Circuit training in soccer By Eugene W. Brown, Youth Sports Institute

(courtesy of Michigan University)

This type of training involves participation in a variety of activities in succession. These activities are conducted at various locations (stations) around the soccer field. The team is divided into an equal number of players for each station. When the circuit begins, all players attempt to perform their best at the tasks assigned to each station within a set time. Successive stations should differ in the physical and technical demands they place on the player. For example, an intense leg exercise should not be followed by a dribbling drill. Recovery occurs as the groups rotate, within a specified time interval, to the next station and as subsequent stations differ in their demands.

Appropriate Age and Ability for Using a Training Circuit

Generally, training circuits are inappropriate for players below the age of 14 years. Children under fourteen years have difficulty complying with the organizational requirements of a training circuit and working independently on individual tasks. Also, coaches have difficulty controlling and observing players scattered around the field at various stations. However, if used properly, circuit training can be a valuable component of practice for players below and above 14 years of age.

Training Circuits for Young Children

To use training circuits with young children, the coach must usually recruit, train, and assign parents or other volunteers to be in charge of individual stations. With young children, relatively few stations comprise the training circuit. Instruction and quality, not quantity, of performance are emphasized at each station, with fitness a concomitant benefit. Training circuits for young children provide an opportunity for the instructors to work with small groups and meet individual needs.

Training Circuits for Older Children

For players 14 years of age and older, who have developed an intermediate level of ability and above, fitness with soccer specific activities is generally the emphasis of the training circuit. Training circuits can be regulated to create an exercise overload to enhance cardiovascular and muscular fitness.

In this type of circuit training an exercise over load is produced by:

• -increasing the number of stations in the circuit,

• -increasing the number of repetitions or work intensity at one or more stations,

• -increasing the time for exercise at each station,

• -increasing the number of times the circuit is completed, and/or

• -decreasing the recovery period between stations,

The variety of activities that can be included in a circuit provides the opportunity to be flexible in creating different and specific exercise overloads as well as simultaneously enhancing skill.

This article contains an example of a soccer training circuit, that is appropriate for intermediate level players, and a recording form for both field players and goalkeepers (see Figures 1 and 2) These forms can be photocopied and duplicated on the front and back of a 5" x 8" card. Also included in this article is a blank form (see Figure 3) upon which you can write your own training circuit to meet the specific needs of your players

            Side 2

Figure 1. Example of an eight-station field player training circuit. 

Side 2

Figure 2. Example of an eight-station goalkeeper training circuit and recording form on two sides of a 5 x 8 card.

Using a Training Circuit for Physical Conditioning

A training circuit can be implemented one to three times per week during the season. The number of times per week you have your players engage in a training circuit should vary according to the number of games scheduled for a given week and other activities included in your practice. You should not have your players perform a circuit the day before or the day of a game.

The requirements of performance and scoring each station need to be thoroughly explained to the players. Players need to be informed that the correct performance of each station is as important as the number of repetitions. After all the players understand each of the items in the complete circuit, you may have them perform a partial circuit of four or five stations and then increase the number of stations by one on subsequent days of practice until all stations of the training Circuit are performed.

The prescribed time for exercise and for the rest interval, during which the Players write their Scores on their recording forms and rotate from one station to the next, should be controlled to create an exercise overload. The first day the team performs the entire circuit, 30 seconds of exercise and 20 seconds of rest between each station might be appropriate. This results in an eight-station circuit that can be completed in six minutes and 20 seconds. Gradually, the exercise interval should increase and the rest interval should decrease. You will need to judge what is the appropriate exercise/rest interval ratio for your players.

*This is based on Chapter 21 of Youth Soccer-A Complete Handbook edited by Eugene W. Brown. For information about this book visit the Youth Sports Institute web site.

Description for Figure 1.