Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): speed (winger)

15 minutes (30 mins)

Organisation

Players: 6

Area: 30 meters (10 meters between each cone)

Equipment: cones

Time: 15 mins

Rest to work ratio: 1:3

Timeline of session

- The players will start on the line

- They will sprint to first cone and then back

- The next person will then go and sprint the first cone and return and finally the third will.

- All three will sprint to the second cone and back one at a time

- And finally the players will sprint to the final cone and back to the line and that will complete a rep.

- They will continue to do this for 15 minutes

Coaching points

Speed of the players

anaerobic endurance

Condition - sprint to each cone and back in 1 go to complete a rep

Regression - Make the shuttle runs shorter

Progression - Make the shuttle runs longer and further to sprint

rationale

I set my session out like I did by having two different drills in the same session was to make sure that the players I was working with was focusing solely on improving their speed whilst also improving their technical ability and tactical awareness of a winger within football. Speed is “the differential rate at which an individual is able to perform a movement or cover a distance in a period or how quickly an individual can move. This helps all games players to move into position or get away from opponents quickly.” (BBC, 2014). Speed is a very important element in football as it is the difference between who gets to a ball first or if a player can get on the end of pass or cross which could be the difference between scoring a goal or not. It is vital for players in the position of a winger as they would need to sprint up and down the wings trying to get past defenders and get on the end of through balls.

In the first drill of the session I set it up as a shuttle run working on the sprint speed of each player, they would have to run to each cone at their maximum speed. I split it into 2 groups so they could compare to the person running alongside them to make it either competitive or use the other person at motivation. In the second drill, I focused on more technical and tactical attributes to do with football and playing on the wings. The player would have to sprint onto a pass played diagonally into the corner of the pitch and cross it into the box like a game scenario. The quicker the player sprints down the wing to the ball, the better composed and more time they get to cross the ball.

I personally believe speed is very important in football and vital for some positions. Speed also relates to a lot of the other components. Without speed in football it would not be as competitive or as exciting to watch.

BBC (2014), Skill related fitness factors. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/pe/exercise/0_exercise_health_rev3.shtml (accessed: 17/01/17)