Football Fitness

Overload Ball Interval Fitness

Build football-specific endurance with the ball

Football Fitness
Speed & Agility
Dribbling
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Overload Ball Interval Fitness is a 16-minute football fitness drill for 2-20 players, suitable for Under 12 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need balls, cones. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.

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Football Fitness
Speed & Agility
Dribbling
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Fitness Type: Interval
Overload

Duration

16 min

Players

2-20

Pitch size

34 x 19 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced

Objectives

  • -Build football-specific endurance with the ball
  • -Repeat high-intensity efforts with proper recovery
  • -Keep technique clean when tired

Setup

  1. 1A shuttle course with cones at 5, 10 and 15 yards in a 34 x 19 yards area.
  2. 2Split the group so the attacking side always has one spare player, and park the spare bibs on the halfway cone.
  3. 3One ball per player.

Coaching instructions

  1. 1Players dribble out and back to each cone in turn as one rep.
  2. 2Work for 30 seconds then rest for 60 seconds.
  3. 3Six reps in total with a longer break at halfway.
  4. 4The spare player joins whichever side has the ball, so the attack always works with a plus-one.
  5. 5A goal or completed end action counts double if the spare player touched the ball in the build-up.

Coaching points

  • -Keep the touch tight even when tired
  • -Turn off both feet
  • -Use the rest properly
  • -Find the free player quickly before the defence shuffles across

Common mistakes

  • -Pacing the work interval
  • -Cutting the rest short
  • -Spare player standing still instead of offering an angle

Where this drill fits

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