Football games consist of series of plays that last for several seconds at a time. The short duration of these plays requires that football players possess great speed. The ability to accelerate and change direction, involving a great deal of power and strength, is integral to speed development.
Meaning
On-field speed is more than just the fastest pace a person can run, commonly known as linear speed. Moving in other planes of motion, quickly changing direction and producing a large amount of force in a short amount of time are crucial to success in football. These skills are known as lateral speed, agility and power, respectively. Any speed training program should address all four factors.
Influencing Factors
An athlete who moves his body in any particular direction needs a certain amount of strength to do so. Greater strength in the muscles being used means greater control and a more coordinated and efficient movement --- though proper technique can be the trump card. For example, a player who is trying to block another player will be unsuccessful, no matter how strong he is, if his opponent's technique is better. Once you have acquired the necessary strength and technique, increase the speed of the movement. This combination of strength and speed is known as power. You can achieve greater power by increasing strength or decreasing the amount of time it takes to perform a movement. While both are important, in football the action happens within seconds. Athletes training for football should focus not just on how much weight they are able to move, but how quickly they are able to move it.
Significance
Traditionally, the strength and speed aspects of football training programs were separated. With few exceptions, athletes performed linear speed and agility workouts on a field, using only their own body weight without external resistance. Strength work was done in a weight room and emphasized heavy movements, often performed slowly. Football training should instead employ fast movements in every venue, focusing on perfect technique instead of heavy weights. In his book "Mastery on the Gridiron," strength-training professional John Davies writes that adding resistance equal to five to 10 percent of an athlete's body weight to linear speed and agility work via a weight vest will allow the athlete to increase his strength while focusing on maximum speed.
Considerations
The athlete who trains slowly will move slowly. Muscle fibers in the limbs are predominantly fast-twitch, meaning they are meant to contract quickly and forcefully. Therefore, you should train these muscles in the same way they will be used. Likewise, you should train the predominantly slow-twitch, stabilizing muscles in the trunk according to their function. A stable trunk will increase control through the limbs, enabling the athlete to move powerfully and efficiently.
Expert Insight
Football requires players to exert an enormous amount of strength over a short period of time. A combination of core-stabilization exercises and power, linear speed and agility drills will increase players' speed on the football field. During strength training, an athlete should use a weight that is challenging but that enables him to perform the movement with maximal speed and perfect technique. Increasing resistance through weight vests, sleds or parachutes during linear speed and agility drills will improve a player's strength, serving to further increase his on-field speed.
References
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; Alterations in speed of squat movement and the use of accommodated resistance among college athletes training for power; Matthew R. Rhea, Joseph G. Kenn and Bryan M. Dermody; Vol 23 (9), 2009
- "Mastery on the Gridiron"; John Davies; 2007
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