What is Speed in Soccer?
Speed in soccer is not a singular trait. It comprises several components, each with its own training requirements.
Acceleration Speed
The ability to reach maximum speed in the shortest time, whether from a standstill or while moving. In soccer, this rarely exceeds 10–15 meters. The first step is crucial.
Sprint Speed (Maximum Velocity)
The absolute maximum speed over longer sprint distances (20–40 meters). Relevant for counter-attack situations and runs into depth.
Action Speed
The speed of decision-making and execution of a technical action: pass selection, shot, tackle. This component is often underestimated – it is frequently more important in a game than physical speed.
Speed Endurance
The ability to maintain sprint speed over multiple short actions within a game. Soccer doesn't consist of just one sprint – but rather 30–50 short sprints with recovery periods.
The Two Developmental Windows for Speed
Speed has two particularly favorable developmental periods during youth. Coaches who recognize these windows can train purposefully. Those who miss them will struggle with significantly more effort later.
Window 1: 7–9 Years
The first window occurs in early childhood. The nervous system is highly plastic – reaction speed and coordinative speed can be developed particularly well during this phase.
What should be trained in this window:
- Reaction speed (reacting to signals, quick transitions)
- Coordinative speed (fast leg movements, stride frequency)
- Playful speed forms (tag games, reaction games, running competitions)
What is NOT advisable in this window:
- Maximum strength application
- Long sprints at maximum speed
- Conditioning-oriented speed training
The focus in this window is on neurological speed – not muscular strength.
Window 2: 13–15 Years
The second window is more crucial for soccer speed. After the growth spurt, neurological connections for fast movements are well developed – simultaneously, a targeted connection with explosive power is now possible.
Optimal Timing:
- Girls: approx. 13–14 years (shortly after the growth spurt)
- Boys: approx. 15–16 years
Why this discrepancy? Girls undergo the growth spurt earlier. The optimal time for intensive speed training is approximately 6–12 months after the Peak Height Velocity (maximum growth rate).
What should be trained in this window:
- Acceleration speed with explosive power component
- Reaction + immediate acceleration (combination of both components)
- Sprint speed over short distances (5–20 meters)
- Starting position variations (standing, from movement, after a turn)
The Right Load Structure for Speed Training
This is the area where most mistakes are made. Speed is a neural ability – it requires a different training format than endurance or strength.
Rule 1: Short and Explosive
Sprint drills last 3–10 seconds. No more. After 10 seconds, maximum sprint speed decreases – the training leaves the speed zone and shifts into speed endurance.
Guidelines:
- Acceleration: 5–10 meters, approx. 3–5 seconds
- Maximum speed: 20–30 meters
- Combination form: Start + Turn + 10-Meter Sprint
Rule 2: Full Recovery
This is the most important and most frequently ignored principle: Complete recovery between sets. For maximum speed, the nervous system needs approx. 3–5 minutes of rest between sets.
Whoever trains speed with 30-second breaks is training speed endurance – not speed.
Why this is so important:
Fatigued nervous system = lower impulse rate = slower movement. Sprinting in a fatigued state teaches slower sprinting. The opposite of speed development.
Rule 3: Quality over Quantity
Better 5 maximal sprints with full recovery than 15 sprints with short breaks. The quality of execution is decisive.
Signs of decreasing quality:
- Starting position changes (first steps become wider or flatter)
- Head drops down
- Arm action becomes less controlled
If these signs appear: take a break or end the session.
Rule 4: Warm-up is Mandatory
Speed training without an adequate warm-up is risky. Muscle and tendon structures must be prepared. A specific activation warm-up (dynamic stretching, ballistic movements, short progression runs) should last 15–20 minutes.
Speed and Coordination: The Connection
Speed without coordination is inefficient. Someone who runs fast but makes faulty steps every other stride loses energy. Someone who starts explosively but loses balance will still not reach the ball.
Therefore: Coordinative speed training is often more effective in youth development than pure sprint training.
Examples:
- Fast footwork using an agility ladder (developing stride frequency)
- Reaction sprint with a preceding change of direction
- 1v1 with reactive start (who reacts faster?)
- Dribbling speed drills (acceleration with the ball)
Explosive Power: The Neglected Foundation of Speed
Speed has a muscular foundation: explosive power. The ability to exert maximum force in the shortest possible time. Without sufficient explosive power, acceleration speed is limited.
What trains explosive power:
- Jumps (Squat Jump, Counter-Movement Jump, Bounding)
- Short sprints with active push-off
- Plyometric exercises (Drop Jump → Immediate Rebound)
When to do explosive power training?
Only when the conditional and coordinative foundation is present. For boys, earliest from approx. 14–15 years with bodyweight, from 15–16 years with light external loads. For girls earlier (approx. 12–13).
Warning:
Plyometric training during growth phases (during the growth spurt) is associated with an increased risk of injury. Growth plates are under stress during this phase. Coaches must know which growth phase their players are in.
Common Speed Training Mistakes in Youth Football
Mistake 1: Training Speed in an Endurance Format
Sprints with short breaks train speed endurance – not speed. If you want to make players better at sprinting, you must provide full recovery.
Mistake 2: Speed Training at the End of the Session
Fatigued players cannot achieve maximum speed. Speed training belongs at the beginning of the session – after the warm-up, but before conditioning loads.
Mistake 3: Always Using the Same Starting Position
In a game, you don't always start from the same base position. Variations: from sitting, after a turn, after a tackle, after a header. This makes training more game-like and versatile.
Mistake 4: No Technical Feedback
Speed training without feedback on running form, arm action, and push-off technique wastes potential. Fast players run economically – this is learnable.
Mistake 5: Intensive Speed Training During the Competitive Phase
During the competitive phase with two games per week, there is little room for intensive speed training. It fits into the preparatory phase and microcycles with low game frequency.
Speed Test: How to Make Progress Measurable
What isn't measured cannot be systematically improved. Simple speed tests for academies:
- 5-meter sprint: Measures acceleration speed
- 10-meter sprint: Combines acceleration + initial acceleration phase
- 20-meter sprint: Approaching maximum speed
- Reaction test with sprints: Start on optical or acoustic signal
These tests can be conducted twice per season (beginning and mid-season) to document and compare progress.
Speed in Training Planning: Where Does It Fit?
In Periodization:
- Preparatory phase: ideal place for systematic speed training
- Competitive phase: maintenance and short activation sessions, no systematic development
- Transition phase: no speed training
In Weekly Planning:
- 1–2 speed blocks per week (in the preparatory phase)
- 15–25 minutes per block
- Always at the beginning of the session (after warm-up)
Coach OS and Speed Training
So that speed development in an academy happens systematically – and not just when a coach happens to think of it:
- Exercise database with speed drills (categorized by developmental phase, component, intensity)
- Training planning: Plan speed blocks in the microcycle and ensure they are placed correctly (start of session)
- Player OS: Document player test results and make progress visible throughout the season
→ Request a demo: coach-os.de
Conclusion: Developing Speed – But With Method
Speed is trainable. But only with the right dose, at the right time, with adequate recovery. Those who utilize the two developmental windows, understand the neurological basis of speed, and prioritize quality over quantity will develop true game speed – not just hurried training.
FAQ: Training Speed in Soccer
Is speed in soccer trainable or genetic?
Both. A part of maximum speed is genetically determined (muscle fiber types, nerve conduction). But acceleration speed, reaction speed, action speed, and speed endurance are highly trainable – and these are the crucial components in soccer.
When should intensive speed training begin?
Simple reaction and coordination speed from 7–9 years. Intensive acceleration and sprint training no earlier than after the growth spurt – for boys approx. 15–16 years, for girls approx. 13–14 years.
How long should sprints be in speed training?
5–30 meters, depending on the training component. Acceleration: 5–10 meters. Maximum speed: 20–30 meters. Longer distances train speed endurance – a different topic.
How much rest do I need between sprints?
For maximum speed: 3–5 minutes between sets. For speed endurance: 30–60 seconds. If you want to develop speed, do not shorten the rest due to time pressure.
Why is speed training at the beginning of the session important?
Because speed training requires maximum neurological readiness. Fatigued players cannot apply maximal speed stimuli – and will then train slowness instead of speed.