By Matt Carroll -
This is a really basic conditioning drill that can be utilized in a variety of competitive settings. The run itself is based on the lines of the field. Players start at one of the end lines and then run to the nearest six and back, nearest 18 and back, half and back, far 18 and back, far 6 and back, far end line and back.
To make this game a competitive race coaches can have players divided into two teams, each placed on opposite end lines. Each team should have an equal number of players if you are going to have all the players run the race at once, and the winner is the team that can get all their players completing the circuit and back across the end line first wins. If you don’t have equal teams coaches can have players line up and go after the player in front of them reaches the first six, and have the team with fewer players have their first player go again after they have finished. This can also be used as a post-game condition in practice where the coach adds a “line” to every goal a team lets up or base it on goal difference. For example, the Red team wins 2-0 so the blue team must run “two lines”, end line to end line, and far 18 and back.
The Full Field can also be turned into a passing game. You have partners on either end line and one has a ball. The game starts with the player on the ball passing to the player on the other end line. The receiving player needs to then get the ball if it goes too short, or too long, bring it back to the line and pass it back to the player who does the same. Once both players have received the ball they run to the next line and repeat. Once they meet at the half they exchange 10 quick passes and switch sides until they complete their passes endline to endline.
By Matt Carroll
