What is speed, and why is it so important? Why does every coach, want their players to be faster?

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1 Speed Development Introduction What is speed, and why is it so important? Why does every coach, want their players to be faster? Speed of movement pure or limb speed. It is the maximum capacity of an individual to move from one point to another. This type of speed is primarily genetic, and there is an old saying that the only way to be fast is to choose your parents. Of course this is an exaggeration but unfortunately to a point is true. Every player can improve in relative degrees their pure speed, but in reality a slow player is never going to be lightning fast. There are many components involved in improving a player s pure speed. Stride length. Stride frequency, or cadence. Plantar flexion and dorsi-flexion. Arm pump action. Working on improving all of the elements, and strengthening of the relevant muscle groups (quads, hamstrings, calf, deltoids, abdominals, lower back pectorals, etc. Plyometrics, jumping and bounding. High knee lift action, with a quick recovery between phases. Dynamic flexibility. The ability to relax (to achieve maximum explosion, a player must be able to maximally relax. Mental focus. The balance between acceleration and deceleration. Core stability. Posture. To develop maximum speed, short distances should be used. Weight control. If the athlete has excess weight losing it will speed them up. Lean body weight should be at least maintained. Downhill training (overspeed work). Every athletic event by its very definition is, and has to be linear, and measurable, and has a start and a finish. In a race every participant has the same starting position, in soccer, a player has to overcome a myriad of possible starting positions. 57

2 Jogging forwards, with a possible massive acceleration backwards. Sliding sideways, a maximum explosion forwards, followed by a maximum explosion backwards again. A maximal jump (to head the ball) followed by a maximal forward sprint. From a prone position (being on the floor after a tackle) followed by maximal sprint forwards. All of these examples have another variable to understand, the aggression of an opponent at the starting position trying to stop you. These are a few examples of the random starting positions required in soccer, none of them linear, repetitive, or predictable. Hurdling over an opponent, followed by a maximal sprint. So whenever pure speed training is undertaken, as many variables in the starting position are absolutely vital. As can be seen from the examples, the majority of the starting positions, are very unbalanced and non linear. Also the distances sprinted are random and variable. The average sprint in modern soccer is 13/15 metres. No athletic event has to run forwards at maximum speed, stop dead, sprint backwards, fall over, jump, walk, jog, have an aggressor hitting you at any angle, sometimes with a ball, etc. All of training has to be totally specific to the needs of the game, and reflect wherever possible, as many of the myriad possibilities, within it. Not to do so, is at best counter-productive, and at worst very dangerous as to put the players in injurious situations. 58

3 Team Tempo The whole team plays at variable speeds, tempos, and rhythms. Modern soccer is faster than ever before, and is a series of random intervals, non-linear movements, with totally random rest periods. Your training and preparation must reflect this totally. Modern soccer is not played in straight lines at maximum speed, it is a game of multitempos and rhythms, and all great players and teams have the ability to change these tempos and rhythms, individually and collectively. The whole team plays at variable speeds, tempos, and rhythms. By imposing your tempo, and rhythm on the opposition and make them play at that tempo, has a number of possibilities. Making them play at a tempo (fast or slow) that they are not comfortable with. Making them play at a very relaxed tempo that they become almost hypnotized with. Breaking the above state, rapidly with a minimum of warning and a maximum explosion, to a fantastic effect. This concept is known as BROKEN RHYTHM training. The great players all have this ability, they dictate and impose their rhythmic moves and changes on the opposition in every training session or competitive game. To play at one tempo (fast or slow) is very predictable, and is much easier to attack/defend against. This ability to change pace is of the utmost importance, much more so than pure speed. The player who can change pace (acceleration or deceleration), tempo, rhythm, direction, the dynamic, has a distinct advantage. In fact, the greatest soccer nation on the planet, site that the ability to Change the pace of the Game is the defining characteristic of Brazilian Football. There a numerous ways of working on soccer speed that involve all of the above elements. Speed training must also have a target, To get away from an opponent. To close an opponent down. To win the ball. To stop the ball going into the goal, out of play. 59

4 Soccer in its simplistic form only has 3 major elements. When you have possession: When you have possession of the ball, to get away from an opponent, either by pure speed, reactive speed or simply by passing the ball to eliminate him is the prime objective. When your opponent has possession: When your opponent has the ball, to close them down, and reduce their space and therefore time on the ball, as fast as possible, and then win the ball off them. Transition, when no one has possession: When neither team has possession, to win the ball and regain possession as quickly as possible, by individual and collective means. 60

5 Examples of Pure Speed Soccer Specific Drills Coaching Points: Slalom sprints to win the ball, to either shoot and score or defend. One player from either team starts from position "A". (one team is designated as the attacking team and the other as the defending team). On the goalkeepers command, both players sprint around the poles and then to the ball. Whoever reaches the ball first, (if the attacker, shoots at goal, if the defender clear the ball as far away as possible from the danger area). This drill can be done from a myriad of starting positions. Perform this drill from a; 1. Standing start. 2. Jogging start. 3. Prone start. Progression: Use the same drill but with the addition of a hurdle after the completion of the slalom. These are a few basic examples of the starting position; they are only limited by your imagination. Variety, with non linear soccer specific sprints + a target (winning or defending the ball). Use as many varieties in the starting position as possible, even some that are extreme, opposed and unopposed as to add a game specific reality to the drills or exercises. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players at a time Supply of flag poles Goalkeeper in goal 61

6 Over and Under Drill Coaching Points: Over- under drill, on the goalkeepers command one player from each team has to first jump over the hurdle (any way he chooses which is the fastest for him), and the immediately go under the next hurdle (the player again chooses the fastest method, not the coach). Then it is a straight race for the ball as in the previous drills. (one team is designated as the attacking team and the other as the defending team). Whoever reaches the ball first, (if the attacker, shoots at goal, if the defender clear the ball as far away as possible from the danger area). This drill can be done from a myriad of starting positions. Perform this drill from a; 1. Standing start. 2. Jogging start. 3. Prone start. These are a few basic examples of the starting position; they are only limited by your imagination. Variety, with non linear soccer specific sprints + a target (winning or defending the ball). Use as many varieties in the starting position as possible, even some that are extreme, opposed and unopposed as to add a game specific reality to the drills or exercises. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players at a time Supply of hurdles Goalkeeper in goal 62

7 Segment Training To improve a player s alertness and adjustment, there is a concept called Segment Training. By splitting the body into sections or segments, the coach can put very specific demands on each player, probing for weaknesses and remedying them. Coaching Points: By numbering the hands, Left Hand (1), Right Hand (2), and Both Hands together (3). With the ball held at eye level the player with the ball moves around randomly, and whenever he wants calls a number and the other player has to catch the ball before it touches the floor. Starting phase, the ball is always at eye level. The receiving player has his hands in various starting positions. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 2 players using 1 ball. Supply of Cones 63

8 Segment Training 2 Coaching Points: These type of drills are very productive, challenging and above all fun. There are Three Levels of Play in soccer, (1) On the floor, (2) In the air, and (3) after one bounce of the ball on the floor. Using the principles of Segment Training, this time give numbers to other parts of the body, as well as the previous numbers. Left Foot (4), Right Foot (5). Using the previous example this time the receiving player has more decisions to make, and to act on that decision rapidly before the ball touches the floor. For example if the player with the ball says the number 4, the receiving player has to pass the ball back with his left foot to the original player. Without the ball touching the floor. Starting phase; the ball is always at eye level. The receiving player have their hands in various starting positions. They are on their toes in readiness for whatever the call demands. Second phase; as the call is number 4, then the receiving player has to pass the ball back with their left foot, without the ball touching the floor. Depending on the level of the players even more segments can be added, Chest (6), Head (7) etc. Also to make this exercise even more intense, add combinations of the above segments. As the player drops the ball, maybe shouts 4 (Left foot), 6 (Chest) and 7 (Head). This obviously makes the whole exercise more demanding. 64

9 The Body Segments can be numbered in any way that the coach designates, and can also be done on the Three Levels of Play. 1. On the ground. 2. In the air. 3. After one bounce of the ball on the floor This type of speed training is much more relevant to the game of soccer, even though pure speed is fantastic if you have it, do not become brainwashed into thinking that without it you will never play at higher levels. Speed of thought, speed of adjustment, being a pro-active, rather than a reactive player, all of these components which through consistent, and ongoing training can be improved dramatically. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 2 players using 1 ball. Supply of Cones 65

10 Speed, Agility and Quickness Circuit The circuit consists of 8 soccer specific speed, agility and quickness drills. Each drill is done for: 45 seconds then a: 30 second rest is given for rotation and recovery. As the conditioning level of the players increase decrease the rest time to 15 seconds and increase the work time to 1:00 minute. Guidelines All speed work must be performed when the body is fully rested. Proper sprinting techniques must be taught and mastered by the player. All sets and reps must be followed by adequate rest. Speed workouts should be varied between light, medium and heavy. Acceleration Most important component of speed development. The highest rate of acceleration is in the first 8-10 strides taken by a player. Close to 75% of max running velocity is achieved within the first 10 yards (8 metres). As mentioned earlier true max running speed is seldom attained in most sporting situations. The two things that will improve soccer speed is stride frequency and stride length. Stride Frequency Stride frequency is the number of strides taken in a given amount of time or distance. By improving stride frequency the player will be able to decrease the time between strides, while at the same time maintaining or improving stride length. This will result in overall increased speed. Traditional methods of improving stride frequency are downhill running or towing. 66

11 Stride Length Stride length is the distance covered in one stride during running. Stride length can be developed by improving the players elastic strength. There are numerous ways to improve elastic strength including resistance training, plyometrics and resisted running, weighted vests and uphill running. Coaches should be careful not to get carried away with some of these methods. The decision to use these methods depends on the training level of the player, time available to train the player and familiarity of the method. Don t know, Don t teach it! Sprint Mechanics Sprint mechanics is just another term for sprint form or sprint technique. Proper technique allows the athlete to maximize the forces that the muscles are generating so the highest speed predicted by the players genetic potential and training can be achieved. There are three main elements to concentrate on regarding proper sprinting mechanics. Posture, Arm action and leg action. Posture: Forward lean in acceleration, as player approaches top speed the posture should be more erect. Arm action: Vigorous and coordinated arm movement is necessary in all phases of sprinting. The arm swing counteracts leg and hip rotational forces. This counterbalance allows the body to stay aligned in the intended direction. Leg action: Relationship of the hips and legs relative to the torso and the ground. Proper Sprinting Technique Head Position: should be inline with the body. Body Position: a slight forward lean during acceleration. At max speed the torso should be tall. Leg Action: weight should be on balls of the feet. Agility Agility is the ability to accelerate, decelerate and change direction quickly while maintaining good body control. Soccer is not performed straight ahead, it is all change of direction in which lateral movements are used in several planes. Agility doesn t tend to dissipate as quickly as speed, strength and endurance training. Players that develop the ability to change direction quickly and efficiently will be the better prepared for competition. Players need agility to increase their speed of movements, manage injuries and improve athleticism. 67

12 Quickness The successful performance of a player relies heavily on their ability to react quickly. The quicker player will maintain the competitive advantage. Quickness in of itself seems simple enough to explain. A player is either quick or not. Although genetic potential plays an important role in a player s physical ability, many biomotor skills that depend on quickness can be improved. Reaction Time: Reacting to a stimulus with speed. The time it takes for a player to react to a stimulus can be the difference between winning and losing. Improving quickness has major implications for the enhancement of speed acceleration and reaction time. The faster one can teach the brain the movement patterns required, the faster one can concentrate on improving the quickness with which the movement is performed. How to be quick? Perform successive repetitions of technically correct movement patterns as fast as possible. Circuit 1 - Forward Ladder All drills will be performed in a linear fashion. 1. Forward run run through the ladder putting both feet in the rung. 2. In-in-out start on the left side of the ladder. Lateral step with the right foot and place it in the first square, then the left foot follows the right foot inside the first square of the ladder. Lateral step with the right foot to the right side of the ladder, then advance the left foot to the next square in the ladder. Bring the right foot to the square the left foot is in. Lateral step to the left side of the ladder and advance the right foot to the next square on the ladder. Repeat pattern. 68

13 Circuit 2 - Zig Zag Runs Place 6 cones, 5 yards (4 metres) apart at a 45 angle. Start in a 2-point stance. Sprint to the first cone, plant on outside leg and cut sharply towards the next cone. Repeat. Variations: Change distance of cones, cut with inside leg or plant and run around cones. Circuit 3 - Mini Hurdle Hops Start 5 yards (4 metres) away from the first mini-hurdle. Sprint to the hurdle do a forward hop over it. As soon as contact is made with the ground laterally jump left over the next mini hurdle. As soon as contact is made with the ground jump forward over the next mini hurdle. As soon as contact is made with the ground jump laterally right over the mini hurdle. As soon as you hit the ground sprint 5 yards forward at the cone side shuffle left. At the next cone drop step and sprint through the last cone. 69

14 Circuit 4 - Four Corner Drill Start in a 2-point stance. Sprint 20 yards (18 metres) to the first cone. At the first cone sprint diagonally 14 yards (12 metres) to the second cone. Backpedal 10 yards (8 metres) to the third cone. At the third cone, sprint diagonally 14 yards to the fourth cone. Circuit 5 - Lateral Ladder All drills will be done in a lateral fashion. 1. Side shuffle- Begin by standing sideways to the ladder. Leading with your right foot place both feet in the box. Repeat this procedure throughout the ladder. At the end lead with your left foot and again repeat the procedure through the ladder. 2. Carioca- Begin standing sideways to the ladder. Cross-step with the right foot into the first square in front of the left leg. Cross the left foot into the second square. The left foot should cross behind the right leg. Cross-step with the right foot into the third square. The right foot should cross behind the left foot. The left foot crosses over in front of the right foot into the next square. Repeat this sequence through the ladder. 70

15 Circuit 6 - Traffic Run with Cones Place cones as indicated above. Sprint to first cone, plant on outside and cut sharply towards next cone. When the cones are next to each other side shuffle to the next cone. Once you reach the cone drop step and accelerate to the bottom cones. Circuit 7 - Drop and Recover Sprints Place the cones as indicated above. Sprint to the first cone drop on to a push-up position as soon as you drop get up as fast as possible and sprint to the next cone. Repeat at each cone. The key to this goal is accelerating as soon as the athlete is up. 71

16 Circuit 8 - Agility Drill Place 2 cones 10 yards (9 metres) apart in a straight line. In a 2-point stance sprint to the cone as fast as possible touch the cone with your foot and sprint back. Once you get back to the start, side shuffle to the cone touch it with your foot and side shuffle back. Once you get back to the start cone touch it and back pedal up and back. Repeat this until time expires. 72

17 Fast Feet Drill Coaching Points: This is a great exercise for improve the players foot speed. Start by standing behind the stick. Perform fast feet back and forth by moving the right then left foot over the stick and back i.e. right forward, left forward, right back, left back. Count how many repetitions in 10 seconds. Repeat the drill but start with the left foot forward first. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 2 players using 1 hurdle. Players rotate each set. Supply of Cones 73

18 Speedy Feet Coaching Points: This is a great exercise to incorporate in your warm up activity. This drill will help improve both the quickness of the player's decision making and their foot reactions. Divided your group of players into pairs. Each pair has 3 balls. One player calls the instructions while the other performs the exercise. Position 3 balls to form a triangle. The player starts the drill by jogging slowly in place, between the 3 balls. On the partners command, the player touches the top of the ball with the sole of the foot,as quickly as possible. The challenge is for the player not only to perform the drill quickly, but also select the correct ball. Each ball is labeled in the following order; One, Two and Three Red, Green, Blue Jack, Queen, King The partner calls out series of commands for the player to perform. If the partner calls out "Three" the player must touch ball #3. If the partner calls out "Queen" the player must touch ball labeled Queen etc. Keep the pace fast and the player should prevent moving the balls when they touch them. Add your own categories and see how many things they can remember under pressure. Rotate every 60 seconds. Repeat 3 times each. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 2 players using 3 balls., Supply of Cones 74

19 The Running Tree Drill Coaching Points: This running session can accommodate the entire team. The distances, angles and types of sprints are varied. From the starting gate: (Part 1) Sprint to first cone and back, then sprint to second cone and back. (Part 2) Sprint left to flag, return running backwards. (Part 3) Sprint backwards to flag, return sprinting forward. (Part 4) Sprint in "Zig Zag" (Part 5) Sprint full length to end flag. Several players can run at the same time. Each player should complete six sets. Progression: Add different exercises at the end of each branch, such as; sprint and do 5 sit ups, push ups etc. Organizational Set Up Entire Team Supply of Cones Supply of Flag Poles Area 30 by 40 yards or 27 x 36 metres. 75

20 Scotland Runs Coaching Points: Place cones approximately 10 yards apart ( 9 meters ) as in the diagram above. Position a player at each cone with a ball each. (except the starting cone). Position a group of players at the starting point. First player at the start line, player "1" runs to player "2" and plays a "give and go" with player 2. He then runs around the cone and plays a "give and go" with player 3. He repeats this with all the players until he reaches player 9. He then takes the player 9 position. After each player passes the ball to player "1" they must receive the return pass and kill the ball dead at the cone. They leave the ball and sprint to the next cone ahead of them, back to their cone and again back to the cone ahead of them where they stay. After each pass they are moving up a cone closer to the starting line. The concept is for the players to move up the cones by doing 3 sprints each time they pass the ball to the runner. Eventually when they reach the last cone they then become the running player. Note: Start the second runner when the first runner is mid-way down the line. This sets a good tempo to the practice session.keep track of distance covered during session. Work approximately 15 minutes. 76

21 Flag Running Coaching Points: Place flag poles approximately 20 to 30 yards apart ( 9 to 27 meters ) as in the diagram above. Position a player at each flag pole. Position a group of players with a ball each at the starting point. Instructions: First player at the "start line" passes to player (2) and runs to flag 2. Player (2) passes to player (3) and runs to flag 3. Player (3) passes to player (4) and runs to flag 4. Player (4) passes to player (5) and runs to flag 5. Player (5) passes to player (6) and runs to flag 6. Player (6) passes to player (7) and runs to flag 7. Player (7) controls the ball and dribbles full speed to the starting line. Note: The sequence is started each time player (3) passes to player (4). This ensures that several balls are being played at the same time and keeps a high tempo to the practice. 77

22 Progressions: Have player "run with the ball" to the flag pole. Have player chip the ball to the next player at the flag pole. Have players run with the ball half way and play a "give and go" to the player at the flag pole. 78

23 Acceleration Running Acceleration running is a form of interval training, which involves a gradual increase of pace from a walk, to a jog, to a stride, and then to a sprint before returning to a recovery walk. Each change of pace should take place over a similar distance. For speed and anaerobic work the distances for each pace could be from 10 to 20 yards and for aerobic endurance the distances could be from 100 to 200 yards. The walk segment should be slow enough to allow the player's heart rate to drop below 130 beats per minute. The number of repetitions will depend on the player's fitness level. They should work until they are tired, but not exhausted. Overload can be applied by either increasing the number of repetitions or decreasing the time taken for each run. The rest period depends on heart rate recovery and must not be shortened as a means of overloading the player. Dribbling skills can also be incorporated into this method of training that stresses both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. It is a good training method for pre-season and early season training. Acceleration running is a good training method for cold weather because the gradual increase in speed is less likely to cause injury to cold muscles than a sudden change of speed. 79

24 The Brazil Run Coaching Points: Warm up for 15 minutes and stretch well before sprinting. Divide group into two teams. Each player races a player from the opposing team. Starting at "A", and on the coaches command, the player sprints in the following sequence; Sprint from starting position "A" to flag "B" Sprint from flag "B" to flag "C" Sprint from flag "C" back to flag "B" Sprint from flag "B" to flag "D" Sprint from flag "D" around the outside of flag "C" and back to "A" The first player back to to starting position "A" wins a point for their team. Each player performs 5 runs. Team up against different opponents. Keep time with a stop watch to see who has the fastest run tine. 80

25 Sprint Sets 1 Warm up for 15 minutes and stretch well before sprinting X 20 yards Sprint 20 yards and jog back Rest 20 seconds Repeat 10 times Rest 2 minutes X 40 yards Sprint 40 yards and Jog back Rest 30 seconds Repeat 10 times Rest 2 minutes X 60 yards Sprint 60 yards and Jog back Rest 40 seconds Repeat 10 times Rest and stretch 5 minutes X 120 yards (full field) Sprint 120 yards (full field) Jog Back in own time Repeat 10 times Cool Down for 10 Minutes 81

26 Sprint Sets 2 Warm up for 15 minutes and stretch well before sprinting. Fast Feet Take very short and very fast steps with your arms pumping fast. Take 30 seconds to travel 10 yards i.e. your steps will be fast but your progress forward will be slow. Repeat 6 times. Sprinting on the Soccer Field Sprint to 6yd line, Jog back. Repeat 6 times. Sprint to 18 yard line. Jog back. Repeat 6 times. Sprint to ½ way line. Jog back. Repeat 6 times. Sprint to other18 yard line. Jog back. Repeat 6 times. Sprint to other 6 yard line. Jog back. Repeat 6 times. Sprint to Full field. Jog back. Repeat 6 times. Cool Down and Stretch 82

27 Half Field Runs Spend at least 15 minutes on a good stretch and warm up before commencing the running program. Divide players into four groups and position a group at each corner of a half field. Assign a leader or "pacesetter" for each group. On the coaches command the players will run in the following sequence: 1. Sprint 1 side, Jog 1 side. 2. Sprint 2 sides, Jog 2 sides. 3. Sprint 3 sides, Jog 1 side. 4. Sprint 4 sides, Jog 1 side. 5. Rest - continue walking around field. Total average distance covered will be 1040 yards. This exercise can also be performed with diagonal runs across the field. Distance would differ. Organizational Set Up Divide players into four groups. Place a group at each corner of the half field. Place flag at each corner. Stop watch. Water bottles at each flag. Half Field 83

28 Liverpool Runs Place each flag pole 20 yards apart in a circle. Position 2 players per flag pole, plus 4 more at one flag pole. The flag pole with 6 will be the starting position. To start, 4 players from the starting position sprint to the next flag pole. When they reach the next flag pole 2 of the players stay there. The other 2 run to the next flag pole and rest. As soon as the first group hit the first flag pole, 2 players join them and sprint the length of 2 flags. The whole concept is for each pair to sprint 2 flags and rest. On each sprint they will be paced by 2 players. Each circle completed equals 160 yards. Record total distance sprinted. Organizational Set Up Divide group into pairs. Can be 3 s or 4 s. Place each pair at a cone (plus 2 extra pairs at one of the flag poles). 6 cones (can be more). Placed 20 yards apart. Stop watch. Water bottle at each cone. 84

29 Shuttle Runs Coaching Points: Shuttles runs are one of the most commonly used methods of speed training in soccer. From the starting line, players alternate sprinting back and forth to designated markers placed at a distance of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 yards. Sample work and rest ratio: 1:1 (2 players) run 1 set, rest 1 set. 1:2 (3 players) run 1 set, rest 2 set. 1:3 (4 players) run 1 set, rest 3 set. One complete set of sprints equals 150 yards. Average time to sprint should be 35 seconds. Variations: Go long to short. Do it with a ball. Organizational Set Up Divide group into pairs. Can be 3 s or 4 s. Place each pair at the starting line. 12 cones. Place 5 yards apart. 6 on each side. Stop watch. Water bottles. 85

30 The "T" Test Coaching Points: Ensure the players are thoroughly warmed-up and familiar with the test. The player starts from cone "A", sprints forward to cone "B" and touches the base of the cone with their hand. The player then shuffles left to cone "C" and touches the base of the cone (when shuffling, the player must face front and not cross feet). The player then shuffles to cone "D" and touches the cone base with right hand before shuffling back to cone "B". The player touches cone "B", then runs backward past the starting position at cone "A", at which time the coach stops the clock. The test score is the best of two trials. Variation: No shuffling i.e. simply touch cone B and sprint to C, D, B, then past A. Organizational Set Up Entire Team - one player at a time. Grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. Stop watch 4 Cones 86

31 Speed Endurance Training These speed endurance drills will help you to maintain a higher work rate for longer. They are excellent for improving performance in soccer. Speed endurance training is similar to pure speed and agility training, however, there are 2 important distinctions; 1. Speed endurance drills should last from 30 seconds up to 2 minutes rather than 10 seconds for agility drills. 2. Instead of allowing your body to fully recover rest times between sets and repetitions is reduced. What effects will this have? Your body will produce high levels of lactic acid in a short period of time. By continuing to work at a high intensity you will be conditioning your body to tolerate lactic acid more effectively. Be warned, some of these drills are unpleasant! In fact they are more demanding than most situations you are likely to face in competition. Do not perform these drills after you've just eaten! Speed Endurance Drills Speed endurance training should form the later part of preseason training and in-season training. It is important that you've developed a solid fitness base beforehand, which includes strength and endurance. Perform a speed endurance session twice a week maximum. This may be reduced to once a week during the competitive season. Because speed endurance training can be so demanding keep session duration to minutes maximum. Rest between sets and reps should be in the form of active recovery. Avoid standing still, sitting down or falling asleep. It goes without saying how important the warm up and cool down are before such a training session. Use the drills below to make up the speed endurance training session... 87

32 Speed Endurance - High Intensity Shuttle Run High Intensity Shuttle Run Pace out 30 meters on grass or a running track. Place a cone at the start and at 5 meter intervals (7 cones in total). Sprint from the starting cone to 5 meter cone and back. Turn and sprint to 10 meter cone and back to start. Sprint to 15 meter cone and back to start and so on until you sprint the full 30 meters and back. Rest for 90 seconds and repeat. Complete a total of 6 sets keeping rest periods to 90 seconds. 88

33 Speed Endurance - Pyramids Pyramids Pace out 50 meters placing a cone at the start and then at 10 meter intervals (6 cones in total). Starting at the first cone sprint all out for 10 meters and walk the remaining 40 meters. Turn and sprint 20 meters and walk for 30 meters. Turn and sprint 30 meters and walk for 20 meters. Turn and sprint 40 meters and walk for 10 meters. Turn and sprint 50 meters and then turn and sprint 50 meters again back to the start. This is classed as one set. Rest for 90 seconds and repeat for a total of 4 sets. Rest for a full 3 minutes and repeat. 89

34 Speed Endurance - Cruise and Sprint Cruise and Sprint Mark out a distance of 100 meters. From the start gradually accelerate to reach full speed at about 60 meters. Sprint all out for the final 40 meters. Slow down gradually, turn and repeat. Continue for 2 minutes and then rest for 2 minutes. This is one set. Repeat for a total of 6 sets. 90

35 Speed Endurance - Hollow Sprint Hollow Sprint Set 5 cones out in 30 meters intervals. Sprint 30 meters, jog 30 meters, sprint 30 meters and jog 30 meters to the final cone. Turn around and repeat always alternating jogging and sprinting. Work for 2 minutes and then rest for 2 minutes. This is one set. Try to complete a total of 6 sets. 91

36 Speed Endurance - Cross Drill Cross Drill Using 4 cones mark a box 30 meters by 30 meters. Place another cone in the center of the box. Starting at the center cone sprint to each corner and back in a clockwise direction. Once you have completed a circuit rest for 60 seconds. Perform a total of 6 circuits to complete one set. A session could contain up to 4 sets with a 3 minute rest interval between sets. 92

37 Soccer Speed Training At any level, speed separates the outstanding players from the average. So, soccer speed training sessions should play a major role in your training. Speed in soccer can be quite complex. It certainly entails more than just running fast. When you talk about speed in your game, here are some of the attributes that will make you a better player; Quick speed off the mark Quick acceleration over yards Good speed endurance Speed in possession of the ball Quickness of feet or agility The ability to quickly change direction The ability to execute skills quickly Last but not least... speed of thought You can see from the above that good 100m sprinters don't necessarily have the attributes to be quick soccer players. And by the same token, players who are not typically fast runners can excel in soccer if they have sharp feet and quick speed of thought. Remember that old phrase "The first 10 yards are in your head." Absolute speed or your ability to run fast is determined by a number of factors - the obvious one being genetics. But if you've been blessed with less than favorable sprinting genes don't worry too much. A good soccer speed training program will improve the efficiency of your muscle fibers (if not the type or amount of them) and that will make you faster. So, one goal of your soccer speed training schedule should be to increase your sprinting power - particularly your acceleration and speed off the mark. Soccer players rarely sprint more than 50 yards in a straight line. A second, and equally important, goal is to increase your speed endurance. 93

38 Speed endurance training significantly improves your recovery after a bout of repetitive sprints. Your body's ability to remove lactic acid increases which can make such a difference to your game. Thirdly, a soccer speed training program should improve agility, foot speed and reaction time. Exercises to improve agility don't tend to be physically taxing. The emphasis is on short, sharp movements of a high quality. Finally, incorporating a ball into some of the speed and agility drills is important to make all those gains in speed transferable to the field of play. How to Improve Your Speed & Sprinting Power Before we move on to agility and fast feet, let's look at how training can significantly improve absolute speed and acceleration. There are 4 important elements that will make you a faster athlete Strength and Power Training Power relates directly to absolute speed. 100m sprinters are very powerful. So are footballers. Weight lifters are very strong - but not necessarily as powerful. Power is a combination of both strength and speed of contraction. Increase either one and you increase power. Ideally, you want to increase both. Weight training increases strength and plyometric training "converts" that strength into speed and power. Both strength and plyometric training for soccer are covered in within this website. 2. Sprint Training To improve speed off the mark, running mechanics and acceleration training should feature in your soccer speed training routine. It doesn't have to be much - just one short session a week before practice is enough during the in-season. Drills should be completed over short distances with plenty of rest between sprints. The idea is not to tire yourself. Concentrate on form and speed of leg movement over the first few yards. Over the course of a season, start sprint drills in mid to late pre-season and continue right through the in-season. Because they aren't fatiguing you can perform they the day before a game. A lot of pros teams feel that they help to increase mental sharpness in preparation for an upcoming game. As a side note, sprint drills should be performed at the start of a training session when you are fresh. 3. Speed Endurance Training Be prepared - this type of training can be a killer. They are designed to generate large amounts of lactic acid quickly. That way your body adapts by increasing its removal and dramatically speeding up your recovery. 94

39 What does this have to do with speed? Soccer is a multi-sprint sport and there are many occasions over 90 minutes when you are forced to make repeated sprints in quick succession. Your ability to maintain high percentage of your speed and power relies, in part, on your body's ability to remove lactic acid. Besides, there's nothing worse than receiving the ball after several sprints chasing opponents - as they triangles around you! Try doing a Cruyff turn then! As taxing as these speed endurance drills are they make a game feel easy. It's a real confidence booster and well worth the effort. During mid to late pre-season you can perform 2 speed endurance sessions a week (separated by hours). During the in-season this can be reduced to one or even omitted if you have 2 games in a week. 4. Flexibility training It's always an uphill struggle trying to get players to stretch for the purpose of increasing their range of motion. They'll do it to warm-up but there are so many benefits to moderately increasing range of motion. One of them is increasing power and speed of motion. A muscle can only contract as fast as its opposing muscle can relax. Flexibility training can release tightness and promote this speed of relaxation. Increasing range of motion also helps to lengthen leg stride and is important for quick and agile changes in direction. Try to do some stretching exercises three times a week - following a training session when muscles are warm. 95

40 How to Improve Your Quickness & Agility A soccer speed training program should also cater for agility. Agility defines your ability to accelerate, decelerate and change direction quickly, whilst maintaining speed, body control and poise. Often times you have to do this while in possession of the ball. Whereas strength, power and all-out sprint training are designed to improve your maximum speed, agility and quickness drills help to increase the speed of finer movements. They improve co-ordination, balance and foot speed. You can easily combine agility exercises and sprint training exercises into one session - or even a part of one session (usually at the beginning). If you've ever seen a player use an agility ladder they are training to improve foot speed. But you don't need anything other than a set of marker cones and a little creativity to design effective drills. You should also try to use a ball in some of the drills, although it's not the time to try elaborate skills. Typically, if you're using a ball, you should touch it the minimum of times and focus on the movement between touches. To wrap up, soccer speed training incorporates several components of fitness and a number of different types of training modalities. Thinking that you've got to make time for sprint training, speed endurance training, agility drills AND then strength training and plyometrics can be a bit disheartening. Remember though, most of these drills can be combined into one practice. No need to have a separate session for agility drills and sprint training. And also don't forget, not all types of training can or should be performed at the same point in the season. A plyometrics session substitutes a weights session for example. 96

41 Improving Your Sprinting Technique By breaking your sprinting technique into its component parts you can focus on and improve specific phases of the action. Excellent sprinting technique has some of the following characteristics. Arm Action Arms should swing from the shoulder. Keep them relaxed and at approximately 90 degrees of flexion. Focus on swinging your arms in a straight line. Body Posture Your entire body should lean forward slightly as you run. Do not bend from your waist, this will adversely affect your center of gravity and correct running mechanics. Instead the slight lean forward should come from the ground up. Try also to keep your head and trunk still and your entire body relaxed. Ground Contact Run on the balls of your feet NOT your toes. If you think about it your toes are fairly weak and offer little or no stability. Stride Length There is a fine line between over striding and under striding. If stride length is too great and your foot lands in front of your center of gravity it will cause you to brake. If your stride length is too short your stride frequency will be high but you won't cover much ground. Not the most efficient use of your energy! The sprinting technique drills below will help develop excellent form. The number of times you practice these drills depends on your situation. Sprint athletes will obviously dedicate more training time to improving sprinting technique than football players for example. Perform the drills immediately after your warm up or on a rest day. They are not designed to fatigue you or provide a training overload. Make sure you are fresh when you perform these sprinting technique drills. Quality is everything! Course Contributor Phil Davies ICA Fitness and Conditioning for Soccer Course -. 97

42 Sprinting Technique Program These sprinting technique drills can be performed in this order or alternatively focus on just 3-4 drills. There is no need to perform multiple sets and repetitions. Raise Knees: 10 meters - jog - 10 meters - rest Sprint 10 meters concentrating on raising knees as higher than normal. Jog for 10 meters and then sprint for 10 meters and rest. Fast Knee Pick Ups: 10 meters - jog - 10 meters - rest Jogging on the spot raise your knees to waist height while emphasizing arm action. Move forward 10 meters with this action concentrating on the number of ground contacts rather than how fast you cover the distance. Try to get as many ground contacts as possible. Flicks: 10 meters - jog - 10 meters - rest While sprinting over 10 meters concentrate on flicking your heels up to touch your butt. Leg Speed: 60 meters This is a normal sprint over 60 meters except all of your focus should be on your legs. Try to gauge the optimum leg speed for you by taking different stride lengths to see which yields the best results. Skipping: 40 meters High Hops: 3 x 40 meters Bound from one foot to the other. The action is similar to skipping except your are trying to gain as much height as possible and stay in the air for as long as possible. Remember to recover fully between attempts. Elbow Drive: 40 meters Sprint for 40 meters concentrating on driving your elbow in a straight line. Keep your elbows flexed at right angles while keeping your arms relaxed. Sample Soccer Speed Drills Use these sample soccer speed drills to improve your speed off the mark, acceleration and agility. Speed training should not be physically exhausting. A slow jog or walk between each sprint or drill should be long enough for full recovery. Your focus must be on quality and form. A typical speed training session could consist of 3-5 sets of 10 repetitions in total (a repetition being a sprint or drill). As long as you allow enough recovery period in between sets and reps the soccer speed drills can performed the day before a game. They are a nice "loosener" and help to brush up your sharpness ready for the game at hand. 98

43 Alternative Starts The basis of these soccer speed drills is a yard sprint. You start focus on accelerating as quickly as possible by powering away with your arms and legs. If this is a team session, make it more interesting by have 2 or 3 players sprint against each other. Alternate the start to make it more soccer-specific. Here are some ideas... Do 1-3 push ups, squat thrusts or burpees and sprint Start be kneeling, lying face down, sitting on your hands (which you're not allowed to use to get up) and sprint Do 5 keep ups or 5 ball touches and sprint Have some one throw or pass your the ball for you to control and lay off and sprint Run backwards for 5yards and turn and sprint Touch left hand down, touch right hand down, jump to head the ball and sprint Speed Ladder Speed ladders are simple pieces of equipment that allow athletes to develop fast feet and coordination. Drills include... High-knee running with very short strides (short enough so both feet touch the ground in each section) Side steps in and out of the side of the ladder Bounding from one section to another Stepping Strides 1. Place a series of markers on the ground about 1 yard apart for a total of 10 yards. 2. From a standing start run the length of the markers as fast as possible but making sure to take one stride (one ground contact) between each marker. 3. Move the markers closer together and repeat. Now move them further apart and repeat. Each time focus on taking only one stride between each marker. Over Speed Training Rather than working on power, these soccer speed drills develop leg speed movement and coordination. A simple drill to promote over speed is to run down hill. It should be a very slight hill, anything more and form is lost and the injuries are gained! A small, grassy embankment is ideal. Again keep sprints to 10 yards. You can buy a speed harness - rubber bungees that pull you along. But you really don't need it for soccer. 99

44 Resistance Speed Training This is the opposite to over-speed drills. Here the emphasis is on developing leg power over the first few yards. An incline (again grassy embankments are good) of about 30 degrees is ideal. You may need longer recovery between reps as these drills are more intense. Resistance parachutes have the same effect but they are expensive and not practical for group training. Some pro soccer teams train on sand dunes - uphill and down hill. This is ok for pre-season work and will build muscular endurance. But they are not suitable for speed sessions as you can imagine. Speed Development - Quickness and Reaction Speed of reaction is a much more important aspect of speed development, and can be improved dramatically at whatever age and level of competence. Speed of thought and speed of adjustment, are two areas which when worked on consistently, produce fantastic improvements. All of the great players have a saying and an understanding that the first 2 metres of movement are in your head. How a player reacts or adjusts to an opponents moves wins and loses games. There are within this framework, two different types of player. 1. Reactive. (A player who only is aware and ready when directly involved with the play). 2. Proactive. (A player who is aware the moment he steps onto the pitch, to the moment he steps off at the end of the game, whether he is directly or indirectly involved with the play). The reactive player is like a driver, that every time he stops at the traffic lights switches the engine off, and then back on when the lights change. At whatever level a player plays at, this process is too slow, not efficient, and causes a breakdown in the transition of the team dynamic. The proactive player is the driver who at the red light keeps the engine running, and when the lights change moves smoothly away. Even if the reactive player is a Ferrari, and the proactive player is a BMW, in the time it takes for the Ferrari to be switched on, the BMW is already off and moving. This analogy explains how the fastest player (pure speed) is not necessarily the quickest to adjust. 100

45 Soccer is a game of continuous adjustment; To the ball. To an opponent. In the transitional phase. All of these adjustments are of a random fashion, so it is very important in training to work on this parameter. 101

46 Reaction and Quickness Drill 1 Coaching Points: Divide the entire group into pairs. Two players using one ball. Players work in an area approximately 10 yards x 10 yards or 9 metres x 9 metres. This drill is not limited to two players, you can use as many or as few players as you want. Two players throw the ball to each other whilst moving at random. If there is no command the player who is receiving the ball catches it. But if the player who throws the ball shouts a number (3 for example) then the receiving player has that number of touches to play the ball back. Progression: Repeat drill one, but this time whichever player receives the command (4 for example) has the 4 touches and then passes the ball to the next player, who if he receives no new command also has 4 touches and so on, until one player alters the command (1 for example), and so on. This procedure is repeated until someone makes a mistake (too many or too few touches, bad control as the ball touches the floor etc.) The better the player the later the command call, the younger the player, make the command earlier to give more time for adjustment. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 2 players using 1 ball. Supply of Cones 102

47 Reaction and Quickness Drill 2 Coaching Points: Divide the entire group into pairs. Two players using one ball. Players work in an area approximately 10 yards x 10 yards or 9 metres x 9 metres. This drill is not limited to two players, you can use as many or as few players as you want. This time with the ball on the floor, the same rules apply, one touch pass. With no command pass the ball back to your partner using "one touch", with a command (3 for example) the player has that number of touches then passes the ball back. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 2 players using 1 ball. Supply of Cones 103

48 Reaction and Quickness Drill 3 Coaching Points: Position 4 players in an area 10 x 10 yards (9 x 9 metres). One working player, three receivers. The server passing the ball shouts out the command. As the ball is passed to the working player the caller shouts out number 1, 2 or 3. The working player must pass the ball "one touch" to the correct number. Work at a high tempo and rotate roles frequently. Progression: 1. Working player sprints around flag pole after each pass. 2. Add more options, 1, 2, 3 and A, B, C and Apple, Orange, Pear. Force the player to think quickly. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 4 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 4 players using 1 ball. Supply of Cones 104

49 Reaction and Quickness Drill 4 Coaching Points: Divide the entire group into pairs. Two players using one ball. Players work in an area approximately 10 yards x 10 yards or 9 metres x 9 metres. This drill is not limited to two players, you can use as many or as few players as you want. Two players throw the ball to each other whilst moving at random. If there is no command the player who is receiving the ball catches it. But if the player who throws the ball shouts a number (4 for example) then the receiving player has that number of touches as a soccer player to play the ball back. This time between every catch or pass there has to be one bounce of the ball on the floor; this is by far the most difficult of all adjustments and requires total concentration and focus. Repeat the same principles as in the previous drills. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 4 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 4 players using 1 ball. Supply of Cones 105

50 Reaction and Quickness Drill 5 Coaching Points: This is a great exercise to improve reaction and quickness. It starts the practice with an enjoyable tempo and forces the players to make quick decisions. Divide your group into pairs. Each pair has one ball. One player serves a straight throw to their partner. As the player serves the ball he shouts one of two commands "HEAD" or "CATCH". If the server shouts, "HEAD" - the player must do the opposite and catch the ball. If the server shouts, "CATCH" - the player must do the opposite and head the ball. The player receives a goal for every successfully performed header or catch. If the player heads the ball it must be headed back to their partners hands, then returned by their partner for them to serve. If they catch the ball they must then serve it back to their partner for them to either head or catch. A competition can also be played. First player to 5 goals wins. Swap partners for a new competition. Ensure partners alternate serving. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 2 players using 1 ball. Supply of Cones 106

51 Reaction and Quickness Drill 6 Coaching Points: Divide the group into pairs. Each pair positioned face to face on the starting line. Using ones mark a line 5 yards each side. The coach designates a name for each side; e.g. Right - Left, Odd - Even, Red - Green, King - Queen, Apples - Pears. When the coach calls one of the names, the players race their partner to the side, in line with the cone and back to the starting position. First player back wins. Coach can vary the practice by having players run to the opposite side he calls. You can also perform this drill with a ball. Make a competition between partners, award a point for each time the player wins the race. First player to 10 wins. Organizational Set Up Entire Team Area 10 x 30 yards or 9 x 27 metres. Place cones 10 yards (9 metres) apart Supply of Cones 107

52 Reaction and Quickness Drill 7 Coaching Points: Players are paired up with a partner, facing each other at a distance of 2-3 yards. Players serve a ball to their partner in the air, using the Head, Chest, Thighs or Feet. On playing the ball, the server must instantly call out loud number; 1, 2, or 3. The receiving player must keep the ball in the air, the designated amount of times. e.g.: player shouts "one", ball is returned on the "first touch". Player shouts "two", ball is juggled once, played back on 'second touch". On returning the ball, the player then calls out a number for his partner. Point System: If the player allows the ball to drop - 1 point to partner. If the player does not control the ball the exact number of times - 1 point to partner. Bad service - 1 point to partner. Player forgets to call a number - 1 point to partner. Make a competition between partners, first player to 10 wins. Have different players challenge each other. Organizational Set Up Entire Team 2 players per grid 10 x 10 yards or 9 x 9 metres. 2 players using 1 ball. Supply of Cones 108

53 Reaction and Quickness Drill 8 Coaching Points: This is a fun game to incorporate into your warm up or warm down activity. It also develops quick thinking, timing and coordination. The coach should stand in a position so the entire group can see him clearly. The Rule: If the coach says "Do this" the group does not react. If the coach says "Do that" then the players must instantly mimic the coaches movement. The coach should be creative and perform a variety of different moves such as; Both arms out to the side. Both arms out to the front Kneel on one leg, both legs Sit down Stand up Move a finger, elbow, etc. Make up your own moves Any player who moves when they shouldn't can either; Sprint around a cone Do an exercise or sit out until there is a champion of the game. 109