Combining technical training with fitness work is a great way to be efficient in your training as well as to force the technical work to be done at speed and under pressure.
Here is a simple way to work on fitness while also doing technical training.
Start with 2 lines of 10 cones. The lines are 5 yards apart and each cone is 5 yards apart (in the example below I’m only using 5 cones in each line due to space issues). There is a player on the outside of one line and a server with a ball behind each of the opposite openings.
The server starts by passing the ball on the ground to the player who must one touch the ball back to the server. As soon as the ball is played back one touch
As soon as the player passes the ball back to the server he sprints to the second cone and then back to the opening
This is repeated all the way down the line. The key to remember is the player must sprint to the next cone and then back to the middle. This is adding just a little bit more running but also adds a change of direction which is very important to work on.
As soon as the first player is at the 3rd cone, the second player would start.
After each player has gone they go again from the other direction (this forces them to turn in the other direction on the change of direction).
Next the same thing is done but now the server tosses the ball for an inside of the foot volley.
This is repeated for instep volleys, thigh traps and volley backs, chest traps and volley backs and headers.
This is just one example of how to incorporate fitness work into your technical training.
Have a great day!
Lawrence
