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Speed in Gridiron Football
This is an excerpt from Developing Speed-2nd Edition by NSCA -National Strength & Conditioning Association,Ian Jeffreys.
Speed is the most valuable asset for a gridiron football athlete, but it is expressed differently among the sport’s different positions. An interior defensive lineman and a wide receiver both sprint at various points in a game, but the context of their sprinting is different. The defensive lineman first engages and sheds blockers, then sprints in pursuit of the ball. Meanwhile, the receiver spends much more time in open space, sprinting to elude defenders who are in coverage or pursuit. Elite-level football teams recognize speed as a prized resource and incorporate it into nearly every aspect of their program, ranging from training to personnel decisions to in-game tactics.
Expressions of Speed in Gridiron Football
Gridiron football athletes are faced with a near-constant need to decelerate, change direction, and then reaccelerate. The sport’s various offensive and defensive position groups display speed differently on the field. To facilitate discussion, it is helpful to break these speed expressions down into distinct skills. The primary skills falling under the umbrella of speed are short-area quickness, acceleration, deceleration, top-end speed, curvilinear sprinting, and maneuverability.
Key Performance Indicators for Speed
The five speed skills described in this section (short-area quickness, acceleration, deceleration, top-end speed, and maneuverability) are all involved in gridiron football but in varying degrees depending on each athlete’s on-field position. Key performance indicators (KPIs) describe the highest-priority skills for different position groups (table 9.1). For example, acceleration is a KPI for defensive linemen, whereas top-end speed is not.
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