Applying Sprinting Skills and Speed to the Football Field

It is important to understand that body control is an important part of the equation. Although many sequences in football occur in very small spaces and for short distances, it is not just about moving as fast as possible from Point A to Point B, as this can easily result in a loss of body control as well as a failure to utilize/recruit the musculature properly. After two or three explosive steps, a pass rusher should be in control enough to adjust as the situation dictates rather than being out of control and easily neutralized or avoided, and in even fewer steps, a receiver confronted with press coverage can greatly benefit from being deceptive, explosive, and balanced.

It even can be beneficial to familiarize a football player with how to best run a 100-meter dash. That distance is long enough where the athlete's max velocity that he/she is capable of can be attained and maintained before the inevitable deceleration. Using that as a basis, the athlete can then adjust the body positions, quicken the rhythm/cadence, etc..., as needed for the various situations. In addition, efficient movement results in less wear and tear on the joints, tendons, and musculature when starting, stopping, changing direction, jumping/landing, etc..., during play.

Some athletes, without being told anything are better than others at coordinating their actions and recruiting the right muscles to push-off explosively into some kind of sprint, have their body aligned well during the process, as well as doing a good job of keeping the body segments in front of the body, while eliminating unwanted action that occurs to the back of the body, ie, a visual that can be observed during top speed running is that the thigh of the leg that is pushing off should travel no more than just a little bit past being in line with the torso, and then will recover up in front of the body. This is referred to as having good front side mechanics. It is definitely easier to be effective at decelerating, changing direction, stopping, etc..., when the legs are recovering up in front of the body as they should, feet under the center of gravity, and in the appropriate dynamic posture for the given sequence. Meaning, that an athlete that runs with too much backside mechanics has a harder time being effective in these situations. The same goes for having good trunk and shin discipline (explained in the Preparing Athletes for Sports That Feature Starting, Stopping, and Changes of Direction blog).

When the body is in an acceleration posture where the hips and torso are angled forward, ie; during the start and initial acceleration, the same thigh to torso relationship for front side mechanics applies, but the athlete needs to be skilled at assuming what is called "option positions", meaning that a body position is assumed that is functionally well suited for a situation where the player needs to respond skillfully. When sprinting, during the start and initial acceleration, the head is angled downward, and the eyes are focused downward. When engaging opponents on the football field, however; although the hips and torso may be angled forward, the head is basically up, and as many skills are executed the hips have to be able to roll, flip, snap, etc..., to be in the proper alignment for maximum effectiveness. The hanging forward that is done during the drive phase on the track is replaced by whatever is most appropriate for the skills that need to be executed, ie; for drive blocking there is a lifting upward of the defender as the hips roll to have the body in a strong alignment as feet continue to move in short steps.

In track, during a sprint the balance is challenged during an initial first few steps. A high degree of eccentric strength can help the athlete to be balanced at this time, as well as when planting a foot, landing from a jump, etc....

The traits alluded to above are evident in this Top Ten Human Highlight Reel video along with the players demonstrating a good combination of stride length and stride frequency that can be used effectively on the field of play. Note that these players represent different positions!

Now of course it is not hard to understand the value of top speed for skill position players. Although, once again, much of the game is played within confined spaces, and players certainly have to know how to play with shoulders down (behind pads) but being able to take it to the house from over 50 yards away while running past defenders that have a good angle, or even just the threat to do so is a real difference maker, as are open field chase down touch down saving tackles. This Fastest Football Players of All-Time video has great examples of this. We all have seen quick guys on a football field break into the open only to get run down fairly quickly. An important aspect in developing top end speed is conditioning. Having players in training doing repeated all-out sprints for good distances without having previously put in the time getting in shape, can result in muscle strains and pulls. The man we acknowledge as the greatest wide receiver in history, Jerry Rice, had good but not great speed, but note how effectively he uses his speed. Rice was known for getting his body in tip top shape.

For players that are in situations where they are not moving fast but who at a moment's notice will need to react and move explosively and powerfully, the alignment of the body parts and movement efficiency during the lesser intense movement, again, play critical roles. I'm not a football coach, although I played a few years as a youth and followed my son's football career through college. I'm sure a football coach can clean up and better explain what I just referenced.

One huge benefit in coaches and players becoming familiar with the mechanics that support speed is that when watching film, there can be a better understanding of what went right during those instances when the player looked exceptional. Understanding what happened can better enable the player to be able to replicate that more frequently.

Once again, it goes without saying that first and foremost, the bottom line is that football players need to be prepared for all of the demands of their position, but obviously, some of these demands have to do with speed in various ways, and like it or not, coaches, easily fall in love with speed. So please check out my blogs that detail sprinting and allow time for the lessons to translate into performances on the field.