The sprint session
Transcript
Speed work is short sprints with full rest. Here's the session. Warm up first. You need a tape measure and three cones. Measure twenty metres on flat grass, with a cone at the start, middle and finish. Leave ten metres of run-off. Watch. Sprint past the finish cone and ease down. First, explode through the finish cone, not to it. Then, push the ground away. Our target is six to eight sprints, twice a week, walking back and resting two to three minutes between them. Under twelve, or under fourteen for later developers, play chase and tag games instead. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Train acceleration and sprint speed: a few short, flat-out sprints with full rest, so every rep is fresh and fast. Low volume, high quality.
Set up
- Warm up first
- 3 cones, 10 m apart
- 20 m, tape-measured
- 10 m run-off
How it works
- Warm up first: FIFA 11+ Kids (ages 7-13), FIFA 11+ (from 14) or your club warm-up. Then 2-3 build-up runs, each a little faster.
- On flat, dry grass or a track, tape-measure 20 m. Cones at 0, 10 and 20 m, with at least 10 m of clear run-off.
- Start standing behind the first cone, in your own time. Sprint flat out past the finish cone.
- Ease down, walk back and rest 2-3 minutes in total. Do 6-8 sprints; stop early if you are clearly slowing.
Coaching points
- Through the finish cone. Stay flat out until you are past the finish cone, then ease down in the run-off.
- Push the ground away. Push the ground away behind you on every step. Once you are up to speed, stay tall.
Not this
Easing up as you reach the finish cone, so the last metres are your slowest.
Dose
- 6-8 sprints, twice a week
- Walk back, rest 2-3 min
Our target: 6-8 sprints of 20-30 m, twice a week (the Football Reach plan target), walking back and resting 2-3 minutes between them (our target).
Harder / Easier
Harder
Finish at 30 m (run-off past it), rest about 3 minutes. Or start side-on, rolling or face down; each counts in your 6-8.
Easier
6 sprints of 20 m, 3 minutes' rest. Under 12 (14 for later developers): chase and tag games, the plan's choice; research on the best age is mixed.
Safety
- Never sprint from cold. Under 18: an adult or coach nearby.
- Flat, dry grass or a track, never a road, pavement or driveway. Keep 10 m past the finish clear of walls, fences, posts and people.
- Under 16: knee or heel pain when you run or jump? Stop and tell an adult. Growth pains are common; a GP or physio can help.
- Chest pain, faint or dizzy: stop at once (under 16: tell an adult); GP or NHS 111 the same day, 999 if someone collapses.
- Tight hamstring or any pain: stop, see a GP or physio; never train through it.
Sources
- PubMed - Moran et al. 2017, youth sprint meta-analysis (opens in a new tab)
- PubMed - Moran et al. 2018, sprints by maturity (opens in a new tab)
- PubMed - Rumpf et al. 2012, speed by maturity (opens in a new tab)
- NSCA - The need for speed (opens in a new tab)
- PubMed - Rossler et al. 2018, FIFA 11+ Kids (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA - the FIFA 11+ (opens in a new tab)
- England Football - movement skills (opens in a new tab)
- The FA Boot Room - the physical corner (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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