Running Backwards on the Soccer Field

In previous posts, I have talked about the importance of acceleration on the field. Winning 50-50 soccer balls, getting shot off or not or defending a shot or not are three quick off the top of my head reasons why acceleration is important for soccer players.

If you look at the game of soccer though, there are times when we need to run backwards on the soccer field. It could be because as a defender, you have an attacker flying at you at full speed with the ball. Or it could be the other teams goalie just made a save and you want to watch where he is going to distribute the ball so you are running backwards on the soccer field to keep your eyes on him. There are many times when you might want to run backwards vs turning around and running straight ahead.

In order to run effectively backwards however, you need to do several things to keep you ready. Here are the 5 things you need to do:

• Nose over toes: Run backwards with a slight forward lean. In other words, don't lean back as you could fall backwards possibly injuring your self, and most definitely keeping you out of the play.
• Land on the front part of your foot: Just like when you accelerate, you want to land on the front part of your foot, you want to do this also when you run backwards.
• Move your arms faster allowing you to take smaller, quicker steps backwards.
• Keep your head up so that you can see the play in front of you.
• Limit the distance you run backwards to less than 15 yards.

By maintaining good balance (nose over toes), you will be able to explode in any direction quickly and efficiently. When practicing running backwards, also work on your foot transitions, meaning stopping yourself efficiently and then running forward as an example.

Working on this art of running backwards on the soccer field will pay huge dividends to all soccer players.

Check out my website at www.soccerandspeedcoach.com to get more information on helping soccer players and soccer coaches get better on the field.

Have a great day!

Gary