Pre-season. When you hear that word you probably think of heavy long-distance runs or high-speed intervals in the sun. Probably on a football pitch. But no balls are used. In a game such as football, where a ball IS used, I believe most, if not all, training should be done with the ball at the feet of the players. This is especially the case of young footballers. As someone whos worked with young players in the ages of 13-19 for several seasons, I know every single player prefers to play rather than run. Still, many coaches prefer running over, for example, small-sided games when trying to improve the football-fitness of their players. In this post, Ill present a suggestion of how your pre-season training can improve the fitness of your players whilst also ensuring they enjoy pre-season training.
Same, or better, fitness-levels achieved through playing
A few years ago, I was part of a group who tested which maximum fitness-levels were reached in two different ways; interval running or a small-sided game of 4 vs 4. All players were given heart straps and pulse watches as their heart-rate and maximum pulse was monitored. This was repeated with different groups too. The question beforehand was how the effort the players were forced to put in would differ between the two vastly different exercises.
The results were remarkably similar.??The pulse curves were on the same high level, inches away from the maximum pulse on both tests, until the last set of respective exercise when the interval running stats dipped slightly, but the game stats remained on the same level. This proved you can reach the same maximum level of fitness work, and maintain it for longer, playing a small-sided game at a high tempo rather than running in intervals. I suspect the late dip in the intervals, as opposed to the maintaining of the same level in the small sided game, comes from the players not enjoying running compared to football and therefore not giving the same effort towards the end. This is only natural, of course; most people bring more energy to things they love doing as opposed to things they hate doing.
After this evidence, my view is that if you can reach the same level of effort from the players when they play small-sided games as when they do interval-running without the ball then why would you insist on continuing running? Its more enjoyable for the players and you, as a coach, can work on your game model whilst improving the players fitness levels. Furthermore, you can involve all four pillars of player development in these exercises; technique, football intelligence, physiology and psychology (the so-called educational wheel). Compare this with running without the ball where you only get physiology and possibly a bit of psychology.
Choosing this approach to fitness requires a very organized training setup as well as a thorough coach who keeps the players intensity throughout the exercises. Below Ill explain some exercises I use to improve the fitness levels of my players.
Possible football-fitness exercises
Every session needs a good warm-up and this is especially true when you are going to work on the players fitness-levels as the intensity will take its toll. I suggest doing something technical with additions of coordination and some activation movements. Then, its time to work on the fitness aspect. The three exercises Ill list below shouldnt be used in the same session as the effort might be too great for some players. See this merely as a suggestion you can take ideas from.
2 vs 2 possession game with wall-players
With my U15s, I currently work a lot on movements to receive and create space which makes this exercise perfect. I use 12 players divided into two teams of six. Each team then sends two players into the middle of a rectangle with the dimensions shown in the image. This gives us a 2 vs 2 game in the centre of the rectangle with four wall-players from each team on the outside. The two in the middle then try to keep possession with the help of the wall-players and after each game, the players in the centre change with the wall-players. Play for games between 45-60 seconds initially and then add more time until reaching 90 seconds. After completing a game in the middle at a really high-intensity the players get two rest-games as wall-players. The rest is active though since they are still involved in the game with demands asked of their passing, vision and concentration. You can change the rules according to your own ideas; only using wall-players of your own colour, using all wall-players or wall-players forced to use one-touch to place higher demands on their involvement.
This exercise is very simple yet trains the movements you want to see in your style of play, it works the passing technique and ball-control of your players, their intelligence in creating and finding space, their pressing-technique (if you add that focus) and, of course, their fitness-levels. Play for maybe 15-20 minutes in total with short water-breaks in between every three or four games.
