There are three types of soccer specific speed:
- Speed Against another Player
- Speed with the Ball
- Speed with the Ball, Against Another Player
This fall, as you watch the World Cup games notice the precision and efficiency that the elite level players have as they control the ball, attack and defend. This fluid, creativity was not developed overnight. Soccer Specific Speed is not developed on the track and it is not developed in games. It is a combination of a foundation in movement, athletic skill and tactical speed.
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Figure 1: This visual representation of the development of physical preparedness for on-field agility with a ball against another player has been modified from one that appeared in Mel Siff’s book Supertraining, 2003, and was adapted from Verkhoshansky, 1977.. |
 | The first level is to build upon a solid foundation in body control, coordination and rhythm. Trying to progress to advanced moves against another player without a solid base is like the house that was built on sand, it was washed away with the rising tide. What this means is that a weak foundation will lead only to inconsistent performance, frustration and injury.
The second level is where you bridge the gap between athleticism and skill. We all know those players that test well (fast and strong) but get on the field and really don’t impact the game. To truly develop Soccer Speed you have to combine speed and agility with moves. Most of the time these two areas are trained separately, but at some point you have to combine them into drills that develop ball control at high speeds.
The final level trains athletic skill in a tactical environment. The trick is to set up the drill with a single tactical focus and get as much repetition as possible. Training only in game-like situations doesn’t allow for the repetition at each simple task. By setting up your training session each day to work from a foundational base, leading into some athletic speed and skill drills, and finally progressing into a tactical situation were you can rep out your focus at game speeds, you allow your body to master many aspects at a pace it can control. This is how Soccer Speed is developed.
Here is an example:
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Figure 2: Diagram representing a typical speed/agility with a ball practice session. Starting with the foundation as a warm up, continuing with transition based exercises, and finishing with play. |
| Program Example: Focus – Agility with the Ball
Warm Up: 20 minutes
- Stability, Mobility, Flexibility (injury prevention)
- Rhythm and Coordination Skills (increasing core temp, general movement prep)
- Footwork and Touch Drills (transitioning rhythm into coordinated touch)
Athletic Development: 20 minutes
- Agility Drills (specifically focused movements done purely to perfect positioning)
- Agility Drills with the Ball (same movements, but now adding moves with the ball)
Functional Transition to Practice: 20 minutes
Tactical Situation Drill:
- Incorporate moves with the ball (from Athletic Development Section)
- Stage a controlled tactical environment with 1 or 2 focus points for easy learning
- Increase the speed and number of options
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