Why matches alone rarely make you quicker
Nicholson and colleagues pooled 121 studies with 3,419 players for a 2021 review in Sports Medicine. Most were in association football, 96 of them, with the rest in rugby codes, futsal, Australian football or mixed squads. Every study tested sprints of 20 metres or less, the bursts that win a loose ball or close down a defender.
| Training in the review | What it looked like | Effect on short sprints |
|---|---|---|
| Sport only | Matches, small-sided games, technical and tactical drills | No significant improvement |
| Sprinting alone | Sprints and running technique drills | No significant improvement |
| Resisted or assisted sprints | Sprinting while pulling or pushing a load, such as a sled | Improved, though in few studies |
| Strength, power or plyometric training | Squats, hinges, jumps and bounds | Improved |
| Combined | Sprint work alongside strength or plyometrics | Improved |
No single method came out on top. Most players studied were men, many were young, and the authors point out that players new to this kind of training tend to respond more.
The season in four phases
Improvements showed up in both pre-season and in-season groups in the review, so the gym keeps its place once fixtures start, as long as the volume drops. Only three studies ran in the off-season, and that small group showed no significant improvement. Most sprint and change-of-direction work suits the turf lane and sled in RPM's functional area.
| Phase | Main aim | Gym sessions a week | What the sessions hold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Break between seasons | Rebuild basic strength and an aerobic base | Two | Full-body strength at moderate loads, easy running or cycling |
| Weeks before the first fixture | Build strength, speed and fitness | Two or three | The heaviest lifting, sprints, jumps and rising conditioning |
| Regular season | Hold what you built | One or two | Fewer sets at similar loads, a few sprints and jumps |
| Packed fixture weeks or tournaments | Stay fresh | One short session, or none | Light upper body, mobility, a handful of sprints |
This layout is a common way to apply the review's findings, not a schedule it tested.
Sprint and change-of-direction work on the turf
Speed work only counts if it is fast. Do it fresh, early in a session after a full warm-up, with short reps and long recoveries, and stop when you slow down.
- Accelerations: four to six short sprints from different starts, standing, side-on and from a jog, walking back between reps.
- Sled sprints: a light sled pushed or pulled at nearly full speed. If the load turns the sprint into a grind, it is too heavy for speed work.
- Decelerations: sprint, then stop in balance within two or three steps, chest over knees.
- Cuts: sprint, plant and change direction at a shallow angle, then a sharper one, on both feet.
- Shuffle to sprint: a few side steps, then turn and accelerate, as you would when a winger beats you.
Sled loading and the push, drag and pull options are in sled push and pull workouts. On the turf, fit every drill to the space you have rather than to a set distance.
Strength and power for a footballer
| Pattern | Exercises | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | Goblet squat, back squat, leg press | The main lower-body lift of the week |
| Hinge | Romanian deadlift, kettlebell swing | Hamstrings and hips for sprinting |
| Single leg | Split squat, step-up, lateral lunge | Football is played on one leg at a time |
| Jumps | Squat jumps, broad jumps, lateral bounds | Low numbers of good landings |
| Upper body and trunk | Push-ups, rows, carries, side planks | For holding off an opponent and staying balanced |
For players new to lifting, ACSM suggests loads you can lift 8 to 12 times, two or three days a week. Experienced lifters move to heavier loads with longer rests.
Single-leg exercises are explained in single-leg strength training, and landings and contact counts for jumps in plyometric training. If you are carrying a knock or a strain, see a doctor or physiotherapist before you add gym work.
Planning by days to the next match
Counting days to the next game works for any fixture pattern, from one league match a week to two five-a-side nights plus a weekend game.
| Days to the next match | What fits |
|---|---|
| The day after a match | Walking, easy cycling, mobility |
| Three days or more | The main session: sprints and jumps first, then strength |
| Two days | A short, sharp session: a few accelerations and some upper-body work |
| One day | Rest or light movement only |
| Match day | Nothing beyond your warm-up |
With one game a week, the gap holds two sessions. With two games a week, put one session in the longest gap and keep the rest easy.
For a player on office hours with one league match on Saturdays, Sunday stays easy, Monday and Wednesday are three or more days out and carry the two main sessions, Thursday is a light touch and Friday is rest. Add a midweek five-a-side and one of those main sessions usually has to go.
Football training at RPM
RPM runs one club, on Level 4 of AD HUB Sports Complex in Al Manhal, with free on-site parking. In the Mixed section, the functional area has a turf lane with a sled, step boxes, medicine balls and kettlebells, and the training floor has a squat rack with colour bumper plates, a plate-loaded leg press, spin bikes and dumbbells.
- Teammates can train side by side in the Mixed section. Women who play can train in the Ladies section, a women-only space with its own strength and cardio kit.
- Strength and conditioning is covered by coaches on the roster. For a plan written around your fixtures, ask about Engine, which adds coached programming, or Atelier, which is built on one-to-one sessions.
- Bring your fixture list to a first coached session, so the plan bends around your games.
- On the free guided tour, ask how busy the turf lane is at the hours you would train.
Sources
- Nicholson B, Dinsdale A, Jones B, Till K. The training of short distance sprint performance in football code athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 2021
- American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2009
Questions, answered.
Will sled sprints make me faster?
In the 2021 meta-analysis, resisted and assisted sprints improved short sprints, but only a handful of training groups used them and the result leaned on individual studies. Pair them with strength and plyometric work rather than relying on the sled alone.
I am in my late thirties. Does this apply to me?
The principles do, but the evidence comes mostly from younger players: average ages in the studies ranged from about 10 to 27. Start with fewer sets and allow more time between hard sessions.
Can women footballers follow the same plan?
The same principles apply. Only ten of the 121 studies were in women, so the evidence for them is thinner, and a coach can adjust loads and volume to your history.
Is small-sided football enough to keep me fit?
It keeps you match fit up to a point, but in the review, sport-only training did not improve short sprints. A gym session or two adds the strength and speed work that games leave out.