Speed & Agility
Football Endurance Intervals: Progressive Tempo
Build repeated sprint ability
Speed & Agility
Small-Sided Games
Football Endurance Intervals: Progressive Tempo is a 15-minute speed & agility drill for 4-24 players, suitable for Under 12 to Adults at beginner, intermediate, advanced level. You need cones, balls. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.
Back to drill librarySpeed & Agility
Small-Sided Games
Technical Practice
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Full Squad
Minimal Equipment
Youth Friendly
Adult Suitable
Conditioning
Warm Up
Physical Preparation
Injury Prevention
Duration
15 min
Players
4-24
Pitch size
40 x 20 yards
Ability levels
Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
Pitch diagram
Football Endurance Intervals: Progressive Tempo — Marked area · 40 x 20 yards
Step 1 of 4Fifteen seconds high intensity running, forty-five seconds recovery.
- 1. Fifteen seconds high intensity running, forty-five seconds recovery.
- 2. Eight to ten repetitions.
- 3. Add a dribble or pass on alternate reps.
- 4. Three rounds: 60% pace, 80% pace, then match pace with full recovery between.
- Cones mark the area
- Dashed lines = zones / thirds
- Ball
- Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble
Objectives
- -Build repeated sprint ability
- -Work at match intensity
- -Recover quickly between efforts
Setup
- 1Cones marking 40 yard runs with a recovery zone.
- 2Balls at each end for the ball-based version.
- 3Groups of four working together.
Coaching instructions
- 1Fifteen seconds high intensity running, forty-five seconds recovery.
- 2Eight to ten repetitions.
- 3Add a dribble or pass on alternate reps.
- 4Three rounds: 60% pace, 80% pace, then match pace with full recovery between.
Coaching points
- -Hold the pace across every rep
- -Use the recovery to breathe deeply
- -Keep running mechanics tidy when tired
- -Build intensity gradually to protect muscles
- -Full range of movement from the first round
Common mistakes
- -Going too hard on the first rep
- -Standing still in the recovery
- -Dropping technique when fatigued