Off-the-Ball Training
Use small amounts of off ball training to improve sprinting, pivoting, and turning techniques at the high school level and U14 and above select level. Below are some of these things I try to address:
Sprinting
-- 20-40 yard 60% speed sprints, watching for technique breakdowns. The key emphasis is on the arms. I tell my players to pull their legs through with their arms. Gradually raise the percentage up. Don't tire them out before technical deficiencies can be identified and addressed. A training can't look at all players, so run them in small viewable groups.
Pivoting
-- start with 60% 15 yard sprints to a point (line) and have players make 90 degrees cuts; key point is the plant foot should be at 90 degrees to run direction
* plant right foot, cut to the right, power cross-over with the left leg; watch for double stepping; change directions and plant foot
* plant left foot , cut to the right; square off the cuts as they tend to be rounded; change plant foot and direction
Turning
-- same as above two exercises, except make full 180 degree turns and run back
* Increase initial sprint speed as skills develops
* Set up an eight point star with cones or some other marking devices; player runs to center and cuts at speed to coach directed star point
Power cross-over exercise
as a prelude to crossing drills. Players must be able to angle the plant of their supporting foot in the direction of the cross. Often this is at 90 degrees or more to the direction they are running.
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