Acceleration Starts

Objective

• -Develop the first five yards of acceleration
• -Coach a repeatable sprint start position
• -Keep quality high with full recovery between reps

Setup

1. 1Start line with cones at five, ten and twenty yards.
2. 2Players in pairs on the start line.
3. 3Balls at the twenty yard cone for the football finish.

How to play

1. 1Accelerate hard to the ten yard cone, then ease down over the next ten.
2. 2Six reps with 45 seconds recovery between each.
3. 3Finish two reps by driving onto a ball and striking at goal.

Progressions

• +Progressive Tempo: add a fourth maximal round
• +Ball For Every Player: shrink the working area
• +Reaction Start: two cues, one a decoy
• +Add a competitive scoreline for the last round

Regressions

• -Progressive Tempo: stay at the first two tempos only
• -Ball For Every Player: bigger area, share a ball between two
• -Reaction Start: coach counts players in
• -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

• -Progressive Tempo — Three rounds: 60% pace, 80% pace, then match pace with full recovery between.
• -Ball For Every Player — Every player works with their own ball so no one waits in a queue.
• -Reaction Start — Every repetition begins from a visual or audio cue rather than a set count.
• -Partner Race — Players work in matched pairs and race each repetition, best of five.
• -Mobility Focus — Each round finishes with a controlled mobility hold for the hips, groin and ankles.
• -Change Of Direction — Add a 90 or 180 degree turn into every repetition before the finish.
• -Team Target — The whole group works to a shared score target and repeats the round if they miss it.
• -Flip the practice to the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

• -Standing tall on the first step
• -Short rests turning speed work into fitness work
• -Jogging the deceleration instead of controlling it