Smart sprint work, strength training, and recovery help you get faster in football and turn speed practice into real game breakaway bursts.
If you want to know how to get faster in football, you need more than random sprints after training. True game speed comes from a mix of clean technique, sharp power in the gym, and a weekly plan that you can stick to.
This guide walks you through clear steps that any player can follow, whether you play wide receiver, fullback, winger, or centre back. You will see how to build a speed base, how to sharpen it for match day, and how to keep gaining speed without burning out.
Core Factors Behind Football Speed
Before you stack drills, it helps to see what makes one footballer faster than another. Straight line pace matters, but so do the first three steps, the way you change direction, and how fresh you feel in the final minutes.
| Factor | What It Does For You | Simple Self Check |
|---|---|---|
| Acceleration | How quickly you reach top speed from a standstill or slow jog. | Time your first 10 yards from a three point or standing start. |
| Top Speed | How fast you can sprint once fully opened up. | Time a 30 to 40 yard sprint with full rest between reps. |
| Change Of Direction | How fast you can stop, cut, and reaccelerate. | Run a simple 5-10-5 shuttle and record your best time. |
| Technique | Posture, arm swing, and foot strike while you sprint. | Record a sprint on video from the side and from behind. |
| Strength And Power | Force you can put into the ground with each step. | Track progress on squats, lunges, and jump height. |
| Conditioning | How well you repeat sprints across the whole match. | Count how many fast efforts you can hit before pace drops. |
| Recovery Habits | How quickly you bounce back between sessions. | Rate sleep, soreness, and mood across the training week. |
Coaches and strength staff talk a lot about acceleration and maximal sprint speed because both decide who wins short races to the ball. Research on football and sprint training points out that solid mechanics plus strength work are the base behind all speed drills you run later.
How To Get Faster In Football On The Field
Game speed starts with the first step. If you improve the way you leave the line and the way you move in the first ten yards, you will feel faster in real plays even before your top speed changes.
Fix Your Sprint Stance And First Three Steps
Set your body in a slight forward lean, with your weight on the balls of your feet and your eyes looking just ahead. When you push off, drive the back knee forward, punch the opposite arm, and let the first step land under your hips, not way out in front. This keeps force headed forward instead of straight down.
Short sprints of 5 to 10 yards from different starting positions help you wire this pattern into your game. Use starts from a two point stance, three point stance, and split stance so you are ready for snaps, throw ins, and counters.
Clean Up Sprint Mechanics
Once you are moving, think “tall, relaxed, and sharp”. Stay upright without leaning back, keep your shoulders loose, and let your arms swing from cheek to hip with elbows around ninety degrees. Feet should land under your centre of mass with a quick, light contact on the ground.
Short flying sprints work well here. Jog for 15 yards, then sprint for 15 yards, then shut down over another 15. This drill lets you feel top speed without the strain of a hard standing start each time.
Add Change Of Direction And Football Patterns
Pure track style sprints build speed, but football asks you to cut and reaccelerate while reading the play. Use cone patterns that match your position. Defenders can run backpedal to sprint drills, wide players can run curved runs that mimic overlapping moves, and central players can work tight square patterns with short cuts in every corner.
The FIFA speed technical coordination circuits show how coaches blend quick footwork, direction changes, and ball work inside the same drill so speed work links to match skills.
Speed Training Drills To Get Faster For Football
To turn these ideas into real gains, put them into a simple weekly plan. Two to three focused speed sessions each week are enough for most players who also train with a team.
Sample Short Sprint Session
A short sprint session works best on a day when you feel fresh and have access to a flat pitch or track. Warm up with light jogging, dynamic stretches, and a few easy build up runs. Then move into crisp efforts where quality stays high.
- 4 x 10 yard starts from varied stances, full rest between reps.
- 4 x 20 yard sprints from a standing start, full rest between reps.
- 3 x 30 yard flying sprints with a 15 yard build up.
- 2 x 5-10-5 shuttles at match pace.
Every rep should feel sharp. If your times drop off or your form turns sloppy, stop the session instead of chasing more volume.
Sample Speed And Ball Session
Many players enjoy speed work more when the ball is involved. You can still keep the intent on speed while you dribble, pass, or shoot at the end of each run.
- Dribble from cone A to cone B, play a wall pass, then sprint past cone C.
- Start with your back to goal, check to the ball, receive, lay off, then spin and sprint into space.
- Run through a short ladder pattern, then burst into a ten yard sprint to receive a pass.
Keep total sprint distance similar to the short sprint session, but split it across more football based patterns.
Strength And Power For Football Speed
You cannot run fast without the strength to push hard into the ground. Lifting gives you that base and also helps protect your hamstrings, hips, and knees from strain.
Lower Body Strength Staples
Twice per week, work through basic compound lifts that build strong legs and hips. Stay with clean, controlled reps instead of chasing huge loads straight away.
- Squats or trap bar deadlifts for whole lower body strength.
- Split squats or lunges to balance both legs and help with cuts.
- Romanian deadlifts to strengthen hamstrings for sprinting.
- Core work such as planks and dead bugs for trunk control at high speed.
Power And Plyometrics
Power work teaches your body to use strength in a split second. Use low to moderate volume and land softly so joints stay happy.
- Box jumps and broad jumps for horizontal and vertical power.
- Single leg hops over small cones to prepare ankles and knees.
- Bounds or skips where you drive each stride long and strong.
Place power drills near the start of a session, right after the warm up, so your nervous system is fresh.
Recovery, Conditioning, And Weekly Load
Speed gains show up when hard work and recovery balance out. If you stack hard sprints, tough gym work, and long matches without rest, your times will stall and muscle strains creep in.
General activity guidelines for adults call for regular moderate or vigorous training each week, paired with muscle work on at least two days. National bodies such as the CDC physical activity guidance outline how total weekly load can be shared across running, gym sessions, and matches.
| Day | Main Goal | Sample Session |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Short Sprint Quality | Warm up, short sprints, flying sprints, light core work. |
| Tuesday | Strength | Squats, lunges, hamstring work, easy aerobic finish. |
| Wednesday | Team Training | Tactical work, small sided games, light conditioning. |
| Thursday | Speed And Ball | Mixed ball drills with short sprints and pattern runs. |
| Friday | Strength And Mobility | Lighter strength session, movement prep, stretch work. |
| Saturday | Match Day | Game, post match stretch, easy walk or bike if needed. |
| Sunday | Recovery | Light walk, soft tissue care, early night. |
If your team schedule already packs in two or three hard sessions, slide the solo speed work to quieter days. The aim is to have at least one fresh day for pure speed and one solid day for strength so both sides of the speed equation move forward.
Tracking Progress And Staying Consistent
The best plan is the one you can follow for months, not just a week. Simple testing shows whether your training moves you in the right direction and keeps motivation high.
Simple Tests To Recheck Every Four Weeks
Pick a few short tests and repeat them under similar conditions every four to six weeks. Write down your results in a training log or app so changes are clear.
- 10 yard and 30 yard sprint times from a standing start.
- 5-10-5 shuttle time for change of direction.
- Best broad jump distance for power.
- How fresh you feel in the final fifteen minutes of a match.
Bringing It All Together
Now you have a clear picture of how to get faster in football and how each piece of training connects. Sprint mechanics give you a smooth stride, strength and power give you force, and recovery habits keep your legs sharp when it matters most.
Start with one or two changes from this guide and build step by step. With steady work and smart rest, you will win more races to the ball, create more space on every run, and feel your new speed every time you step on the pitch.
Stay patient, keep sessions sharp, and treat speed days like high priority appointments in your weekly calendar routine at home.