Soccer Speed Workouts

Players with speed bring game-changing impact to the soccer field. A speedy forward or midfielder can time her runs to outrace the defense and take on the goalkeeper one on one. A fleet sweeper can correct mistakes made by his brother defenders and snuff out his rival's scoring chances. Speed in soccer involves an ability to accelerate, react, change direction, sprint and anticipate where the ball is going, writes Debra LaPrath in "Coaching Girls' Soccer Successfully." You can give your players workouts to improve their speed, making both your natural sprinters and your distance-running players faster.

Warm-up Drill

Set a cone on the 20-yard line, recommends University of North Carolina strength and conditioning coach Greg Gatz in "Complete Conditioning for Soccer," to warm up the players and avoid a risk of pulls or strains. Have the players jog to and from the cone, followed by marching forward with arms held overhead and swinging alternate legs forward to try to touch the hands, as well as skipping. Lecture the players about arm motion during sprinting, which involves keeping the elbows locked at 90 degrees, the hands with the thumbs up and explosively moving the hands from the chin to the hip pocket area.

Sprint Ladder

Set cones on the 20-, 40-, 60- and 80-yard lines, LaPrath advises. Line up your players on the end line of the pitch, from fastest on the far left to slowest on the right. On your whistle, have players sprint to the 20-yard cone. If a player beats another on her left, the pair switches spots. Players try to move as far to the left as possible by beating others on each sprint interval. Allow players to move only one spot at a time, and permit them to fully recover between sprints. Use the cones at the 40- through 80-yard lines, depending on your objectives and the girls' fitness levels.

Surgical Tubing Drill

Attach a 25-foot piece of elastic tubing to a belt around your player's waist, recommend speed coach George B. Dintiman and conditioning coach Robert D. Ward in "Sports Speed." Tie the other end to a tree or goalpost. Have the player back up to stretch the tubing until he is standing 25 yards from the stationary object, with the tubing stretched out. Direct the player to run toward the stationary object at three-quarter speed. He should take quick steps and lift his knees high, accelerated by the stretched tubing. After four or five practice runs, have the player proceed at full speed. Over time, the player can start 40 yards away and learn to fly toward the object. Repeat the drill with the player running sideways or backwards after adjusting the belt, to mimic the moves required on defense in soccer.

25-Yard Shuttles

Places cones every 5 yards up to 25 yards total. Have the girls sprint to and from the first, second, third, fourth and fifth cones and back. Tell the athletes to turn sharply at each cone and rotate, pushing off a different foot each time, LaPrath states.