Stronger Soccer

How to Get Faster for Soccer

"Get faster" is one of the most common goals a soccer player sets for themselves, but most players train it the wrong way — long, tired sprints when what the game actually rewards is explosive acceleration over short distances. Here's what actually moves the needle.

Acceleration matters more than top speed

Track sprinters spend years chasing top-end speed over 60–100 meters. Soccer players almost never get that far — most sprints in a match cover somewhere between 5 and 20 meters before a touch, a tackle, or a change of direction interrupts them. That means the first three to five steps — pure acceleration — decide far more duels and races than how fast you'd run a flat-out 40-yard dash. Training acceleration specifically is a better use of time than training top-end speed for the vast majority of players.

Speed is built on strength

Sprinting is a series of powerful single-leg pushes into the ground — the harder and faster a player can produce force with one leg, the faster they accelerate. This is why strength training and speed training aren't separate pursuits. Single-leg strength work, in particular, transfers directly:

Acceleration mechanics

A few technical cues separate players who accelerate well from those who don't:

Acceleration drills

Falling starts

Stand tall, lean forward until you must step to catch your balance, then sprint 10 meters. Removes the hesitation of a stationary start and forces an aggressive first step.

Resisted starts

With a partner holding a light resistance band around your waist (or towel held from behind), drive forward against the resistance for 5–10 meters, then sprint freely once released.

Varied starts

Practice sprinting from a lateral shuffle, a backpedal, and a seated position — soccer rarely starts sprints from a track-style stance, so training varied starting positions builds more transferable speed.

Top-speed mechanics, briefly

For the rare longer sprint, focus on a tall upright posture, relaxed shoulders and face, and high knee drive with quick ground contact. This matters less for most players than acceleration — spend the majority of training time there instead.

A simple weekly speed session

  1. Dynamic warm-up (5 minutes) — high knees, butt kicks, leg swings, a few build-up strides
  2. 4–6 sprints of 10–20 meters, each at full effort
  3. Full recovery between reps — 60–90 seconds minimum, more if breathing hasn't settled
  4. Finish while still fresh, not fatigued

That last point is the one players get wrong most often: speed training is not conditioning. The goal is maximum-quality, fully recovered sprints, not accumulating tired reps. Once fatigue sets in, mechanics break down and the session stops training speed and starts training bad habits.

Go deeper

Each topic above has a full guide of its own:

Common mistakes