Speed is a crucial skill in football (soccer) because it helps you beat opponents to the ball, create scoring chances, and recover on defense. In a typical match, players sprint many times – research shows professional footballers run 30–40 short sprints per game. These sprints are brief (often just 3–39 yards) and last only a few seconds. To be fast on the pitch, you need to focus on two things: accelerating quickly (getting up to speed) and then reaching top speed efficiently. Good sprint training for teens should develop both.
Besides pure speed, football also requires quick first steps and smart movement. Agility (quick changes of direction) is vital too. An elite player not only runs fast but can also stop and turn quickly between sprints. Being strong enough to decelerate (stop) and then re-accelerate is part of being fast on the field.
Sprinting Technique and Form
Improving form makes each step more powerful and efficient. When you sprint, your whole body must work together. Your chest should lean forward slightly at the start, and your arms should pump in opposition to your legs. Strength coach Mark Murphy notes that sprinting requires “posture, ground contact quality, and relative strength” – in other words, keeping good body
alignment and pushing hard into the ground. In the start position, one knee is down and the body leans forward. At this moment, push powerfully through the front leg and drive your back leg down and backward. Coaches recommend a forward lean of about 45°–60° from the ground during the first few steps.
This angle lets you apply big force to the ground, helping you accelerate faster. As you explode forward, swing your arms vigorously (about 90° at the elbows) to help drive momentum. Keep your head and chest over the mid-foot and look slightly ahead.
Acceleration vs. Full Speed: Early in a sprint (left image), the runner stays lean and “punches” the knee forward like a piston. Once near top speed (right image), the body becomes more upright (almost vertical). In full-speed running, legs cycle with a quick heel-up motion (“butt kick”) and a high knee lift. In contrast, during the drive phase your back leg pushes down and back. Practicing both styles helps.
Keep your stride rhythm smooth: aim to land each foot under your hips (not too far out front) and push your hip through each step. Do not overstride (landing too far ahead), as this slows you down. Instead, focus on quick ground contact: sprinting speed comes from applying a large force to the ground in a very short time. In other words, push hard and fast on each step.
Sprint Drills
Drills can ingrain good form. Try these technique drills regularly:
A-Skips: March or “skip” forward, lifting your knee up high and driving the foot down quickly. This trains knee drive and hip flexor strength.
B-Skips: Like A-skips but extend the lower leg out before bringing it down in a circular motion. This works the hamstrings and helps avoid overstriding.
High Knees and Butt Kicks: Run in place or forward, bringing the knees up (high knees) or heels up to the butt (butt kicks). These drills warm up legs and teach quick leg turnover.
Falling Starts: From a tall position, lean forward and start running as you fall into the sprint. This teaches explosive first steps.
Practicing these drills (2–3 times per week) improves coordination and teaches your body the efficient sprinting posture and movement. Over time you’ll build faster form that carries over to full sprints.
Strength Training for Speed
Strong muscles generate more sprint power. Studies show that stronger leg muscles strongly relate to faster sprint times in youth soccer players. In one controlled trial, adding twice-weekly squats to young players’ routine significantly improved their 5m, 10m, and 30m sprint times over a year. In short, doing strength exercises makes you faster on the field.
Leg Strength Drills: Key exercises include squats (barbell or bodyweight) and lunges, which target the quads, glutes, and hips. The image above shows a deep kettlebell squat – notice her back is straight and knees stay over ankles. This builds power for each push-off. Good technique: squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground (or lower if flexible), keep weight in your heels, and stand up strong.
Single-Leg Drills: Lunges work one leg at a time, improving balance and leg drive. The photo shows a controlled forward lunge: one knee bends to 90° and the front foot stays flat. Variations like walking lunges or step-ups are great too. These exercises strengthen muscles used in sprinting and help prevent imbalances (one leg stronger than the other).
Other exercises: Don’t forget calf raises (for ankle strength) and core work. A strong core (abs and lower back) stabilizes your body during sprints. Planks, bridges, and Russian twists (leg raises with a twist) are simple core moves. You can do bodyweight versions or add light weight as you get stronger.
Perform strength exercises 2–3 times per week, with 2–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions. Always focus on correct form rather than heavy weight. Gradually increase the load (heavier dumbbells/bar) as you get stronger. The goal is to build power – that’s strength plus speed. Studies in young athletes find that combining strength and plyometric (jump) training yields greater speed improvements.
Plyometrics and Speed Drills
Explosive jumps train the fast-twitch muscles used in sprinting. Examples include box jumps, broad jumps, and plyo lunges. These teach you to use leg muscles quickly (power training). For instance, jump onto a low box from standing, land softly, and step down. Do 2–3 sets of 5–8 jumps.
Sprint-specific drills also help. Practice short sprints of 10–20 meters at full effort, with full recovery between. Use cones: sprint straight to 10m, then jog back. Repeat 5–10 times. Once sprinting a straight line, add zigzag sprints: set cones in a line and sprint around them, which trains acceleration and agility. These exercises are proven to boost acceleration and top-end speed in youth players.
Agility and Movement Efficiency
Football isn’t just straight-line running. You need to change direction and react quickly. Train agility with drills like lateral (side) shuffles, shuttle runs, or ladder drills. For example, set 4 cones in a square and sprint around them in a square pattern, focusing on fast steps and quick turns. Work also on balance and stability (single-leg balance exercises), since a stable posture lets you transfer speed without wobbling.
Efficiency in movement means using good biomechanics. Ensure you stay relaxed (except for firm feet strike); avoid tensing up mid-stride. Focus on rhythm – smooth out any bobbing up and down. Remember to land lightly on each step (preferably mid-foot rather than heel) to prepare for the next push-off quickly. Good running economy comes from practice: the more you sprint with correct form, the more natural efficient running becomes.
Warm-Up and Recovery
Always warm up before fast running. Do 5–10 minutes of easy jogging or dynamic movements (leg swings, butt kicks, hip circles) to increase blood flow and loosen muscles. Perform dynamic stretches (walking lunges, high knees, gentle leg swings) and at least 5–6 sprint drills (like A-skips and high knees) before your main workout or game. This prepares your muscles and joints for powerful movements and reduces injury risk.
After training, cool down with light jogging and static stretching (hamstrings, calves, hip flexors). Keeping muscles supple helps you maintain full stride length. Also give yourself rest days – muscles grow during recovery. For teen athletes, a good rule is 1 day of rest between intense leg workouts.
Stay hydrated and eat a balanced diet with enough protein to support muscle repair. Proper nutrition and sleep help your body adapt to the training and get faster.
Putting It All Together
Improving sprint speed takes time and consistency. Focus on quality over quantity: sprint sessions should have full effort and adequate rest. A sample weekly plan could include 2 days of sprint practice (with drills and sprints), 2 days of strength training (legs and core), 1 day of agility drills, and 1–2 rest days. Always listen to your body – if you feel very sore or tired, rest or switch to light training.
By combining good technique, focused drills, and regular strength work, teenage footballers can boost their sprinting ability. Start with proper form (as in the images above), then gradually add speed work and strengthening. Over weeks and months, these habits build fast, powerful legs. Before long, you’ll notice quicker sprints on the field – and that extra edge can make all the difference in a game.
Key Takeaways: Sprint speed depends on how forcefully and quickly you push off the groundstack.commassgeneralbrigham.org. Strengthen your legs with exercises like squats and lungespmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, practice running drills (A-skips, starts, short sprints), and keep your running form efficient (lean in acceleration, upright at top speed)stack.commassgeneralbrigham.org. With consistent training and attention to form, you’ll become faster and more explosive on the football field.