A-march to A-skip
Transcript
Two warm-up drills for knee lift, posture and rhythm. Here's the A-march, then the A-skip. In the skip, your knee drives up about two thirds as fast as in a sprint. So both are a warm-up, not sprint training. You need fifteen metres of flat grass. Watch it on the spot. March, knee up, toe up, opposite arm forward. First, knee to hip height. Not this, leaning back. Now add a small skip to every step. Then, stay tall like a lamp post. Our target is two lengths of each, walking back in between. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Warm-up drills for knee lift, posture and arm-leg rhythm before you sprint. They are not sprint training: in an A-skip the thigh swings up at about two thirds of sprinting speed, with far fewer steps a second (Athletics Australia).
Set up
- 15 m straight
- Flat grass
How it works
- Start your warm-up with easy running (the FIFA 11+ Kids or FIFA 11+ running part, or your club warm-up). Do these drills next, before any sprints.
- Pick 15 m of flat, dry grass, with a cone at each end if you have them.
- A-march: walk forward slowly. On each step drive one knee to hip height, toes up, and swing the opposite arm forward. Put the foot down under your hips. 2 x 15 m, walking back between.
- A-skip: the same shape with a small, quick skip off the ground on every step. 2 x 15 m, walking back between.
- The video shows the rhythm on the spot so the whole body stays in view. On the grass, travel forward slowly.
Coaching points
- Knee to hip height. Drive the knee up until your thigh is level with your hip, shin straight down and toes pulled up. The opposite arm swings forward, elbow bent.
- Tall like a lamp post. Stay tall from head to hips, like a lamp post, and punch each foot down under your hips, not out in front.
Not this
Leaning back to get the knee higher. Stay tall, and lift the knee only as high as you can while upright.
Dose
- 2 x 15 m of each drill
- Walk back in between
Our target: 2 x 15 m of A-march, then 2 x 15 m of A-skip, walking back between (our target: no source sets a dose).
Harder / Easier
Harder
From 13 (our suggestion): the B-skip. After the knee comes up, reach the foot forward and paw it down under your hips, not in front (Athletics Australia).
Easier
Under 10, or if the skip gets messy: A-march only, slower, until every step has the same shape. You can also march on the spot.
Safety
- Flat, dry grass or a track, never a road or pavement.
- These are warm-up drills, not sprint training: do real sprints separately, fresh and with full rest.
- Under 16: if your knees or heels hurt when you run or skip, stop and tell an adult. Knee and heel pain is common while you are growing, and a GP or physio can help.
Sources
- Athletics Australia - rethinking the role of A and B skips (opens in a new tab)
- Athletics Australia - purposeful sprint drills (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA - Injury prevention (the 11+, 14 and up) (opens in a new tab)
- PMC - FIFA 11+ Kids trial full text (ages 7-13) (opens in a new tab)
- NHS - Knee pain (opens in a new tab)
- NHS - Heel pain (opens in a new tab)
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
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