Power Soccer Toronto 2010 / Home Page

Speed of Play

by Bobby Howe 

Over the last twenty years, the game of soccer has become quicker and more technical. Top professional, college and youth teams covet the player who has pure speed and quick feet. But, if a player lacks a sprinter's pace, they need not worry. Other elements and abilities come into play, too.   

I believe it is instructive to understand how professional coaches evaluate players during tryouts and throughout the season. Coaches are looking for players who can perform simply, efficiently and quickly. Raw pace and quick feet are definitely an advantage. But there are other factors that determine the overall speed of play of an individual player. Quick thinking and the ability to execute with skill under pressure are also vital to success.   

Let me offer some tangible examples of American and English Premiership stars that represent some of these skills that are essential to an elite player. Cristiano Ronaldo, Cesc Fabregas and John Terry share little in common when they play. Ronaldo excels as an attacking wide midfielder who can mesmerize and trick defenders with his quick and fancy footwork. The more cerebral Fabregas, a central midfielder, out-wits his opponents with crafty passes slotted between defenders well before they know they've been beaten. Terry, a defender, is always in the right place at the right time. The one common trait these players share: they have mastered different elements of the speed of play. 

Obviously, it helps to be fast and quick. We call this the speed of movement. It is pure running speed, quickness, overall fitness, strength, balance and agility. Coaches will define the speed of movement as how fast a player can move over a distance of 15 yards. Pure speed is clearly a cherished commodity. Natural speed means a player can out run his opponent and create many dangerous scoring opportunities. If a defender is fast, it means he can make a mistake and still recover. U.S. National Team forward Landon Donovan is probably the best example of an American soccer player blessed with sprinter's speed. 

A quick and agile mind can be just as vital as pure speed. We call that the speed of thought. We define it as the time it takes to recognize a situation in the game. It is the combination of perception speed and reaction time. Perception speed is the time that elapses between an occurrence of a situation in the game and its recognition by the player. If a player sees something developing, how long does it take to react and make something happen? 

Arsenal's Fabregas is the epitome of a player who benefits from quick thinking. He makes up for his lack of pure speed with an agile mind. He almost always knows where to play the ball before his defender can grasp where it's going. He knows how to find open space to elude his marker. His outstanding skills are also pivotal. But young players can compensate for a lack of pure speed or pace with a lightening-quick mind and a strong understanding of how the game is played. 

Probably more than any top professional soccer player, captain Terry's quick mind and deep knowledge of the game more than compensate for his obvious lack of pace. Terry is an intelligent player who understands his own limitations. As a defender, positional play is critical. And no one does it better than Terry. He is always in the right place at the right time. He always knows when to step in for a tackle, or a header, and when to delay his opponent. His play does not depend on pure speed. 

The third element is what we call speed of execution. We define that as the execution of techniques of the game under pressure. How does a player finish, dribble, pass, receive and head the ball. How does he do it facing one or two defenders? Manchester United's Ronaldo has natural quickness to manipulate the ball out of tight situations. What's more, he has the awareness and vision to be able to play the ball to a teammate while he's running. He's essentially multitasking on the pitch, and it explains why he is one of the best soccer players in the world. 

There is no doubt that innate talent and natural speed and quickness will enable a player to have a good start in the game. But it is the quality of training and the challenge of games that will develop overall speed of play, whether you are a professional, college or youth player. Speed of movement, quickness of feet, execution of technique under pressure and correct decisions are equal components to this improvement and ultimately, to the beauty and enjoyment of the game.