Repeat 6 times (300 yards) without stopping.įor this test, you need to download the Beep Test or purchase the CD. Start at one cone and on the command of the timer sprint to the far cone and touch the line, with your foot. It will not be accurate for testing VO2 or anaerobic thresholds. The 300yd shuttle is great for large teams. Mark best times, average times, and level of performance drop off.ĬONDITIONING SOCCER TESTS (ANAEROBIC ENDURANCE) A 30 meter sprint repeated 8 times with a short rest interval. The athlete is running 8 times 30 meters.
You get 30 meters to accelerate and from 30 to 60 meters is the flying 30 that is tested. Ideally, the score from the right leg forward and the left leg forward should be equal. Repeat this starting with the left foot forward. Begin by starting on the right foot and sprint 10 meters. This tests the ability to accelerate and is a good indicator of strength (or lack thereof). Here are some of my favorite tests for soccer players: With this feedback you can now make notes as to how you can improve upon your training plan for next year. – Set new goals/standards for athletes for the following year.īased on your final testing you can now evaluate how your season long training program went. – Did your athletes score better on the tests? – How did the season go and did you achieve your season goals? – What are the effects of current training? – Do you need to make adjustments in your program? – Is there something that your training program isn’t addressing (did the results remain the same or decrease since the first testing)? Test midway through the season for measured progress: – It also provides feedback for each individual player (shows strengths and weaknesses).Ģ. – What is the established baseline for your team? – Did your players do any work in the off season? – What types of athletes you have on your team (speed, – Exactly what does your team needs the most for training? Testing gives you a gauge on what needs to be addressed with individual athletes and the team in general.ġ. What is surprising is that many coaches are not testing at all or are testing but they just don’t know the purpose of the test. Being able to evaluate and test your athletes provides you with such valuable information and can have a dramatic effect on your program’s success. The results of these tests can be powerful tools in developing the ideal training program. Testing your soccer players gives you a measurable way of not only assessing the athlete but also assessing the success of your program. Liverpool FC: Inside Training: Energy-Sapping Beep Tests. Soccer testing is crucial for a successful player and team.
After all, even the best player in the world, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi wears a heart rate monitor to keep track of his fitness level. Measure the speed and fitness of your soccer / football players throughout the season. So how do you accomplish this? What makes up a successful training program and how do you make sure that your program design is right for your team? How do you measure the success of your program, or how well your program is working?Īnswer: Measure the athletes and constantly test. You need a measurable way of assessing the success of your program – something you can track and something you can quantify in order to compare before, during, and after season results. What do you do? What are your athletes missing? Did you do too much conditioning work? Not enough? How do you course correct your team now? You could have the best training schedule “on paper” but when it becomes game time, your athletes aren’t responding. When mapping out your training program, and following Tudor Bompa’s and other program design expert’s guidelines, your program is still not guaranteed to be successful. They are certainly an important aspect of any team sport, and they may be a part of how you measure your success, but in order to maximize your team’s potential, you must figure out the exact needs of your players.
What I am trying to say is that you cannot measure the success of your team and your training program on wins and losses alone. I have seen teams with talented athletes but can’t win any games. I have seen soccer teams that were winning games in spite of their poor training program. Wins and losses are not based solely on your program and its success. The big question is, how do you know if you have a perfect training plan for your soccer team? How do you quantify how successful your program is/was? Do you go by wins and losses? Hours are spent putting together a training program with hopes of having a great season and improving on the previous year. Soccer testing: Creating a periodization program for the upcoming soccer season takes a lot of time and effort.