Soccer Speed - The Missing Link

As soccer players become bigger and stronger they also become faster on the pitch. Many players focus on weight training to increase their strength to become faster. Some coaches also focus on running techniques to get players faster as well.

Now, these are important components of speed; however if a soccer player is unable to stop, change direction and accelerate on demand, the current speed training is incomplete.

The number one thing that is forgotten in speed training is deceleration. If you think for a minute about the action of where the majority of knee and ankle injuries arise from, you will realize it comes in some form of stopping and changing direction.

Any coach can develop straight ahead speed. That is simple to do. But if you want to take speed to the next level, deceleration training is a must! Otherwise the opportunity to minimize knee and ankle injuries is lost. Not only that but, the skill will remain the same.

If you take a good look at the top international soccer players you will notice this when they are with and with out the ball.

This one particular skill once mastered will significantly raise the level of the soccer player.

In order to build strength for deceleration, soccer players need to focus on some single leg exercises such as single leg squats, single leg jumps and single leg hops.

The progression here is static (in place) to dynamic (changing places)

Next there a few drills that may done in a gym, on turf or on grass. These would be ladder drills and cutting drills.

When a player decelerates the quadriceps, glutei and calf muscles lengthen under load.
If the player does not have the strength to slow down they will either tear a muscle or sprain a ligament.

It is for this reason single leg strength needs to be built and cutting drills need to be done.

Cutting drills may be done with and with out the ball.

These types of soccer drills may put into your practice after a dynamic warm up once the muscles are awake and ready to work.

Building strength and doing cutting type drills needs to be done on a consistent basis to get both short term and long term results.

In conclusion, a speed program for soccer must have both single leg strength exercises as well as any type of cutting drills that causes the soccer player to stop, change direction and accelerate.