Football Training Myths: Agility Drills Improve Football Speed

Oh the Myths that surround Football Training. From the old-school “muscle bound” theory to the “aerobic base” phenomenon, there is a seemingly endless parade of B.S. that surrounds how to get bigger, stronger, and more explosive for football.

One of my favorite Football Training myths is that the use of agility drills, cones, ladders and those stupid parachutes will improve football speed and agility.




The theory seems sound: set up cones in increasingly difficult patterns, run through them as fast as possible. After several week of this, your football agility will be through the roof and you’ll be jukin’ people outta’ their shoes in no time.

In the old days, you just ran back and forth through some cones, now a days, you are forced to run through a maze of cones that would stump even the most experienced lab rat.

First off, let’s define agility.


• Agility is the ability to rapidly change direction without loss of speed. To be agile, you must be able to generate great amounts of force and apply them to the ground; this is what propels you in the opposite direction.
However, they miss several key issues.

1. If you are weak, all the agility training in the world will not make your more agile!

• Maximum Strength is the foundation of all elements of football training. If you are stronger, you will become more agile. Think of it this way – if you are 160lbs and you currently Deadlift 200 and your agility is average.

What do you think will allow you to produce more force? Running through cones or upping your Deadlift to 225lbs? Remember science class? Force = mass x acceleration



2. Often, improvements in testing times are a result of improved form and all the little “tricks” that one can apply to the agility tests.

o Let’s take a look at the ever-popular 20-yd Pro Agility Shuttle. On the surface, it’s not a bad test. You have to change directions and turn and sprint…that’s very football-like. However, watch a new player run that test. They run high, then bend way over to touch the ground, and they sometimes even turn completely around when they hit the cones.

Now, watch someone who’s been coached on this drill. They sprint low, stop short of the cone, touch, and drive forward in an extremely low position. Those few form changes can make huge improvements in the testing time. There are so many problems with this.

First, there was no real improvement in speed. The player simply ran the drill better

• Second, we are training for football, not a reverse limbo contest. When the hell do you ever run so bent over in a football game? I hope you don’t, unless you fancy a broken neck!


3. Running over and through cones can cause the athlete to run with exaggerated high-knees.

o For all this talk about sports specificity, coaches completely disregard the fact that running round like a Rockette will alter running form and hinder speed. Not only that, but think about times you’ve had to do any kind of cutting in a game…can you ever remember lifting your knees up to waist height? Exactly

Bottom line: Lift weights and get stronger so you can produce more force and be faster and more agile. Agility drills have no place in football training! Leave the cones for soccer players or some other sport where making the wrong move won’t get you knocked out.


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