This article contains a list of soccer conditioning drills that you can use during

your sessions. You should not use all these drills in one single practice. I
recommend you also not to use these drills more than 10 minutes per session.
Now, let’s check out the drills...

Pain/Killer Shuttles

If you want your players to start hating you then you should use this drill as
often you can :-) The shuttles run or killer shuttles as some people prefer to call
them is one of the most painful soccer conditioning drills that you can find.
However, it is very effective if performed with effort and focus.

This drill is ideal at the end of the practice because it will squeeze the last piece
of power from your players. The players need to perform the drill 5-10 times
before resting for 2 minutes. The amount of sets depends of course on how
young your players are. If you are coaching players younger than 18 you should
try to keep the amount of sets to 5.
Here are the instructions for setting up the Killer/Shuttle Runs:

1. Place 4 cones 10-15 yards apart.

2. The players should start from cone 1, run to cone 2 and back to cone 1, then
run to cone 2 and back to cone 1, run to cone 3 and back to cone 1 and finally
run to cone 4 and back to cone 1.

3. The players should run at maximum speed.

4. Take a rest of 20 seconds during the sets.

5. Players should perform at least 5 sets (depending on the age).

Step Jumps

The step jumps drill can be performed in the middle or at the end of your
practice session. You should avoid implementing it in the beginning of your
practice as players need to warm up properly before participating in this drill.

Here is how to perform the Step Jumps drill:

1. Instruct your players to place a cone or ball in front of them.

2. Tell them to place themselves beside the cone or ball.

3. Tell your players to start to jump vertically but also laterally off the ground
and over the cone/ball.

4. The players should land on both feet and them jump back in the other
direction.

5. Each set should last about 60 seconds.

6. Your players should perform 4-8 sets depending on their age.

Sick & Sack Runs

This drill should be performed in pairs. Tell your players that they will be
competing against their partner. To make this drill more interesting you could
set up a competition where the losing player needs to perform 40 sit-ups as
penalty.

Here is how to set up the drill:

1. Divide your team into 2 equal groups.

2. Instruct each of your players to find a partner in the other group.

3. Place 5 cones 10 yards apart.

4. Your players should perform at least 5 sets depending on their age.

5. Your players may rest between the sets by jogging buck to their respective
files.

Lost Runs

I call this drill for lost runs because once you start to perform it you actually feel
lost. However, this drill is both fun and effective for developing your players
overall condition.

Here is how to set up the drill:

1. Set up the drill by placing 6 cones on the same way like on the image below.
2. Players should try to run at maximum speed and perform at least 4 sets.

3. They should rest by jogging back to the file between the runs.

Summary
You should develop your player’s condition during the whole season. However, it
is iimportant to put extra focus on condition training 2-3 months before the start
of the season. This is the most crucial period and a player with a poor pre-
season behind him will rarely perform well during the competition. The soccer
conditioning drills in this article could be used during your regular season or as a
compliment to your pre-season program.

Soccer Fitness Drills

Intro to Soccer Fitness Drills
As a coach you surely know that soccer fitness drills are rarely appreciated
among the players. Simply, players hate to run without a ball. However, one
thing you could do to motivate your players is to allow them to play 2 goals after
completing the drills. Now, let’s start to check out the drills.

Slalom Runs

Set up the drill by placing the cones on the same way like on the image above.
The first six cones should be placed 3 yards apart. The distance between the
sixth cone and the cone up to the right should be about 5 yards. And the
distance between the cone up to the right and the bottom cone should be about
15-20 yards.

You may vary this drill by increasing the distance between the cones or remove
the jogging part and restrict your players to run at their maximum. Each of your
players should perform this drill 5 times or more (depending on the age and
fitness level of your players).

Random Runs

To accomplish this drill you will need 9 cones. Use one cone to mark the starting
point. The rest of the cones should be about 5-10 yards away from the starting
point. Each cone should have a number. You could mark them on the same way
like on the image below but of course if you want to mark them on some other
way then fine. It is up to you to decide this :-)

The players should stand around the starting point. Begin the drill by randomly
shouting the name of one of your players and the n umber of the cone, for ex:
John 5. What John needs to do is to perform a quick run to the cone with
number five, sprint back to the starting point and then shout, DONE! Directly
after that you should shout some other player’s name. The drill continues for 5-
10 minutes. Let your players rest 2 min and then repeat the drill.

Jog & Sprint

Set up the drill by placing 6 cones on the same way like on the image below. The
cones should be 15 yards apart. However, if your players are younger than 15
you should limit the distance to 10 yards. Your players should be standing in a
line behind the cone marked with "Starting Point". The first standing player in
that line should first perform a fast run, then jog, then sprint and so on.

After reaching the starting point again, he should place himself at the end of the
file. This drill will improve your players sprinting abilities which is a crucial part
of soccer fitness. A player that is slow will have hard to perform well regardless
of which positions he is playing on. You may vary this drill by increasing the
distance between cones (depending on the age of your players) or restrict your
players to sprint without allowing them to jog.

Station Runs

For this drill you will need 6 cones. Create a rectangle and place the cones 5
yards apart (see the image). The cone up to the left is used as starting point for
the drill. You should line up your players in front of the cone.

Now, demonstrate the drill by yourself by performing a fast run to the first cone.
Once reaching it you should lie down and perform 20 sit-ups. After that you
should run fast to the second cone and perform 10 push-ups. Then, run fast
again to the third cone and perform 10 knee jumps, run fast again to the fourth
cone and perform 20 sit-ups again, run fast to the fifth cone by performing 10
push-ups again. Jog back to the starting point.

The Ultimate Soccer Positions

Guide
Soccer positions can be confusing, especially if you have just started to play
soccer. It took me a while to figure out what a sweeper, fullback or central
midfielder is, but of course I didn’t have access to this information. Lucky for
you, I have created a guide that describes every position, so just take your time
and check out any position that interests you. However, if you are really serious
with your soccer career and want to learn all the secrets behind every soccer
position, I strongly recommend you to check out this book.

Keep in mind also that you should try to play many soccer positions before
deciding what position suits you best. My experience is that many soccer players
(especially young people) want to play as forwards and strikers. As you already
know, this is not possible because someone has to be fullback, midfielder,
goalkeeper and so on. However, just because you don’t play these soccer
positions, doesn’t mean that you will not become a good soccer player.

The Sweeper

If you want to play as sweeper in soccer

you should have a good understanding of
the game and also strong leadership
abilities. Your main task is to control the
defense of your team and to always stay
behind your fullbacks.
 Center Fullback

The center fullback’s (or stopper’s) main

task is to mark the opposing team
forwards or central midfielders.
Distributing the ball to the midfielders and
playing offensively at intervals is also an
important skill if you want to perform well
as stopper.

Left/Right Fullback

If your team use a flat back formation,

your main task would be to mark your
opponent’s forwards. Playing fullback in
soccer requires that you are dependable
and willing to give up any offensive raid.
Whether you are playing as right or left
fullback you will still need to concentrate
completely on your game in defense.

Wingback

To get a feeling on how to play as

wingback, I advise you to study Dani Alves
and Maicon which are both playing for
Brazil. By doing that you’ll be able to
notice what they are doing in particular
situations which should give you a brief
idea on how to play on this position.
Left/Right Midfielder

Good crosses in the offense are a

requirement to perform well as right or left
midfielder. You will also carry the ball up
the field because left/right midfielders
have more room compared to the center
midfielders.

Defensive Midfielder

As a defensive midfielder your job is to

operate in front of your defense line. You
must have enough strength to force
yourself to perform to the maximum.
Strong character is also a requirement.

Central midfielder

Playing as the central midfielder requires

good passing and ball handling skills. You
must also distribute the ball safely among
the offenders while doing everything to
stop or slow down your opponent’s
offensive attacks before they reach your
last defensive line.
 The Winger

To succeed as winger you should be able

to sprint away from your opponents, be
able to run 40-50 yards up and down the
field, score goals and also serve your
teammates with quality crosses. This
requires of course a lot of energy which
means that your fitness needs to be at the
top.

Striker

The soccer striker is a type of position

where you must be good at scoring goals.
Simply, if you don’t score, then you are
not performing well. I would say that
playing striker is the toughest and most
painful position to play.

This is because you need to have great

soccer dribbling and soccer shooting skills
but also because defenders will do
everything in their power to stop you.
There is no greater feeling then scoring a
goal, so don’t give up so easily; instead,
try your best and the goals will come.

The Soccer Goalkeeper

Your job as soccer goalie is to prevent your

opponents from scoring. But you need also
to encourage your teammates, steer your
defensive line and organize attacks.
 Second Striker

To succeed as second striker you will need

to have exceptional ball skills (e.g
shooting, dribbling, passing and dribbling).
You will also need to be good at heading
and even know how to score goals. Beside
that you need to be strong in order to hold
off your opponents and shield the ball
while waiting for your teammates to catch
up.

Centre Forward

To succeed as centre forward you will need

be aggressive, brave and be able to
maintain your focus during the whole
game. You also need to be prepared to
work hard without the ball, know how to
dribble your opponents and be able to
score goals from any situation.

Attacking/Offensive Midfielder
 To succeed as offensive
midfielder you will need
excellent skills with the ball, be
creative intelligent, know how to
score goals and also be able to
encourage your teammates
during the games. You also need
to be prepared on criticism
because you’ll surely receive
plenty of that when your team
fails to score goals and utilize the attacking strategies that
are determined by your coach.

The Most Common Soccer Formations

The 4-4-2

This is the most popular formation in

soccer today. The main strength of the 4-
4-2 formation is the balance. Offensive
attacks are combined with solid defense.
The weakness is the two center players
who must be supported by the midfield.

The 4-3-3

A classic formation that was adapted by

the 1970's great teams. It was with the 4-
3-3 that West Germany won the World
Cup of 1974. This formation is typical for
the total soccer system that was played by The Netherlands and West
Germany. The mighty Barcelona of Spain has adapted this formation successfully
in offense combined with good defense work.

The 3-4-3

The 3-4-3 is an offensive formation with

little defensive thinking. It is pretty
unusual because all power is put in the
offensive and you will not see many
practicing it today.

The 3-6-1

The 3-6-1 formation is often adapted by

German teams. But, it can be catastrophic
if the players are not prepared to put
enough work in it. One example is the U.S
national team that adapted it during the
98 World Cup and failed miserably.
The 3-4-2-1

You will not see many teams playing with

the 3-4-2-1 formation in today’s soccer.
This formation is great when you want to
put pressure on your opponents’ midfield.
However, you will also need to put big
effort in defense because your team will
only have 3 defenders.

The 4-5-1

A formation with big defensive thinking

that is usually adapted when you know
the opposing team is the big favorite to
win the match. It is criticized by many
because it is so boring to watch; you
should not expect any Brazil samba soccer
when playing in this formation.

The 5-2-2-1
 The 5-2-2-1 is a defensive form of the 3-
4-2-1 formation. The formation has 5
defenders, 2 defensive midfielders, 2
offensive midfielders (that may also act as
strikers) and one clean striker.

The 4-3-3 Triangular Midfield

The 4-3-3 with a triangular midfield puts a

holding central midfielder above the four
defenders with two offensive midfielders
behind the center forward and two
wingers. The wingers are the workhorses
of this formation as it flexes between a 4-
3-3 on attack and 4-5-1 on defense.

The 3-5-2
The 3-5-2 is one of the modern formations in soccer today and is primarily
associated with German soccer. The formation had it biggest popularity during
the world cup in Italy (1990) where Germany won the whole competition. The
system was also practiced successfully during the European Cup (1996) by
Germans.

3 Efficient Soccer Dribbling Drills

Soccer dribbling drills are very popular among players as they allow them to
perform various and cool moves. One thing you should keep in mind is that you
need to make your players aware of that they should always try to pass the ball
on the first touch (during the games). With other words, they should only dribble
when they have no other passing options.
Soccer Dribbling Drills - 1vs1 With Finish at The Goal

Purpose
The purpose of this drill is to improve your players abilities to beat their
opponents in 1 vs 1 situations and to improve their finishing skills as well.

Drill Set Up
Place your defenders at the left side of the penalty box and your attackers one
yard outside the half circle (see image). Each of your attackers should have a
ball at their feet.

Execution of The Drill

One of your defenders at the left starts the drill by jogging into the area between
the two cones. Once defender is on the place, the first standing attacker should
start to dribble the ball forward. When the attacker passes the line between the
2 cones and enters the 18 yard box he should start to challenge his defender by
performing different moves. Once he manages to get around his defender, the
attacker should directly finish at the goal.

Equipment Needed
Balls, practice vests, 2 cones

Variants
A variant on this drill is to instruct your defenders to act passive which means
that they should not necessarily clear the ball (even if they have the chance).

Summary
This drill is one of my top three dribbling drills. As I said before; it is great for
improving your player’s ability to beat their opponents in 1vs1 duels while
practicing on their finishing skills as well.

Soccer Dribbling Drills - 1vs1 With Cones and Finish

Purpose
This drill is aimed to improve your players speed with the ball, their dribbling
skills in 1 vs 1 situations and ability to finish efficiently. It is pretty similar to the
drill above but in this case I have added an extra moment.

Drill Set Up
Your defenders should be standing in a line at the right side (grey) of the penalty
box while the attackers (red) should be at the left and in a line as well (see
image above). Place 5 cones in the front of your attacking line with a half yard
space between every cone.

Execution of The Drill

The first standing attacker starts the drill by performing a quick run between the
cones while keeping the ball under control. When he is at the third cone, one of
your defenders should perform a quick run into the penalty box and place
himself on the same way like on the image above. When the attacker enters the
18 yard box, he should try dribble his defender and finish at the goal.

Equipment Needed
5 cones, practice vests, balls

Variants
Possible variations on this drills is to exclude your defenders and replace them
with a cone.

Summary
This drill is similar to the 1vs1 With Finish at The Goal drill but will beside
improving your players dribbling and finishing skills also increase their ability to
control the ball under run.
Soccer Dribbling Drills - 1vs1 Race

Purpose
Practicing on your player’s ability to perform several different moves in a row
while maintaining the control of the ball

Drill Set Up
Place the cones on the same way like on the image above. The space between
the cones should be one yard or so. Separate your players into 2 equal lines.
Create also a finish line at the end of the last cone.

Execution of The Drill

Two of the first standing players intakes a starting position just like on the image
above. Once your blow the whistle they should perform an optional move at the
first cone, quickly run with the ball to the second cone, perform an optional
move again and continue to do so until they pass the finish line. When both
players are over the finish line two new player’s intakes their positions and the
drill starts over again. The team with highest amount of won races is the winner.

Equipment Needed
Balls, 16 cones

Variants
You can starts the drillvary this drill in several different ways. One thing you can
do is to force your players to perform a different move at each cone. For
example, if they perform scissors at the second cone they are not allowed to use
it again. You may also increase the space between the cones to three yards (or
more) depending on the age of your players.

Summary
This drill will force your player to take quick decisions during high tempo which is
a crucial skill when facing practiced opponents. Your players will also compete
against themselves which is a great way to increase the quality of your practice.
 3 Soccer Finishing Drills That
Will Improve Your Players
Scoring Abilities
Players love soccer finishing drills as they allow them to score goals. There is no
better feeling than scoring a goal (even if it is on a regular practice).

Soccer Finishing Drills – Shoot at First Touch

Purpose
Improving your players accuracy when finishing at the first touch.

Drill Set Up
Set up two equal files of players on each side of the goal posts. Place two cones
a half yard from the 18 yard line (like on the image above). Each of your players
should have one ball at their feet.

Execution of The Drill

The first player in the red line starts the drill by performing a quick run to the
cone in front of his line (see image). Once he has rounded the cone, one player
from the grey line should pass the ball slightly to him. The red player should
finish the attack immediately without putting the ball under control. Now, the
grey player should do the same thing, but in this case a red player would pass
the ball.

Equipment Required
One ball per player, 2 cones

Variants
You may vary this drill by allowing your players to first receive the ball and then
finish at the goal. You may also restrict your players to only use the inside part
of their foot.
Summary
One thing that I want to underline with this drill is that you should instruct your
players to hit the goal (even if the shoot is loose), rather than firing a projectile
that will end 30 yards behind the goal. With other words, in this case, accuracy
is much more important than the power.

Soccer Finishing Drills – 3vs3 With Wingers

Purpose
Increase your players finishing abilities by using the various parts of their feet
(volley, inside, instep) and head as well.

Drill Set Up
Create small teams, 3 players per team. Separate these players with different
colored west’s. Place 4 cones on the same way like on the image above. Place 4-
5 balls near the two cones (see image). Place two players that will be used as
wingers at each side of the 18 yard box.

Execution of The Drill

One of the wing players starts to drive the ball toward the cone that is located in
the line with the goal. Once your player is about half yard from the cone he
should slightly cross the ball inside the 18 yard box. The players inside the box
should try to finish the attack with one touch on the ball. The team with most
scored points is the winner. Once the game is over (set the timer to 3 minutes)
the drill should start over with two new teams.

Equipment Required
Balls, 4 cones, colored west’s

Variants
Restrict the players inside the box to only use their head for finishing.

Summary
The great thing with this drill is that you can use it for practicing on your teams
defensive and offensive skills as well.
Soccer Finishing Drills – Turn and Finish Quickly

Purpose
Increasing your players turning and finishing abilities by allowing them to use
maximum three touch on the ball.

Drill Set Up
Separate your team into two equal lines (see image). Add one cone in front of
each line.

Execution of The Drill

The first standing player in the red line performs a quick backward run to the
cone. Once he raeach it the second standing player in the red line should pass
the ball to him. The first player should perform a quick turn, run with the ball 2-
3 yards and then finish at the goal. He should try to shoot at the 4 rectangle
areas (marked in the image above). Immediately after the red player has
finished the attack, the drill should start over with a player from the grey line.

Equipment Required
Balls, 2 cones, colored west’s

Variants
You can vary this drill by allowing your players more touches on the ball or have
yourself acting as a passive defender inside the 18 yard box.

Summary
I recommend you to use this drill in the middle (or at the end) of your practice.
The reason is that your players could injure themselves if they are not warmed
up enough. .
 Soccer Conditioning Program for
5 Weeks
Without good condition your performance will be poor.

The following is a soccer conditioning program that can be used for all
prospective soccer players. This program will increase your physical abilities and
help you perform maximum on the field. You may not find this program being
fun, but the my intention was not to make it fun either. Instead, focus is put on
improving your condition as much as possible.

During a soccer game you will stand a much higherchance of beating your
opponent if you really follow this program strictly. This program will also
increase in difficulty after every week. This means that if you are cheating during
the week one you will have much harder to complete the week two.

Soccer Conditioning Program For Week One

- Stretch, involve you whole body. Do this for 10 minutes.
- Jog, 10-15 minutes
- Hot foot 3 sets of 15 reps
- Knee jumps 3 sets of 15 reps
- Push-ups 4 sets of 25-30 reps
- Sit-ups 4 sets of 15-20 reps
- Various ball drills, 20 min (juggling, passing, heading)

Conditioning Program For Week Two

- Stretch your body for 10 minutes
- Jog, 10-15 minutes
- Hot Foot, 4 sets, (30 reps per set)
- Knee jumps, 3 sets, of 20 reps
- Pushups, 4 sets, 15 reps
- Sit ups, 4 sets, 30 reps
- Various ball drills, 25 min, (juggling, passing, heading)

Conditioning Program For Week Three

- Stretching 15 Minutes
- Jog 15 Minutes
- Sit-ups, 4 sets, 20-25 reps
- Sprints, 5 sets, 40 yard sprints wit maximum speed
- Knee jumps, 3 sets, 20 reps
- Pushups, 3 sets, 20 reps
- Squat thrust, 3 sets, 20 reps
- Various ball drills, 25 min, (juggling, passing, heading)
Conditioning Program For Week Four
- Stretching, 10-12 Minutes
- Jogging, 15 Minutes
- Sprints, 7 sets, 40 yard sprints wit maximum speed
- Pushups, 3 sets, 40 reps
- Knee jumps, 3 sets, 25 reps
- Sit ups, 3 sets, 50 reps
- Various ball drills, 30 min (juggling, passing, heading)

Program For Week Five

- Stretching, 10-12 Minutes
- Jogging, 15 Minutes
- Pushups, 3 sets, 45 reps
- Sit ups, 3 sets, 50 reps
- Knee jumps, 3 sets, 25 reps
- Sprints, 10 set, 40 yard, full speed