Essential Soccer Training Program
Table of Contents
How to Train for Soccer
Soccer continues to be one of the world’s most popular sports to date, with an ever-growing number of fans and upcoming players. As a result, there are more and more athletes out there that want to be the next Messi, Neymar or CR7. In order to do so, players have to be willing to put in work both on and off the field.
Soccer is an intermittent sport in which your cardiovascular system is heavily taxed. In a 90min game, the average player travels approximately 10-12km with average and peak heart rate values of 80-95% of their maximal heart rate. Although some of the distance covered in a game is by low intensity running, it’s the repeated high intensity exercise bouts that matter most and need to be maintained. A simple change in pace, can make a drastic change on the pitch. And all this has to be done on top of dribbling to maintain possession or deke out a player, passing through the open pocket to your teammate, jumping up to get that header, as well as tackling and shooting.
Soccer is all about endurance and in order to train for it you need to not only build a strong aerobic base, but work on your technical skills, conditioning and strength in the weight room.
Soccer Weight Training Program
Great soccer players typically acquire high levels of speed, agility and endurance through their training. However, some players seem to put off weight training in order to focus on these aspects. There is often a misconception when it comes to weight training in soccer. Some think that it’s “bad” or unnecessary because soccer is such an endurance-based sport, but in actuality weight training can be highly valuable to a soccer player. Through weight training you can increase your strength in order to hold off opponents, so they don’t steal the ball from you as well as increase your power so you’re more explosive on and off the ball.
Other Benefits:
Improved muscular endurance, stability, balance and agility
Reduce risk of injury
Faster recovery
Lean Body Composition
Soccer Weight Training Exercises
Depending on the season, soccer players may weight train through the incorporation of full body workouts or upper/lower splits 2-4x/week, with an added speed/power day to improve overall strength, endurance and power.
Sample Strength & Endurance Exercises
Barbell Back Squat
Lateral Lunges
Lat Pulldown
Step Ups
Sample Power Exercises
Clean Pull from Hang
MB Throws
Individual Soccer Training Program
Every soccer players training program or routine will look a little different from other players. It’s critical that your individual training program is catered to your needs. In team practice, the coach runs the show and implements what he/she wants to work on to improve the team’s overall gameplay. If you want to better your own game and yourself as a player, you need to identify your strengths and weaknesses and work to improve your skills on your own time. It’s just you and the ball, be its best friend, “be the ball”.
One of the best things you can work on when by yourself and doing your individual training session is working on your ball control. Regardless of your position on the field, having good ball control is essential. Additionally, it’s important that you work on having a good first touch. If in a game situation, you’re receiving a powerful pass you need to control the ball, so it doesn’t bounce off and cause you to lose possession. You have to use the right amount of force into receiving the ball and cushion it as if it was the most fragile object.
Working on ball control can be done as easily as working on your keep ups; forcing you to control the ball to keep it in the air. You can also do some simple dribbling, quick touches around cones or even use a wall. Don’t have anyone to pass you the ball? Don’t worry, the wall will pass it back to you. Passing up against the wall is a great way to work on your control, you can even progress from taking a touch before returning the ball to one timing it back and even decreasing the distance between yourself and the wall.
Off-Season Soccer Training Program
When your competitive season ends, it’s important to take 1-2 weeks off to get the necessary rest and time to recover both physically and mentally from the sport. Once recovered and ready to get back into it, we begin our off-season training to get stronger, faster and more explosive for the upcoming season. In terms of technical skills and getting touches on the ball, you should work this into your programming 4-6 times/week depending on your team practice schedule.
Sample Strength & Conditioning Week Breakdown
Monday
Full Body Strength + Conditioning | 3 x 10 30s on 30s off (Mod Load)
Barbell Back Squat
SA Bench Press
Seated Row
Endurance | 45 on 15 off, 3x20 reps (Light Load)
Mountain Climbers
Step Ups
Push ups
Banded Row
Versa Climber
Tuesday
Speed/Power | 4 x 6 (Light-mod Load)
SA Banded Row
Broad Jumps
Clean Pull from Hang
Agility Ladders
Hurdles
4 Cone Agility
Wednesday
Off
Thursday
Full Body + Conditioning | 3x10 (Light-mod Load)
1A SL Squat
1B TRX Row
2A RDL
2B DB Bench Press
3A Hamstring Curl
3B Plank w Drag Across
3C Calf Raises
Finisher
Hill Sprints x 8
Friday
Speed/Power | 4x6 (Light to Mod Load)
Pylo Push ups
Lunge Jumps
MB Throws
Banded Hinge
Inverted Row
Drop Jumps
Speed
Shuttle Runs w Ball
Agility Ladders
T-Test
Saturday
Off
Sunday
Conditioning | Tabata – 20s on 10s x 8
Squat Jumps
Mountain Climbers
Lunge Jumps
Finisher
Jogging with Sprint Intervals
Soccer Drills
Soccer Shooting Drill
Shooting is an essential skill for our attackers and midfielders, otherwise the game would be quite boring as no one would score. Improving your shooting technique can allow players to generate more power and accuracy to get that ball on target and past the goalkeeper.
2 Shoot
Players will form a line approximately 8-10 yards outside the 18-yard box with a ball
Have another player or coach be the designated passer stationed at the semi-circle of the 18-yard box facing the players
The first player in line (shooter) starts the drill by passing the ball to the designated passer
The passer will lay of the ball to their left or right for the shooter to run on to
The shooter will run onto the ball and have a shot on net
Players retrieve their shots and move to the back of the line
Switch out passer every 8-10 reps
Variation: Passer and shooter can either take a second touch or one time the ball
Soccer Passing Drills
Passing in soccer is another vital piece of the game as it helps players quickly advance the ball up the field and attempts to off balance your opponents. Passing is also used in soccer to create space and time on the field, maintain possession of the ball, and reduce pressure on a player. Which is why it’s important improve this critical skill by incorporating various passing drills into your training.
3v1 Keep Away
Set up an 10x10 yd grid
Have 3 players inside the grid as your “attackers”
Set up a line of players on one edge of the grid. These will be our “defenders”
First player in line will pass the ball to one of the attackers
The defender immediately runs into the grid creating a 3v1
The 3 attackers attempt to make as many passes as possible before the defender gets the ball or knocks it out of the grid
Once the play is dead, the next defender is up
Increase the difficulty of this passing drill by decreasing the grid area
Soccer Conditioning Drills
As previously mentioned, soccer is very aerobically taxing as players have to maintain a high-level of endurance over an extended period of time. Soccer, like other sports, consists of many bouts of high intensity exercise as well as countless accelerations/decelerations and swift changes of direction.
Soccer Conditioning Drills Include:
Suicides (With our Without Soccer Ball)
Hill/Stair Sprints
20m Sprints
Jogging single file around the field, player at the end of the line sprints to the front as other members continue to jog, next “end” player sprints to front. Repeat (Team Drill)
Soccer Dribbling Drills
Dribbling, and having control over the ball is essential in the game of soccer as it’s helps with maintaining possession of the ball, taking on opponents and creating space on the field. Dribbling requires good footwork, being good with both feet and all parts of the foot, a good touch and the ability to quickly change directions. Check out this sample drill to improve your dribbling:
Cone Weave
Lay out 10 cones in a straight line with each cone approximately 2 steps apart
You’re going to weave in and out of cones using both the inside and outside of your feet trying to get as many touches on the ball as you go through.
Approach the first cone on the right side by using the outside of your right foot. As you round the cone, use the inside of your right foot, to pass the ball through the gap.
Transfer the ball to the outside of your left foot, moving the ball towards the left side of the cone.
Round the cone by chopping the ball with the inside of your left foot.
Continue this process until the end of the cones.
Sprint back to the finish
Repeat
Soccer Footwork Drills
Working on your footwork can improve your game on the field. Not only will you be lighter on your feet, but you can also improve your balance and coordination and have you moving quicker on and off the ball. You can improve your footwork and get fast feet through implementing various soccer agility drills into your training such as:
Shuttle Runs with a Soccer Ball
T-Test
Hurdles
Toe Touches on the Ball
·Shuffle the Ball
With the ball between your feet, shuffle the ball back and forth.
Agility Ladders
Two Feet (Forward)
Forward > Going forward through the ladder, both feet alternately in each square as your driving thorough the ladder moving your arms in coordination with your feet. Staying on your toes throughout the movement without touching the rungs.
Two Feet (Laterally)
Two feet alternating in each square driving laterally.
In and Outs (Forwards & Laterally)
Jumping inside the later and landing with both feet followed by placing both feet outside the later. A in and out motion as you move forward through the later.
Forward Icky Shuffle
Moving Diagonally in and out of the latter. Right foot leads inside the latter, followed by the left as the right foot goes outside the latter. The left foot now becomes the lead foot.
Defensive Soccer Drills
Defence is just as important as offence and scoring goals, if not more. You need to protect your goalkeeper and hold off players from advancing on your net. In order to be a good defender, players have to be able to pressure the ball, cover open areas and have good balance so they can defensively position themselves in way that a quick shift of the ball or change of direction from the attacker won’t throw them off balance and result in the attacker getting around them. Check out this sample drill:
1v1 Mini Grid
Set up a small grid (approx.10x10 yd) with a pug net on one end of the grid
Place a defender inside the grid
Have attackers set up about 10 yards from the grid
First attacker dribbles into to grid, and tries to beat the defender to score into the pug net
If the ball is won by the defender or knocked out of the grid, the attacker now becomes the defender. If the attacker scores, the defender stays and takes on the next player.
Soccer Warmup Drills
Soccer is a highly dynamic sport so it’s imperative to prepare for a game accordingly with a dynamic warmup. Players can start off with some ankle and hip mobility as they wish if feeling stiff or sore from previous training. Once finished, players can get into their dynamic warmups which typically looks something like this:
Grass Sweepers
Open & Close Gates (Hip)
This small warmup circuit can be followed be sport-specific drills such as passing and small sided mini games such as 2v2s in small squares or games of keep away.