FSHP Academy
Football S&C — all lessons

Module 1 – Assessment & Evaluation

Assessment protocols for footballers

Module 2 – Long-Term Periodisation

LTAD in footballPeriodisation plans for footballManaging training load and volume

Module 3 – Strength Training

Exercise selection and integration for football

Module 4 – Power & Explosive Training

Explosive power and plyometrics for football

Module 5 – Speed & Agility

Linear speed, lateral speed and agility drills

Module 6 – Overtraining & Recovery

Overtraining signs and fatigue monitoring in football

Module 7 – Practical Application

Football S&C case studies

Linear speed, lateral speed and agility drills

Developing acceleration, maximal speed, curved sprinting, lateral movement and reactive agility for football.

Advanced Evidence: Strong evidence 3 min read Reviewed 2026-10-31 Status: draft

Learning objectives

  • Coach acceleration and maximal speed
  • Develop lateral and curved movement
  • Design reactive agility drills
  • Plan speed exposure across the week

Before this lesson

Why this matters

Speed creates and prevents goals.

Linear speed

Acceleration (0–20 m), maximal velocity (30–40 m), full rest (2–4 min). Elite sprint training principles [haugen2019].

Lateral and curved

Shuffles, crossover steps, curved sprints around poles, deceleration drills.

Agility

Progress from planned COD to reactive: partner mirror, 1v1 with ball, small-sided games [sheppard2006] [paul2016].

Weekly plan

MD−4/−3: acceleration and max speed; MD−1: short, sharp primers. Sprints are frequent in goal situations [faude2012].

Common mistakes and misconceptions

Case study

A winger’s sprint exposure is increased with curved max-speed runs twice weekly. His GPS peak speed rises over 6 weeks.

Further learning: video lessons

Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.

Technical needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Linear speed, lateral speed and agility drills

football S&C practitioners and federations (search)

You will understand: linear speed, lateral speed and agility drills

Why: Practitioner content; verify the specific video.
Technical needs verification — opens a YouTube search

Strength and conditioning in practice

football S&C practitioners and federations (search)

You will understand: applied S&C sessions

Why: Practitioner content; verify the specific video.

Knowledge check

Knowledge check · 0/5

1. Speed training requires…

Answer B. Quality.

2. Faude et al. (2012) found straight sprinting occurred most in…

Answer B. Importance of speed.

3. Reactive agility includes…

Answer B. Perception.

4. Deceleration training helps…

Answer B. Braking.

5. Curved sprinting is relevant because…

Answer B. Specificity.

Short-answer & application questions

  1. Design a speed session.
  2. Create a 1v1 reactive agility drill.
  3. Plan weekly speed exposure.

Key takeaways

  • Acceleration and maximal speed need near-maximal efforts with full recovery.
  • Football includes curved runs, decelerations and lateral shuffles.
  • Reactive agility drills include opponent and ball cues.
  • Plan speed exposure 1–2 times per week.

Connected topics

sports technology

Reaction-light systems (e.g. BlazePod)

football

Explosive power and plyometrics for football

References

  1. Haugen T, Seiler S, Sandbakk Ø, Tønnessen E (2019). The training and development of elite sprint performance: an integration of scientific and best practice literature. Sports Medicine — Open, 5:44. Narrative review check pending
  2. Faude O, Koch T, Meyer T (2012). Straight sprinting is the most frequent action in goal situations in professional football. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30(7):625–631. Source check pending
  3. Sheppard JM, Young WB (2006). Agility literature review: classifications, training and testing. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(9):919–932. Narrative review check pending
  4. Paul DJ, Gabbett TJ, Nassis GP (2016). Agility in team sports: testing, training and factors affecting performance. Sports Medicine, 46(3):421–442. Narrative review check pending

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.