Speed separates the outstanding from the very good in football, according to the Sports Fitness Advisor. Further, the Sports Fitness Advisor says when evaluating football players, the highest ranked players are more likely to outperform their peers in speed work than they are to outperform them in weight work. However, running straight ahead is not the only speed that you will need or want to develop to play football.
Importance of Speed
When size, strength, stamina are equal, most of the time the fastest player will win in football. This can happen on defense, offense or even blocking. Football plays are dictated on getting somewhere faster than your opponent and if someone is faster than you, then they have the advantage. Straight ahead speed can make a big difference, but the Sports Fitness Advisor notes that average football plays cover 15 to 20 yards, so unlike sprinters, football players must develop and use their speed in shorter, more confined spaces. The standard many use to evaluate speed is the 40-yard dash, but BodyBuilding.com notes that is not always an effective measure because of the change in directions and shortness of football plays.
Speed Differences
Usually the fastest players on a football team are skill players, including wide receivers, running backs and cornerbacks. Many colleges look for these players to run 40-yard dash times below 4.5 seconds. Meanwhile, safeties would be expected to range below 4.6 seconds with linebackers and tight ends coming in below 4.7 seconds. Defensive ends would be just above them and ends are really the last group that speed is focused on. Interior linemen, including offensive linemen and defensive tackles, are usually slower, but scouts and coaches focus less on their speed and more on their power and strength. So your speed need or demands differ depending on the position you play.
Types of Speed
Many measure speed by using straight ahead sprint tests, but BodyBuilding.com says that linear or straight speed is overvalued. BodyBuilding.com notes that football players rarely get a chance to run straight ahead in a game for any extended length of time. Instead, often football players must stop on a dime and change directions, making agility vital, according to BodyBuilding.com. Football players need to accelerate forward and backward, sideways and change directions quickly, according to BodyBuilding.com.
Developing Speed
The Sports Fitness Advisor says to that to get faster you need to get stronger, contract your muscles faster and improve your mechanics. Strength will give you the base to move faster and mechanics will help you put that strength to work. The Sports Fitness Advisor recommends incorporating plyometrics or explosive jumping and movement training in order to improve the speed of your muscle contractions. BodyBuilding.com suggests focusing on flexibility and strength in the smaller muscles of the hip flexor area. According to BodyBuilding.com this area in addition to the hamstrings and glutes is needed for agility and acceleration.
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