difficult to follow.
• Leader begins to advance. As soon as that person stops the other advances and keep changing directions. The goal is to have a very quick transition. One minute total.
• Keeping full fencing distance the leader gives a hand signal to attack in foot tempo. Execute for one minute each.
• Teacher attacks with lunge, advance lunge, or jump lunge. Student retreats out of distance and takes over the attack. Execute for one minute each.
• Double advance lunge game with a glove. Play for 5 touches and play 2-3 different opponents.

Footwork 10 – 15 minutes-teaching with a partner

• Partner posture check
• With a partner one advance and one retreat. Retreating fencer comment on advancing fencer's technique. Do the same with reversed roles. All the following are executed in a similar manner.
• Now do one more set with the advancing fencer as teacher.
• Half advance advance with the teacher mirroring half retreat retreat.
• Half retreat advance across with teacher mirroring half advance retreat back.
• Now double advance across with teacher mirroring double retreat back.
• Now double advance retreat across with teacher mirroring double retreat advance back.
• Lunge practice with partner check. Execute 15 single tempo (switch) and then 15 retreat lunge.
• Teacher establishes distance and periodically student makes foot tempo attack.
• Teacher lunges and student recovers out of distance and takes over the attack.
• Student advances and when the teacher makes a distance error student lunges.

Partner with foil but focus on footwork

Sometimes if you don't feel like doing footwork in isolation get dressed and work with a partner.

• Establish distance and one fencer leads and the other maintains the distance for 45 seconds. Alternatives: one fencer looks for the blade the other avoids it. One fencer makes a beat the other makes a counter beat.
• Make 10 passive foot tempo actions. Be sure not to get into too much of a pattern. Alternatives: If you want have the teacher put some blade out and make beat attack or have the teacher give a hand cue for the foot tempo.
• Now attack in foot tempo 10 times from the leader’s initiative with a false retreat after either an advance or retreat, false counterattack/foot tempo combination, or double retreat.
• Now the teacher makes 10 attacks and the student takes over the attack 10 times.
• Now student creates the taking over the attack with a pause, or by stretching out the distance when retreating.
• 10 passive accelerated attacks.
• 10 active accelerated attacks. Try slow fast or fast slow fast. Alternatives, pick one type of attack to work on or try a variety (withdrawn/feint/beat)
• Free fence for a few minutes focusing on the foot tactics you just practiced.