Speed and agility, two skills that often work in conjunction with each other, play a crucial role in your soccer success. Agility refers to the ability to change direction on the field, notes Swedish midfielder Mirsad Hasic, author of the online Soccer Training Guide. Agility depends on quickness, as well as strength, balance and coordination. Speed requires power, stamina and flexibility. Training exercises with a ball can help you get faster and more agile to prepare for the nonstop action of a soccer game.
Types
Your agility training will sometimes entail exercises without the ball, such as running across small areas of the field with multiple cuts to change direction or stepping quickly through an agility ladder. For other agility exercises, you'll dribble and pass a ball at high speed.
Sprint training can help you sharpen your speed. Do 20- to 30-yard sprints, half with the ball and half without, with rests of 20 seconds in between. Hone your reflexes by having a friend throw a ball in different directions and run onto the ball and trap it.
Considerations
Your agility training should mimic movements on the soccer field. For example, Hasic notes, central fullbacks undertake more sideways and backwards sprinting compared to other positions. Execute drills at high speed, he recommends.
Time Frame
Phil Davies, a U.K.-based certified strength and conditioning specialist writing on his online Sports Fitness Advisor site, recommends following a warm-up with speed and agility sessions. A typical agility session or sprinting drills can include three to five sets of 10 repetitions of each drill.
Expert Opinion
Coach Pia Sundhage of the U.S. Women's National Team uses a ball for a midline five-second maximum speed drill. Goalkeepers set up in each goal. Four lines of players set up at the midline of the field, two facing each goal. A player in one line receives the ball, sending a diagonal pass for the receiver to bring to the ground and strike on goal with a second touch. The server and receiver switch lines. The receiving player has five seconds to reach maximum speed, then decelerate to receive and strike on goal.
Warning
If you are new to soccer, start slowly with your speed and agility training. Begin by jogging for a few weeks prior to intensive training to increase your fitness. Avoid sprint training on the day before a match.
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