• Making them play at a tempo (fast or slow) that they are not comfortable with.
• Making them play at a very relaxed tempo that they become almost “hypnotized” with.
• Breaking the above state, rapidly with a minimum of warning and a maximum explosion, to a fantastic effect. This concept is known as “BROKEN RHYTHM” training.

The great players all have this ability, they dictate and impose their rhythmic moves and changes on the opposition in every training session or competitive game. To play at one tempo (fast or slow) is very predictable, and is much easier to attack/defend against. This ability to change pace is of the utmost importance, much more so than ‘pure speed”.

The player who can change pace (acceleration or deceleration), tempo, rhythm, direction, the dynamic, has a distinct advantage.

In fact, the greatest soccer nation on the planet, site that the ability to “Change the pace of the Game” is the defining characteristic of Brazilian Football.

There a numerous ways of working on “soccer speed” that involve all of the above elements.

Speed training must also have a “target”,

• To get away from an opponent.

• To close an opponent down.

• To win the ball.

• To stop the ball going into the goal, out of play.

Soccer in its simplistic form only has 3 major elements.

When you have possession:
When you have possession of the ball, to get away from an opponent, either by “pure speed”, “reactive speed” or simply by passing the ball to eliminate him is the prime objective.

When your opponent has possession:
When your opponent has the ball, to close them down, and reduce their space and therefore time on the ball, as fast as possible, and then win the ball off them.

Transition, when no one has possession:
When neither team has possession, to win the ball and regain possession as quickly as possible, by individual and collective means.