In the game of football, speed can be the difference between a sack and a touchdown. The difference between getting tackled and breaking out in the long run. In the game of football, speed is everything. No matter what position you play, the quicker and more agile you are, the more you have to offer on the field. This is true at all levels of the game.

At Warren Academy, our speed and agility training programs are designed to help make our athletes stronger, faster and overall well-rounded athletes and players. Here are some good football speed and agility training drills that will help any athlete improve their speed and agility. 

Pro agility

The pro agility drill, which is sometimes called 5-10-5, is one of the most popular agility drills that is used during the NFL combine. For football specifically, this drill is very useful. It requires three cones that are all spread five yards apart from each other, making a vertical line. 

You will want to start at the center cone and begin by sprinting to your left or right. Once you reach the cone on whichever side you chose, you will then cut, touch the cone and then sprint out of your break towards the other direction. You will do the same thing as you approach the last cone, and finish through by sprinting past the starting cone in the middle. Here is a video that demonstrates how to properly perform this drill! 

Speed ladder

There are many different drills you can do using a speed ladder, which focuses on improving athletes footwork and balance. In football, it does not matter what position you play; having quick feet is so important. Doing ladder drills will help you run better routes, be able to change direction quickly, improve your balance and coordination and be quick at all times. 

Athletes of all ages and levels do ladder drills to focus on their quickness. To practice this, you want to start by laying your speed ladder down on leveled ground. Then, you will begin either backpedaling or stepping laterally through the ladder following the two feet in, two feet out pattern. Once you get through the ladder, you will then turn and accelerate 10 yards. Here’s a video that demonstrates how to do this. 

The focus of this drill should be quick feet, however, you also want to be making sure you are doing the drill correctly. Start slow, and gradually speed things up once you get the hang of it. It’s also very important to keep your hips low during this drill. As football requires use to play in an athletic stance, it only makes sense to train in one as well. 

Circle-around the cone

This is a simple drill that focuses on circular movements and acceleration. All you need is one cone, and about five to 10 yards of room to sprint. You will start on right next to the cone, either on the left or right side, and shuffle to the front of the cone before backpedaling to behind. Once you’ve made your way around the cone, you will then burst and accelerate into a sprint for at least five yards. When doing this, you want to stay as tight as you can with the cone, and focus on keeping your feet between your body frame to work on balance as well. Here is a video that demonstrates how to do this properly! 

Every football player should focus on improving their speed and agility throughout the entire offseason. The three drills above are awesome ones to start with, but once you feel more comfortable, there are many other agility drills to try as well. Use these drills to help yourself become quicker come fall. 

At Warren Academy, we offer a variety of training programs, including speed and agility training to help athletes improve their overall performance. To learn more about our programs, visit our website today!