To get faster for soccer, running more sprints is not enough. A player can have good top speed and still arrive late to a loose ball. They may accelerate well but lose the advantage when braking. They may move quickly without the ball and slow down too much when dribbling. A player can even appear physically slower simply because they read the situation later than an opponent and start moving only after the play is already developing.
- Useful soccer speed combines physical ability, movement technique, body control, perception and decision-making.
That is why a well-structured training process can work on acceleration, strength, sprint mechanics, deceleration, changes of direction and speed with the ball while still accounting for the player’s age, experience, position, weekly workload and actual needs.
There is no universal routine that guarantees specific results. Before adding more drills, it is more useful to understand which part of your speed is actually limiting your game.
What Does It Really Mean to Be Fast in Soccer?
Top speed is only one part of the equation. During a match, relatively few runs happen over a long distance, in a straight line and without anything changing around the player. A soccer player observes, anticipates, accelerates, brakes, adjusts direction, protects the ball, responds to an opponent and accelerates again.
That is why it is more useful to think in terms of several related abilities:
| Ability | How it appears during a match |
| Acceleration | Gaining an advantage over the first few meters |
| Top speed | Attacking or defending space during longer runs |
| Deceleration | Slowing down to receive, defend or prepare for the next action |
| Change of direction | Adjusting a movement along a predetermined path |
| Agility | Perceiving a stimulus and responding by changing movement |
| Speed with the ball | Moving quickly while maintaining control and the ability to make decisions |
| Perception and decision speed | Recognizing what is happening earlier and starting the action at the right time |
FIFA Training Centre uses the concept of functional speed in football to connect physical speed with technique, movement and the actions that actually appear in the game. Its speed technical coordination methodology combines physical and technical objectives within movements performed at high speed.
The distinction matters: the goal is not to win a track race, but to use speed to solve football situations more effectively.
Why Is Straight-Line Sprinting Not Enough?
Straight-line sprints have a place in speed training. They allow players to work on acceleration, sprint mechanics and exposure to higher running speeds in a relatively controlled environment. The problem starts when they become the only type of speed work.
During a match, a player may begin a run and discover a second later that the pass was shorter than expected, a defender closed the lane or possession changed teams. Physical speed has to function within that uncertainty.
That is why a progression makes sense: first learn and produce the movement with quality; then increase the intensity; later add a stimulus or decision; and finally integrate it with the ball, opposition and representative game situations.
This does not mean every exercise needs a ball. A task can be less game-specific and still be useful if we know exactly which quality we are training.
Transfer develops when the different pieces eventually connect.
Before Training More, Identify What Is Limiting You
Simply saying “I want to get faster” still does not define a specific problem.
Do you lose the advantage in the first few steps? Does it take too long to reach speed? Do you struggle to brake and accelerate again? Do you lose balance when changing direction? Are you quick without the ball but much slower when dribbling? Or does the problem appear because you read the play too late?
Each situation points to a different need.
A stopwatch, video or a coach’s observation can provide useful information, but a number by itself does not explain performance. A time needs to be interpreted alongside technique, positional demands and what actually happens in training and matches.
That is why it can also be useful to complement physical work with analysis of your own matches. Looking at when you arrive late, when you lose an advantage or what happens before each action makes it easier to distinguish a physical-speed limitation from a positioning or decision-making issue.
A difference between the two sides of the body does not automatically mean there is an injury either. But if the asymmetry is pronounced, appears together with pain or clearly changes movement, it should be assessed by a qualified professional.
What to Train to Get Faster for Soccer
Acceleration and the First Few Steps
In many situations, the advantage is created before a player reaches top speed. An efficient start can help you reach a ball first, separate from a defender, react to a turnover or attack space that has just opened.
During acceleration, the player needs to apply force into the ground effectively while organizing the body to move forward. Posture, coordination between the arms and legs and foot placement all matter, but trying to correct every detail at once is rarely useful.
When the goal is high-quality acceleration training, intent and recovery between repetitions matter. If every sprint begins under heavy fatigue, the stimulus is no longer the same. That does not mean running while tired is never useful. Soccer also requires repeated efforts. It is simply a different quality and should be programmed with a different objective.
Sprint Mechanics
There is no single perfect running style that every soccer player should copy. Body proportions, mobility, experience, speed and the next action all influence mechanics. Even so, arm-leg coordination, postural control, trunk stability and the way the foot contacts the ground can affect efficiency.
- That is why watching the complete movement sequence is more useful than judging technique from a single frozen image.
A position that looks incorrect in one frame may make sense because of what happened in the previous step or because of the action the player needs to perform immediately afterwards.
Strength and Power
Running fast requires producing force in a short period of time. That is why lower-body strength and the ability to generate power are part of speed development. This does not mean turning a soccer player’s training into a bodybuilding routine or treating muscle mass as the only objective.
Training can include different forms of resistance, bilateral and unilateral exercises, bodyweight control and explosive actions, always with an appropriate progression.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis published in Sports Medicine examined 34 studies involving 1,396 highly trained male youth soccer players. Strength training, plyometric training and combined methods produced moderate improvements in measures such as acceleration and change of direction. Improvements in higher linear running speeds were also found, although the effects were smaller.
The practical conclusion is not that one method works best for everyone. It is that developing strength and power can contribute to speed when it forms part of a coherent training plan. For young players, technique, progression and supervision should come before the amount of weight used. International consensus on youth resistance training supports its inclusion when it is appropriately designed and supervised.
Plyometrics and Explosive Actions
Jumps, hops and other plyometric actions can be used to train the ability to absorb and produce force quickly. But “doing plyometrics” does not mean accumulating jumps or trying to reach a greater height in every session.
- A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis included 20 studies and 796 adolescent soccer players. It found improvements in jumping, sprinting and change-of-direction performance, with clearer effects on jumping and change of direction than on sprinting.
That supports the usefulness of the method, not blindly copying a routine.
A player should be able to take off, land, stabilize and control the movement before increasing its difficulty. FIFA Training Centre also recommends that explosive work for developing players use low volume, adequate recovery and a non-fatigued state when the objective is to produce high-power actions.
Braking, Deceleration and Change of Direction
Being able to produce speed matters. Being able to control it matters too. A player needs to brake to receive, adjust distance to an opponent, respond to a feint, change direction or prepare to accelerate again. If the player arrives out of control, needs too many steps to stop or loses stability, part of the advantage created during acceleration disappears.
That is why speed drills do not always need to end when the player crosses a line. They can also teach the player to reduce speed within a defined space, stabilize the body and immediately connect that movement to another action.
This is also where an important distinction appears: change of direction and agility are not exactly the same. In a planned change of direction, the player already knows the route. In an agility task, the player has to read a stimulus —an opponent, a pass or the ball— and decide where to move.
Cone drills can help players practice foot placement and braking. But at some point, uncertainty needs to be introduced if the aim is to develop a response that is closer to the game.
FIFA even uses examples from elite players to show how deceleration can serve a tactical purpose: slowing down, drawing in a defender and accelerating again when space appears.
Speed With the Ball
Being fast without the ball does not guarantee that you will be fast when you have to play it. Some players slow down too much when dribbling. Others try to maintain maximum speed by pushing the ball too far ahead, making it easier for a defender to intervene.
- Speed with the ball is about adapting the touch to the available space and the next action.
In open space, longer touches can be used. Near an opponent, the touchline or a tight area, the player will probably need closer control. They also need to look up. If all of their attention stays on the ball, they may be running quickly while processing the game slowly.
That is why speed development should eventually connect acceleration and dribbling with passing, directional first touches, finishing, opposition and decision-making.
Speed Also Starts Before You Run
Some players appear physically faster because they start the action earlier.
A center back who reads the path of a pass can intercept it without winning a sprint. A forward who recognizes the defender’s body orientation can start the run at the right moment. A midfielder who anticipates a possible turnover can begin the transition before the opponent reacts.
That does not replace physical speed. It complements it.
Before moving, a player can gather information about the ball, the ball carrier’s body shape, the available space and the positions of teammates and opponents. The earlier the situation is recognized, the more time the player has to act.
This dimension also matters when a player is being assessed. In a trial, for example, coaches are not only looking at how fast someone runs, but how that speed appears together with technique, game reading, positioning and decisions. You can explore this in more detail in our guide on how to prepare for a soccer trial in Spain.
How Should Speed Training Be Organized During the Week?
There is no number of sessions that is right for every player. Planning depends on team training, match minutes, age, physical level, experience with strength and power work, the competition calendar and the player’s recovery.
The important point is to understand that not every training stimulus needs to be added as an extra session. Certain elements can be integrated into the warm-up, field training or physical work that is already planned.
When the goal is high-quality speed or power, it makes sense to avoid doing all of the work under fatigue. When the goal is to develop the ability to repeat efforts, the structure will be different.
A common mistake is adding sprints, gym work, plyometrics and change-of-direction training on top of everything already being done with the team without considering the total workload.
A session can look short in isolation and still become excessive within the full week. Recovery is part of that planning. If you also want to organize what to do after competition, you can consult our guide on how to recover after a football match.
Does Speed Training Change by Position?
All soccer players accelerate, brake and react, but they do not use those abilities in exactly the same way.
| Position | Key demands that are often most relevant |
| Center backs | Short adjustments, turns, covering runs, lateral movements and recovery runs |
| Fullbacks and wingers | Repeated accelerations, longer runs, braking and getting forward again |
| Midfielders | Short changes of pace, body orientation, turns and reading space |
| Forwards | First steps, creating separation from defenders, timing and attacking space |
| Goalkeepers | Reaction speed, lateral power, short movements, jumps and rapid changes of position |
This does not mean every player should train only the movements associated with their position. Position helps prioritize and provide context; it should not limit physical development.
Common Mistakes When Trying to Get Faster
- Training while constantly fatigued confuses speed with conditioning. If the goal is to produce a high-quality acceleration or sprint, you need to be able to perform it with high intent and sufficient recovery.
- Relying only on agility ladders also limits the training. They can be useful for coordination, rhythm or warming up, but they do not replace sprinting, strength work, deceleration or reacting to the game.
- Copying a professional player’s routine removes the context. A thirty-second video does not show the player’s training history, the rest of the week, the team workload or why that exercise was selected.
- Increasing distance, repetitions and resistance while reducing rest at the same time makes it harder to know which quality you are actually developing and unnecessarily increases fatigue.
- Ignoring braking means training only half of the action. Arriving quickly matters, but so does being able to execute what comes next.
- Training through sharp or increasing pain does not prove commitment. If localized pain, a clear change in running mechanics, swelling or worsening discomfort appears, stop that task and seek an appropriate assessment.
How Can You Tell If You Are Actually Getting Faster?
A stopwatch is still a useful tool when testing is performed under comparable conditions, but soccer performance provides more information.
You can look at whether you are gaining an advantage earlier over the first few meters, controlling your braking better, changing direction with less loss of balance, maintaining technique as speed increases and transferring those improvements into situations with the ball.
The timing of your runs matters too. That is why a physical improvement that appears only in an isolated drill still needs to demonstrate transfer.
Your main reference point should be your own starting point, not simply the fastest player on the team.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
You do not need a specialized assessment before doing every speed drill. Professional support becomes particularly valuable when there is recurring pain, a significant injury history, clear changes in mechanics, side-to-side differences accompanied by symptoms or a weekly workload that is difficult to organize.
Supervision also makes sense when a young player begins more demanding resistance or plyometric work, is going through a period of rapid growth or is trying to add individual training to an already intensive schedule.
Supervision helps adapt the work to the player’s age, experience and current stage instead of copying a generic training dose.
If the immediate goal is to prepare for a specific competitive situation, that work should fit with the rest of the player’s preparation rather than becoming a last-minute overload.
Training Speed Within a Soccer Environment
Speed becomes more valuable when the player learns how to use it in the game. At Pro Football Training, the process is not built around accumulating isolated physical drills. Programs in Madrid allow players to train within the Siello Academy environment, where daily work integrates technical, tactical and physical components under a UEFA PRO-licensed coaching staff.
The difference is being able to observe not only how fast a player runs, but how they use that ability when they have to receive, decide, adjust, compete and adapt to the tempo of the session.
If you are considering coming to Spain to work on your development, you can explore the Pro Football Training programs and compare which format best fits your age, level, experience and goals.
Participation in a training program does not guarantee team integration, playing time, professional representation or a professional contract. Those outcomes depend on subsequent sporting assessments and decisions and should not be confused with the training process itself.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Faster for Soccer
How Long Does It Take to Get Faster for Soccer?
There is no universal timeline. It depends on the starting point, age, training experience, the specific quality being developed and consistency. Acceleration, technique, strength and top speed do not necessarily improve at the same rate.
Can You Get Faster Without Increasing Your Top Speed Very Much?
Yes. A player can gain an advantage by improving the first few steps, braking, change-of-direction control or the timing of the run even if top speed changes very little.
Do Agility Ladder Drills Make You Faster?
They can be used to work on coordination or footwork rhythm, but they do not replace acceleration, sprint, strength, deceleration or reaction training. They are one tool, not a complete speed program.
Is It Better to Train Speed With or Without the Ball?
Both approaches are useful. Work without the ball allows certain physical and technical components to be trained in a more controlled way. Ball-based tasks help transfer those qualities progressively into perception, control and decision-making.
Does Strength Training Make Soccer Players Slower?
Not necessarily. Available evidence in highly trained youth soccer players shows that well-programmed strength, plyometric and combined training can improve strength, power, acceleration and other qualities related to speed.
Can Young Soccer Players Do Plyometric Training?
Yes, provided the tasks are appropriate for their development and experience and follow a suitable progression. Movement quality, landing control and supervision matter more than progressing quickly to more demanding exercises.
What Is the Difference Between Change of Direction and Agility?
In a change-of-direction task, the player normally knows in advance where to move. Agility includes perception and reaction: the movement changes in response to the ball, an opponent or another stimulus.
Getting Faster Means Arriving Earlier and Executing Better
Improving speed in soccer is not simply about taking a few tenths of a second off a sprint. A player needs to accelerate, reach speed, brake, adjust direction and accelerate again without losing control of the body or the play. They also need to recognize when to move and continue making good decisions when the ball is involved.
That is why sprinting, strength, plyometrics, sprint mechanics and change-of-direction work all have a place, but no tool works in isolation or should be applied without considering the player’s complete workload.
Being faster does not always mean winning a race. In soccer, it means arriving at the right time, staying in control and using that advantage to execute the next action more effectively.
