Soccer (Football)
7 agility training drills for soccer
Whether you opt only to include one, or all of these soccer drills in your training routine, they are sure to benefit you.
When most people think about soccer skills, they think about speed, strength, and mental toughness. But as players rise to professional status, specialized skills like agility and stamina are necessary.
Neymar da Silva Santos Jr, a.k.a. Neymar Jr., is a great example. He never rests on the reputation he has built for himself. “You have to show yourself in the best way on the pitch. This is something I try to do every match,” he said.
Neymar at the Red Bull Neymar Jr's five World Final 2022 in Doha, Qatar
© Phil Pham
In addition to speed and dribbling, Neymar excels at agility, or the ability to change the direction of his entire body in a split second. It’s a skill he spends countless hours perfecting, running drills to enhance his strength, power, and technique.
Below, we delve into the top seven agility training drills for soccer that will change how you play. Like any other exercises, don’t forget to warm-up before you start to prevent injuries!
Agility Training for Soccer
These drills should be practiced twice weekly as part of regular soccer training. As you will see, many involve sprinting. As a general rule, when you sprint, keep your head down and raise it as you progress; this will help with speed, coordination, and strength.
01
Sprint Backpedal Turn Drill
This drill is meant to imitate a common occurrence on the field: when a defender reads a play, realizes they need to change direction while marking their player, and then attacks the ball. It requires a series of 3-5 cones set up in a straight line and spaced between 5 and 7 yards apart.
- Start at the first cone and sprint to the third (skip the second).
- Then decelerate, and backpedal to the second cone. During your backpedal, keep your core set, posture low, and weight on the balls of your feet.
- When you reach the second cone, change direction with a burst of speed, drive with your legs, and sprint towards the 4th cone.
- After this, backpedal to cone 3.
- Again, change direction once more and sprint past cone 5.
- Repeat this drill 2-4x.
02
Four Cone Drill
This drill is meant to imitate how a player weaves in and out of other players on the field. To run it, you will need four cones arranged in the formation of a box. When you are performing it, we suggest recreating real play, which means running as fast as possible while retaining body control. To boost your agility quickly, we suggest practicing this drill at least twice a week.
- Start at the bottom right corner of the square, sprint forward, then side shuffle to the cone on your left.
- After that, backpedal to the cone directly behind you, and finish by side shuffling so that you end up at the cone where you started.
- Repeat this 2-3 times.
03
Agility Ladders
Trent Alexander-Arnold
© Greg Coleman
This drill is the most highly demanding of your body and will condition your feet to move quickly, which will help you on the field. Use an agility ladder or 8-10 cones set up three feet apart from one another. Perform each variation 2-4 times.
One foot in each box: The goal here is to go through each ladder piece or cone as fast as possible. You will alternate tapping one foot in each box or by the cone and one foot on the ground.
Two feet in each box: This is similar to the variation above. Go through the ladder as though you were running, but this time your leading foot needs to be met by your trailing foot in each box. For example, bring your right foot into the box, and before taking it out again, let your left foot meet it. Then lift your left foot out of the box and continue with the pattern. Once you complete the course, change your leading foot. And repeat.
Two feet in each box (laterally): This drill is the same as above but performed sideways. This time, the foot you start with will depend on which side you start on. Once you finish, repeat the drill and change the side your body is facing.
Hopscotch: Start with both feet outside the box, then hop into the box with both feet. If you are using cones, apply the same principle. Continue doing this while moving up the ladder or cone setup.
Icky Shuffle: Start with your right foot out of the box while your left foot is inside the box. When you place your right foot into the box, take your left foot out of the box. Then continue this pattern up the ladder. It may help to give yourself verbal reminders as you perform this exercise so you can say ‘in-out-up’ as you move.
04
Teammate Chase Drill
This drill is the closest exercise to replicating defending on the field, we would recommend using this as a warm-up every time you train to keep your agility skills up! It’s essentially a game of tag.
- Mark out a large area on the pitch, at least 20 x 20 yards.
- Pair up with a teammate and have them run from one side of the area to the other while you chase them.
- After you catch them, have them change direction and try to speed up.
- Try to maintain a 2-yard distance from them at all times.
- Teammates should switch roles after six sets each for 12 total sets.
05
Flying Sprints
This drill focuses on accelerating from a jog to a sprint, simulating the movements needed to effectively move from general field coverage to closing a gap and making a play.
- Set up two cones 20 yards apart and a third cone 10 yards after the second.
- Start at cone one and jog at 75% speed to cone two. Then sprint at full speed to the third cone, mindful to keep your head down and raise it as you progress.
- Jog back to the beginning for active recovery.
- Perform this exercise 6-8 times.
06
Shuttle Take-Off Drill
This drill only needs three cones. It helps strengthen leg muscles and stamina, improving a player’s overall agility.
- Place two markers on the floor, 20 yards apart. And one in the middle.
- Starting on the middle marker, sprint to one end of the 20 yards (so you run ten yds), then turn and immediately sprint to the other end (20 yds) with as much speed as possible.
- Then, turn and sprint back to the middle cone (10 yards). At each marker, place your hand on the floor.
- Repeat this drill 3-4 times, and try to turn on a different foot at each marker.
07
Weaving Shuttle Drill
The goal of this drill is to develop the speed of leg movement; typically, during a game, this movement would be much slower as a ball would be involved. Try and do this at least twice a week!
- Place ten shuttles in a line 5 yards apart.
- Weave in and out of the cones as fast as possible and walk to the start.
Whether you opt only to include one, or all of these drills in your training routine, they are sure to benefit you. Agility training improves coordination, speed, and responsiveness! It’s what separates great soccer players like Trent Alexander-Arnold from the rest.