Developing Soccer Speed Or is it Acceleration
First Step Quickness

 Most youth soccer players want to increase their quickness on the soccer field. This article will discuss the difference between acceleration and speed and give you some ideas to improve your game.

Most soccer coaches want to have players that possess top soccer speed and acceleration. The game has changed over the last five to ten years. Soccer at levels is now a power and speed game. Soccer players need to be the first player to the ball, quickest player to change speeds (acceleration), fastest player down the flanks (speed).

So what is the difference between speed and acceleration? According to wikpedia.org speed is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change of distance. Speed is measured by either miles per hour or kilometres per hour. In general it takes between 30 to 60 metres to reach top speed in all out sprint.
According to wikpedia.org acceleration is the rate at which something speeds up or slows down.

In soccer most runs or sprints are less than 30 meters in total distance. If you have attacking wide players their runs may be closer to 40 to 50 metres.

Most sprint training or speed training in soccer is really acceleration training. So as player or coach here are a couple of different ways to train for acceleration and speed.

1. Partner Resistance Sprint: -Mark out a distance of 10 yards. Partner A holds partner B at the shorts or track pants. Partner B then sprints for ten yards with partner giving resistance. Repeat this five times. Another option is to do the same soccer speed drill with a beach towel. Partner wraps a beach towel around partner B.

These are inexpensive ways to force you to drive your leg in to the ground.

2. Partner Resistance Release: This is the same as the previous drill except partner lets go of either the shorts or the towel after 3-5 steps of partner B.

The first drill may increase the distance to 20 to 30 yards. Both soccer drills force you to drive your legs into the ground to move forward. If you are a soccer coach this is something you may do with your team on the soccer field before training.

These soccer speed drills will help you with first step quickness and soccer speed.