Soccer Speed & Agility Training With a Ball

Soccer, also known as football, is the most popular sport worldwide. In competition, professional soccer players often display seemingly effortless footwork. As with any sport, training and practice are pivotal to help develop these skills. Coaches have created soccer drills to build understanding of the basics, such as ball control, passing and accurate shooting. Using these activities can help players, no matter the level of competition.

  1. Speed and Agility in Soccer

    • Speed and agility are apparent in watching professional soccer players move with the ball in free space and between defenders. Without either speed and agility, players would have a hard time controlling the ball. These attributes are also important for the defense, which must stay in front of offensive players moving toward the goal. Training can sharpen speed and agility.

    Dribble to Score

    • Dribble to score is a drill that will help players develop running speed and agility with the ball. You can also help improve their defensive abilities. Divide the field into three zones. Zone 1 has three defenders, Zone 2 has two and Zone 3 has the goalie. Have three players at a time move from zone to zone trying to get past the defenders and score. This drill helps teach dribbling skills and how to get away from defenders. You can make variations to the drill, such as changing the number of offensive players.

    Keepaway

    • This is a team drill that helps teach ball control, along with offensive and defensive skill sets. Create A, B and C teams with four players each. The game starts with teams A and B on offense and team C on defense. Both offensive teams have a ball and are trying to score while team C plays defense. If an offensive team loses the ball, it must become the defensive unit. This drill teaches players how to keep the pace on offense and defense, while learning to deal with sudden positions changes.

    Hit the Coach

    • This training drill is meant to help younger soccer players, but can be used as a fun activity on a lighter day of training for older players as well. Hit the coach involves the players and coaching staff. Give every player a ball and have them surround the coaches on the playing field. When the whistle is blown, the coaches can run in any direction while the players try to strike them with the ball. For larger teams, you may want to split into groups to assign with different coaches. This drill helps players develop dribbling skills, shooting while running and general ball-control skills.

    Sprinting Drills

    • Coaches can also use drills such as sprinting to help players develop speed and ball control. Instead of normal wind sprints, players can race for distances of 10, 20 or 30 yards while dribbling the ball in front of them. Players will have to control their speed and the ball at the same time. Variations include team relays or the use of resistance parachutes.