Conditioning - Soccer Speed

Soccer Speed – Introduction

The age old dispute, who is the better soccer player, Pele or Maradona has a very simple answer for many soccer critics: the two can't be compared, since they played in different soccer ages, in which the parameters the game was played upon changed dramatically. One of these parameters that change (maybe the most dramatic change of them all) is soccer speed. 

Not only the speed of the game tempo in itself has increased with time, but also the speed of the players and the speed of passing. But we're not here to discuss how the game as a whole got faster, we're here to discuss how a soccer player can get faster and if he can increase his actual running speed.

 
First let's just say that the concept of soccer speed in a player actually has two parts: initial acceleration and top speed. On short distances, acceleration is more important, since you never get to make full use of your top speed. On long distances however, your full speed will shine, with the initial acceleration making less of an impact. Obviously, if you can improve yourself in both of these speed sub-skills, that's even better.

Can Top Speed be Improved?

Unfortunately, your top speed cannot be improved like other abilities. Most people tend to believe that you're either born with it and you have it, or you don't. That's not 100% correct, although it's clear that a player who is "slow" will never be able to compete with one of his blazing fast colleagues, no matter how hard he works out.

 
Just look at sprinters: they increase their body mass to create more force to push down on the ground, which gives them a longer step without having to open their legs up too far apart and lose time with the feet in the air. So yes, soccer fitness is directly related to soccer speed. But you can also improve your speed slightly, by correcting your running style, perfecting your stepping range and the power you push the ground underneath you with.

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Most definitely yes! Unlike top speed, your initial burst can be improved heavily through specific soccer speed training exercises. We'll discuss these exercises in a different section of the site, but let me tell you that your acceleration is very closely related to your agility, so training with agility exercises indirectly and beneficially affects your initial burst of speed.

 
A correct movement of your body is also crucial when it comes to acceleration, since you need to quickly shift your upper body forward and push hard with your first leg, following up in the same pattern with the second one. Managing to keep your balance during this entire movement might be hard at first, but you'll soon be able to master it (again, think of a sprinter at the finish line, with his body bent forward, but still able to keep his balance and stand on his feet).

Soccer Speed – Conclusion

Working out both of these sub-skills, which further require other skills to be trained such as strength, agility and so forth, is crucial in obtaining an overall high speed. But don't forget, speed is nothing on its own, so learn to adapt your other soccer fundamental abilities (tackling, dribbling, shooting, crossing, etc) to work in your fifth (or if case be, sixth) gear.