Speed is one of the most important aspects in football. If two players of equal ability in terms of skill, strength, toughness and knowledge match up, speed will be the difference between the two. Speed is an obvious factor for those at positions such as running back, wide receiver or defensive back, but it comes into play on the offensive and defensive lines as well. A pass rusher who has the fastest first step will win the race to the quarterback while the offensive lineman who can get out and block on the sweep will help his team's running game succeed.
Open Field Speed
The first few steps taken on the football field, particularly for running backs and receivers, will be done with a low center of gravity. This is natural because it makes for a smaller target when facing tacklers and helps evade getting hit. However, once you get away from the line of scrimmage, staying low will make it more likely that your opponent will catch you. To have a fuller, longer and more powerful stride, players must run more erect upon breaking past the first group of tacklers and getting into open field. At this point, players become runners and need a taller stance to run at top speed.
Parachute Drill
Run with resistance in order to build speed on the football field. This can be done by wearing a parachute during practice. The parachute provides resistance and makes it harder to run 40 or 50 yards. Running five sprints in a row wearing a parachute makes an athlete feel revitalized when the parachute is taken off. Take a two-minute break and run a 40-yard sprint without the parachute. You will move faster and quicker after running this drill.
Explosive Strength
The key to speed is the explosive muscle contraction in your glutes, hamstrings and calf muscles. Without this strength, you can't run fast. You can build explosive strength in these muscles by doing plyometric exercises. One of the best for the runner is to do box jumps. Place a 12-inch square box to your right. Jump over it so you are now to the left of the box. Keep jumping back and forth until you have done five jumps to both sides of the box. When you get stronger, work your way up to 10 or 15 jumps. After a set, take a 30-second break and repeat the set. You can also do this box jump by starting off behind the box and jumping over it and then a return jump to the rear. This will help you build explosive strength needed for acceleration.
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