The notion that is used often by successful football coaches is Speed Kills. Through many discussions with great football coaches and seminars on strength training, this motto seems to always come up. If we as football coaches are teaching student athletes to reach maximum potential, agility and footwork are crucial ingredients.

We are currently in the re-building phase of our football program and our main goal is to get our kids to get in the weight room in masses as a team, increase our speed and flexibility and to take all of it and apply it to the game of football. And all the cards will fall into place. I put together some of the top drills I have seen and used myself with athletes. Some of the drills can be modified and changed based on athleticism. The drills included can be used for all members of the football team, regardless of position. They will help your players’ overall agility and footwork.

I wish everyone good luck in their upcoming football season and success training student athletes in the off-season.

U-SPRINT DRILL (See Diagram 1)
Diagram 1: U-Sprint Drill

Purpose: To increase anaerobic conditioning while reinforcing agility and speed. Procedure:

• There are eight cones total in the shape of a U and the total distance should be 30-40 yards. With proficiency, increase spacing between cones.

• Start and finish points are laid out. If multiple athletes are going, wait until one person is at the first 45 degree angle before the second goes.

• To ensure both sides of the body are worked, alternate start and finish points.

Key Points:
• Maximum effort and form must be demanded from each athlete in this drill.

T-DRILL (See Diagram 2)

Diagram 2:T-Drill

Purpose: Increase agility as it applies to accelerating, decelerating and changing direction.

Procedure:
• Cones are set up in the shape of a T (set up is like pro agility for the top three cones and the back single cone is 10 yards from the other three).

• The total distance for one set is 40 yards.

• Start at the single cone, sprint to the center cone and from there it is Pro-Agility back to the middle cone and backpedal to the single cone at the beginning.

Key Points:
• Only one person at a time for the T-drill for safety reasons.

• Keep hips low and shoulders square during backpedal.

PRO-AGILITY DRILL (See Diagram 3)

Diagram 3: Pro-Agility Drill

Purpose: To improve lateral movement and foot-speed from point A to point B.

Procedure:
• The athlete stands facing the cones in an athletic position straddling the center cone.

• Pick a direction to go - left or right and then touch the top of the cone (left or right side).

• Quickly gather yourself and change direction sprinting to the far cone.

• Change direction again and spring through the center cone – your time will start on your movement and end once you pass through the middle cone at the end.

Key Points:
• This drill is not a shuffle drill and there is no carioca action involved.

• It is important to keep the body facing one direction and not to get spun around, as these are both actions we want to avoid.

THREE CONE DRILL (See Diagram 4)

Diagram 4: 3 Cone Drill

Purpose: To increase agility and the ability to rapidly accelerate, decelerate and change direction.

Procedure:
• Set up cones in an L shaped pattern FIVE-SEVEN yards from one another.

• Start at the required point and spring to and around the center cone; continue to the far cone; back to the center cone; and spring through the starting cone.

• Be sure to change the starting points and move the L shape around.

• Change the distances once proficiency is gained to make it more challenging.

Key Points:
• Be sure to accelerate and decelerate the hands and the feet together.

STAR DRILL (See Diagram 5)

Diagram 5: Star Drill

Purpose: To ensure athletes can move in a 360-degree pattern while starting and stopping to change direction and speed up.

Procedure:
• Set up seven cones in the pattern shown below and be sure one cone is the CENTER.

• Start point is center cone as marked below.

• Spring to each cone, touch it and return to the center cone. Repeat this procedure until all outer cones are touched.

• Move with controlled speed as there will be others traveling in the star – be sure to wait until a safe distance before entering the star once someone else is going.

• Be sure to go both ‘clockwise’ and ‘counter clockwise.’

Key Points:
• When moving out of the star, leave by sprinting from the center back out of the first cone where you started.

J DRILL (See Diagram 6)

Diagram 6: J Drill

Purpose: To improve speed and agility going from a backpedal to a forward sprint with a plant step and a T step.

Procedure:
• Start at one of the cones – A or B. Start with an athletic stance and be prepared to run a curved path.

•Run the outside of the J and then inside of the J.

• Touch the cones as you are moving through both the inside and outside.

• To make the drill tougher, add a loop around one or more cones.

Key Points:
Stay in a low athletic stance, shoulders square and accelerate and decelerate at controlled speeds.

Brian Kenney is the Strength and conditioning Coach at Wisconsin Dells High School (WI). He can be reached at BrianKenney@GridironStrategies.com.

Ron McKeefery is the Assistant Athletic Director, Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of South Florida

At the University of South Florida we teach linear (straight ahead), lateral speed (side to side), and agility (multidirectional). The three together we define as “football speed.” Brian Kenney provided several drills that we use in our lateral speed and agility sessions. Additionally, we use the Pro Agility and Three Cone Agility drills to evaluate our athletes in lateral speed and agility. We obviously use the 40-yard dash as a measurement for linear speed development. In respect to Brian Kenney’s article I would offer to coaches to think outside the box when conducting these drills. At South Florida we try to make everything as position specific as possible for our athletes. Therefore, try to utilize movements that are specific to the athlete you are dealing with. For example, with the Star Drill, I would have our defensive backs start in the middle and backpedal around each cone and sprint back to the middle. Our linemen would use a kick step or shuffle. Here is an example of a drill we use to develop agility:

Butterflies Drill
Start on the bottom right cone. Sprint to the middle cone and touch with your hand. Backpedal around top right cone and sprint back to the middle. Repeat pattern around top left and bottom left cones. Finish by backpedaling through the start cone.

Variations:
OL/TE – Shuffle – Shuffle
DL/DE – Shuffle – Sprint
QB – Pass Drop – Pass Pocket Forward
RB /WR/TE – Sprint – Sprint
DB – Backpedal – Sprint
LB – 45 degree run – Sprint