5 Best Exercises to Get Better at Football

To get better at football, players need more than just technical and tactical abilities.

Although technique is the determining factor in this beautiful game, it is no longer the only one. Players must maintain their energy and intensity for the entirety of a 90-minute game.

A player can only survive on ball labor for so long before being run over by bigger, stronger players. This raises the question, what distinguishes elite athletes from everyone else?

The best soccer players are powerful, robust, and well-conditioned in addition to being smart and astute decision-makers. They prioritize the physical side of the game, are less prone to injury, and are more likely to outrun and outperform their opponents.

Want to get better at football? Try these exercises

These 5 fundamental football drills will help you enhance your potential to accelerate and decelerate on the field and recover rapidly in between practices and games.

1) Squat jump

Hips, knees, and ankles are all worked out by this. Running, leaping, or engaging in combat with an opponent all require the so-called "triple flexion response," which generates force on the field. Squat jumps help you get better at football by improving your triple-flexion response.

Here's how to perform it:

• Take a standing position with your hands behind your head and your feet just beyond your shoulders.
• Knees should remain behind your toes when you squat.
• Hold this stance for two seconds, then launch yourself vertically.
• As you are in the air, pull your toes up to your shins to get ready to land.
• Descend in the starting squat posture, hold it for three seconds, then do 10 repetitions.
• Make sure to softly touch down, keeping your hips tucked in.

2) Ankle jump

This increases ankle flexibility, which is important for footballers since it can help prevent injuries. It also gives your lower legs more explosive power, helping you to get better at football.

Here's how to perform it:

• Stand with your feet pointed in the direction of your shins, arms at your sides, and legs straight.
• For 30 seconds, extend your ankles and push off the balls of your feet to fire your calves and bounce off the ground as quickly as you can.
• Land on the balls of your feet by lifting yourself up using the force of the earth.
• Repeat for 15-20 times.

3) Lateral bound

The lateral bound helps you get better at football by developing your legs' lateral power, which is crucial in football, regardless of position.

Here's how to perform it:

• Take an athletic stance, place both of your feet firmly on the ground, and lean heavily on your right leg.
• Squat a little with your right leg, then hop to the left.
• Leap with your right leg extended, landing solely on your left leg.
• Get your bearings again and repeat on the opposite side.
• Hold on for three counts on each side.
• Repeat 10 times on each side.

4) Box blast

Box blasts help you get better at football by enhancing your hip and leg explosiveness, which is crucial for separating from opponents on the field.

Steps to follow:

• Stand with one foot firmly on a low (6–12") box and your arms bent backwards at 90 degrees.
• Push through the front leg and stretch the hips, knees, and ankles. This will enable you to jump vertically.
• Land in the initial position, putting a little more weight on the foot closest to the box, and then, without waiting, instantly remove that foot, repeating the jump ten times.
• Repeat with the opposite leg.

5) 3-hurdle drill

This exercise helps you get better at football and become more agile. It enhances your body's ability to cut motion, which is crucial in football. It also improves coordination.

How to execute:

• You can use books, cups, bricks, or other similar objects to make three low (approximately 6") hurdles.
• Space them 2 to 3 feet apart from one another.
• Step over the first barrier. Quickly cross your foot over the obstacles without ever going side to side.
• Swiftly change direction. Only your outer foot should pass the final obstruction. Perform for 30 seconds in one go.

Wrapping up

Football is a physically intense sport. It's therefore crucial that you don't discount the value of stretching.

Although we made this list to give you the top five workouts to get better at football, you shouldn't stop there. Without some experimentation, an athlete cannot develop and get better.