Effects of a 12 Week SAQ Training Programme on Agility with and without the Ball among Young Soccer Players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 12 week conditioning programme involving speed, agility and quickness (SAQ) training and its effect on agility performance in young soccer players. Soccer players were randomly assigned to two groups: experimental group (EG; n = 66, body mass: 71.3 ± 5.9 kg; body height: 1.77 ± 0.07 m) and control group (CG; n = 66, body mass: 70.6 ± 4.9 kg; body height: 1.76 ± 0.06 m). Agility performance was assessed using field tests: Slalom; Slalom with ball; Sprint with 90° turns; Sprint with 90° turns with ball; Sprint with 180° turns; Sprint with backward and forward running; Sprint 4 x 5 m. Statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) between pre and post training were evident for almost all measures of agility, with and without the ball, with the exception being the Sprint with backward and forward running. This suggests that SAQ training is an effective way of improving agility, with and without the ball, for young soccer players and can be included in physical conditioning programmes. Key pointsSAQ training appears to be an effective way of improving agility with and without the ball in young soccer playersSoccer coaches could use this training during pre-season and in-season trainingCompared with pre-training, there was a statistically significant improvement in all but one measure of agility, both with and without the ball after SAQ training.

Full text

©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2013) 12, 97-103
http://www.jssm.org
Received: 16 April 2012 / Accepted: 18 December 2012 / Published (online): 01 March 2013
Effects of a 12 Week SAQ Training Programme on Agility with and without the
Ball among Young Soccer Players
Zoran Milanović 1, Goran Sporiš 2, Nebojša Trajković 1, Nic James 3 and Krešimir Šamija 2,4
1 Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Nis, Nis, Serbia; 2 Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Za-
greb, Zagreb, Croatia; 3 London Sport Institute, Middlesex University, London, UK; 4 Ministry of Science, Education
and Sport, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 12
week conditioning programme involving speed, agility and
quickness (SAQ) training and its effect on agility performance
in young soccer players. Soccer players were randomly assigned
to two groups: experimental group (EG; n = 66, body mass: 71.3
± 5.9 kg; body height: 1.77 ± 0.07 m) and control group (CG; n
= 66, body mass: 70.6 ± 4.9 kg; body height: 1.76 ± 0.06 m).
Agility performance was assessed using field tests: Slalom;
Slalom with ball; Sprint with 90° turns; Sprint with 90° turns
with ball; Sprint with 180° turns; Sprint with backward and
forward running; Sprint 4 x 5 m. Statistically significant im-
provements (p < 0.05) between pre and post training were evi-
dent for almost all measures of agility, with and without the ball,
with the exception being the Sprint with backward and forward
running. This suggests that SAQ training is an effective way of
improving agility, with and without the ball, for young soccer
players and can be included in physical conditioning pro-
grammes.
Key words: speed, specific agility, change of direction, SAQ.
Introduction
Soccer requires players to perform numerous actions that
require strength, power, speed, agility, balance, stability,
flexibility and endurance (Bloomfield et al., 2007; Gor-
ostiaga et al., 2004; Helgerud et al., 2001) suggesting that
the physical conditioning of players is a complex process.
During a soccer match, players cover about 10 km in
total, which includes a sprint every 90 seconds (11% of
overall activity) with each action lasting on average of 2
to 4 seconds and covering a distance of 15 m (Stolen et
al., 2005). Although speed represents a very important
component of fitness for a soccer player, quickness (ac-
celeration speed during the first steps) is probably more
important. This is because sprints in soccer are mainly
performed over short distances undertaken at maximal
intensity although the longest distances tend to be about
40 m and usually involves several changes in direction
(Jovanovic et al., 2011; Rienzi et al., 2000).
High-speed actions in soccer have been catego-
rized as requiring acceleration, maximal speed or agility
skills (Gambetta, 1996) whilst Chapman et al. (2008)
described speed in soccer as consisting of running speed,
reaction speed and acceleration speed during the first
steps (referred to as quickness). Both of these categoriza-
tions imply that the SAQ (speed, agility and quickness)
training method should be a useful component of fitness
training in soccer (Pearson, 2001). A typical SAQ session
involves explosive movements with the goal of progres-
sion from fundamental movement patterns to highly posi-
tional specific movements (Yap and Brown, 2000). Hence
this form of training is thought to encourage the adapta-
tion of movement mechanics, length and frequency of
steps, and increased hip height in the pursuit of increased
speed, agility and quickness (Pearson, 2001).
Little and Williams (2006) observed a significant
correlation between acceleration, maximal speed and
agility but concluded that there were enough unique char-
acteristics in each component to consider them as unre-
lated to each other. This is an important distinction for
coaches who work on improving speed and agility as the
research suggests that different activities are needed for
each. Indeed, SAQ training seeks to improve speed, agil-
ity and quickness through a range of soccer specific exer-
cises designed to address both the common and unique
characteristics of each of these components.
Agility has also been shown to be an important
component of soccer play (Jovanovic et al., 2011). Jullien
et al. (2008) demonstrated that a short-term agility train-
ing programme (3 weeks duration) improved agility test
results among young professional soccer players. How-
ever Jovanovic et al. (2011) did not find that a SAQ train-
ing programme improved the agility performance in
young soccer players during the in-season period when
training with and without a ball although this was found
to be an effective way of improving some aspects of
power performance. Whilst these results were somewhat
surprising they do not invalidate the link between SAQ
training and improvements in agility, both for players
with and without the ball, since the training programme
may have been insufficient, in terms of duration or vol-
ume of training, to promote significant improvements.
Logically, given the nature of SAQ training, this type of
training should improve soccer players’ agility with and
without ball, although this would depend on the specific
nature of the training and its duration. In one such study,
Rösch et al. (2000) concluded that elite players, but not
amateurs, were able to adapt their body positions as a
result of SAQ training such that they could perform soc-
cer movements with better balance, strength and control
without any loss of speed.
Despite the aforementioned research, at this point
in time there is little scientific evidence to support the
effectiveness of SAQ training for conditioning soccer
Research article

Effects of SAQ training on agility in soccer
98
players such that football specific improvements are pro-
duced (Jovanovic et al., 2011; Sporiš et al., 2010b; 2011).
Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the
effects of a SAQ training method on agility with and
without ball in young soccer players.
Methods
Participants
All participants were male members of teams playing in
the First Croatian Junior U-19 League during the
2010/2011 competitive season. Only six out of twelve
clubs in this league fulfilled the requested conditions
regarding equipment and facilities and these were ran-
domly divided into two groups: experimental (EG) in-
cluding 66 players from three clubs (20, 22 and 24 play-
ers) (mean ± SD: body mass: 71.3 ± 5.9; body height:
1.77 ± 0.07) and control (CG) including 66 players from
three (21, 21, 24 players) clubs (mean ± SD: body mass:
70.6 ± 4.9; body height: 1.76 ± 0.06). All participants
were at the investigators disposal and were familiar with
SAQ training. None of the participants had been injured 6
months before the initial testing or during the training
programme. Nutritional supplements were not included in
their diets and participants were not taking exogenous
anabolic-androgenic steroids or other drugs that might
have affected their physical performance or hormonal
balance during the study. The study was financed by the
Croatian Football Federation and was approved by the
Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Kinesiology, Univer-
sity of Zagreb according to the Helsinki Declaration.
Participants were fully informed and signed a consent
form and were aware that they could withdraw from the
study at any time. Training programs for the experimental and
control group were given in Table 1.
Goalkeepers were not involved in this study due to
potential differences in their morphological characteristics
and motor ability (Taskin, 2008). Physical conditioning
for all clubs started within one week of each other. Par-
ticipants were only eligible for the study if they had
played at least 10 matches and been involved in 70% of
training sessions in the past season and had at least eight
years of soccer experience. They were also required to
undertake at least 75% of the training sessions during the
experimental programme. The experimental group under-
took four SAQ training sessions a week (information on
the intensity and volume of the training programme is
presented in Table 2; distribution of SAQ components
presented in Table 3). The control group was involved in
regular soccer training that did not include elements of the
SAQ training methods.
Procedure
Basic anthropometric parameters (stature and body mass)
were registered in the study protocol. The initial testing
took place before the beginning of the pre-season period
while the final testing was performed after 12 weeks of
intervention with the SAQ training method. To prevent
unnecessary fatigue accumulation, players and coaches
were instructed to avoid intense exercise for a 24-hour
period before each testing session. Immediately prior to
testing participants performed a standard 25-minute
warm-up consisting of 10 min of light running, 10 min of
dynamic stretching and 5 x 30m of running exercises.
During testing, the air temperature ranged from 22°C to
27°C. Testing always commenced at 10 a.m. and was
completed by 1 p.m. The physical load at given intensities
was monitored by heart rate monitors (Polar S610,
Finland). All agility tests were performed on a grass
sports field and the players wore soccer boots in order to
replicate competitive playing conditions. Each test was
performed from a standing start and measured using infra-
red photocells (RS Sport, Zagreb, Croatia).
Slalom test
Each participant started the test with his feet behind the
start line. Six cones were set up 2 m apart, the first cone 1
m away from the starting line. Each player stood still
facing the starting line, with his feet apart and the cone
between his legs. He then started running after the sound
signal and ran from point to point. The player at the sec-
ond point had to be passed on his right-hand side. The
player continued to run as fast as possible constantly
changing direction from right to left, until he reached the
player standing at the last point. After the last point, the
player made a 180° turn and continued the slalom to the
starting line. The intraclass correlation coefficient for test-
retest reliability for the Slalom test was 0.90.
Slalom Test with ball: This test was structurally the
same as the SL test, but differed in that it was performed
with the ball. The intraclass correlation coefficient for
test-retest reliability for the Slalom Test with the ball was
0.88.
Table 1. Training programs for the experimental and control group.
1 2 3 4 5
Mesocycle Multilateral Basic Specific Situational Competition Total
Conditioning vs. Technical-tactical training (%) 55 : 45 65 : 35 70 : 30 30 : 70 30 : 70
Duration (days) 14 14 7 7 42 84
Days of training and matches 12 12 6 6 36 72
Number of training sessions 20 20 10 9 42 101
Number of matches 2 4 2 2 6 16
Hours of practice and matches 38 47 21 20 84 210
Number of the days of rest 2 2 1 1 6 12
Number of conditioning hours+ technical-tactical hours 21+17 31+16 15+6 6+14 32+62 105+105
Extensity of training 3.16 3.91 3.50 3.33 2.33 3.24
Intensity (% Hrmax) 80 % 85 % 85 % 95 % 90-100 % 90 %
Dates of testing Initial Final

Milanovic et al.
99
Table 2. Specific speed and agility training program (SAQ).
SAQ Continuum
Flexibility Mechanics Innervation Accumulation
of potential Explosion Expression
of potential
Cool
down
Total
Week 1 Intensity (%) 50% 60% 100% 30% 70%
Volume (min) 30 40 40 0 0 10 120
Top Cont % 25.00% 33.33% 33.33% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 8.33%
Week 2 Intensity (%) 50% 70% 100% 70% 30% 64%
Volume (min) 30 30 40 10 0 0 10 120
Top Cont % 25.00% 25.00% 33.33% 8.33% 0.00% 0.00% 8.33%
Week 3 Intensity (%) 50% 75% 100% 80% 100% 30% 73%
Volume (min) 30 30 30 20 10 0 10 130
Top Cont % 23.08% 23.08% 23.08% 15.38% 10.01% 0.00% 7.69%
Week 4 Intensity (%) 50% 80% 100% 80% 100% 30% 73%
Volume (min) 25 25 30 25 15 0 10 130
Top Cont % 19.23% 19.23% 23.08% 19.23% 11.54% 0.00% 7.69%
Week 5 Intensity (%) 50% 85% 100% 90% 100% 70% 30% 83%
Volume (min) 25 25 25 25 20 10 10 140
Top Cont % 20.83% 20.83% 20.83% 20.83% 16.67% 8.33% 8.33%
Week 6 Intensity (%) 50% 85% 100% 90% 100% 80% 30% 84%
Volume (min) 25 20 25 30 20 10 10 140
Top Cont % 20.83% 16.67% 20.83% 25.00% 16.67% 8.33% 8.33%
Week 7 Intensity (%) 50% 90% 100% 100% 100% 90% 30% 88%
Volume (min) 20 20 25 30 25 15 15 150
Top Cont % 16.67% 16.67% 20.83% 25.00% 20.83% 12.50% 12.50%
Week 8 Intensity (%) 50% 90% 100% 100% 100% 100% 30% 90%
Volume (min) 20 20 20 35 25 15 15 150
Top Cont % 16.67% 16.67% 16.67% 29.17% 20.83% 12.50% 12.50%
Week 9 Intensity (%) 50% 95% 100% 100% 100% 100% 30% 91%
Volume (min) 20 20 20 35 30 20 15 160
Top Cont % 16.67% 16.67% 16.67% 29.17% 25.00% 16.67% 12.50%
Week 10 Intensity (%) 50% 95% 100% 100% 100% 100% 30% 91%
Volume (min) 20 20 25 30 30 20 15 160
Top Cont % 16.67% 16.67% 20.83% 25.00% 25.00% 16.67% 12.50%
Week 11 Intensity (%) 50% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 30% 92%
Volume (min) 20 20 20 30 30 30 20 170
Top Cont % 16.67% 16.67% 16.67% 25.00% 25.00% 25.00% 16.67%
Week 12 Intensity (%) 50% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 30% 92%
Volume (min) 20 20 20 25 35 30 20 170
Top Cont % 16.67% 16.67% 16.67% 20.83% 29.17% 25.00% 16.67%
Top Cont %: Topic contribution in %.
Sprint with 90° turns
Each of the participants commenced the test with their
feet behind the start line. They started from the first point
after the sound signal, ran as fast as possible to the second
point and performed a 90° turn to the right. On reaching
the second point, they continued to run to the third point
where they performed a 90° turn to the left. At the fourth
point, they performed another 90° turn to the left and ran
on to point five, where they performed a 90° to the right.
Point six had the same direction and turning angle (90°
turn to the right). At point seven, they performed a turn to
the left and ran on to the finishing line-point. The track
was 15 m long, the distance between the start line and the
first flag was 3 m, between the second and the third 2 m,
between the third and the fourth 2 m, between the fourth
and the fifth 5 m, between the fifth and the sixth 3 m,
between the sixth and the seventh 3 m, between the sev-
enth and the eight 2 m, and between the flag nine 2 m.
The intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reli-
ability for Sprint With 90° Turns was 0.92.
Sprint With 90° Turns with ball: The test structure
was the same as the S90° test, but differed only in that it
was performed with the ball. The intraclass correlation
coefficient for test-retest reliability for Sprint With 90°
Turns with ball was 0.86.
Sprint with 180° turns
Each participant started after the sound signal and ran 9 m
from starting line A to line B (the lines were white, 3 m
long, and 5 cm wide). The 180° turn was performed with
the participants being asked to put a foot over the line on
inversion. Having touched line B with one foot, they
made either a 180° left or right turn. All the following
turns had to be performed in the same direction. The
players then ran 3 m to line C, made another 180° turn,
and ran 6 m forward. They then made another 180° turn
(line D) and ran another 3 m forward (line E), before
performing the final turn and running the final 9 m to the
finish line (line F). The intraclass correlation coefficient
for test-retest reliability for the Sprint With 180° Turns
was 0.96.
Sprint with backward and forward running
The distance covered was the same as in the previous test
(S180°). The only difference was that instead of making
a turn, the players shifted from forward to backward

Effects of SAQ training on agility in soccer
100
Table 3. Framework of SAQ program.
Dynamic flexibility Mechanics Innervations
Toe Walk Arm mechanics-Arm Drive Single Walk
Heel Walk Partner Drills Single Run
Jogging and Hug Arm Drive for Jumping Single Lateral Steps
Small Skip Buttocks Bounce Up and Back
Wide Skip Leg Mechanics Lateral Step In-Out
Single Knee Dead-Leg Lift Knee-Lift Development Small Dead Leg Run
Knee-Across Skip Dead Leg Run Icky Shuffle
Lateral Running Leading Leg Run Double Run
Pre-Turn Pre-Turn Hopscotch
Carioca Quick Sidestep Two Step Forward and One Step Backward
Hurdle Walk Sidestep Single Space Jumps
Russian Walk 1-2-3 Lift Two Jumps Forwards and One Jump Backward
Walking Lunges Single Jumps Twist Again
Single Jump Over and Back Hop In and Out
Single Jump with 180-degree Twist Carioca
Lateral Single Jumps Spotty Dogs
Forward Multiple Jumps Line Drills
Lateral Multiple Jumps Line Drills (Spit Steps)
Multiple Hops Two-footed Jumps
180 - Degree Twist Jumps Box Drills
Split Step
Two-Footed Jumps
Accumulation of potential Explosion Expression of potential
Agility Disc Vision and Reaction Robbing the nest
Seated Agility Disc Fast Hand Games Shadow
Swerve Development Runs Reaction Ball Cone Game
Fast Feet Zigzag Run Get-Ups Fielding Skill - Specific
Four Turn, Four Angle Run Chair Get-Ups
Combination Runs Let-Goes
Team Combination Runs Parachute Running
Ball Drops
Buggy Runs
Flexy Cord - Overspeed
Flexy Cord - Out and Back
Side-Steper – Resisted Lateral Runs
Side-Stepper-Jockeying Throw and Catch Drill
running. After the starting sound signal, they ran 9 m
from starting line A to line B (the lines were white, 3 m
long, and 5 cm wide). Having touched line B with one
foot, the players shifted from running forward to running
backward. Then, they ran 3 m to line C and changed from
backward running to forward running. After 6 m, the
players made another change (line D) and ran another 3 m
backward (line E) and then made the final change and ran
the final 9 m forward to the finishing line (line F). The
intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability
for Sprint with Backward and Forward Running was 0.92.
Sprint 4 x 5 m
The test required players to perform constant changes in
direction. Five cones were set up 5 m apart. The players
stood with their feet apart and the cone between their legs.
Every player started after the sound signal and ran 5 m
from point A to point B. After reaching point B, he made
a 90° turn to the right and then shuffled 5 m to point C. At
point C, he made a 90° turn and ran to point D, where he
made a 180° turn and ran on to point E (the finish line).
The intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reli-
ability for Sprint 4 x 5 m was 0.90.
Participants performed 2 trials for the agility tests,
with a recovery of approximately 3 minutes between
trials. All tests used in this study have previously been
shown to be reliable and valid (Sporis et al., 2010a).
Training programme
The experimental group performed a total of 48 SAQ
workouts (4 x 12) while the control group undertook
approximately the same volume of regular training. We
assumed that there would be no difference in the training
volume, which represents an important factor when com-
paring the effects of these two groups. In addition to the
specific training each group undertook technical, tactical
and strength training. During the preparation period par-
ticipants participated in 8–10 training sessions per week
each lasting 90–105. Strength training was conducted in a
gym twice a week, each session lasting 90 minutes (30
minutes of warm up; 40 minutes of circuit training; 20
minutes of stretching exercises). Endurance training was
performed three times a week during the preparation
period. The intensity of training was monitored using
polar heart rate monitors (Polar S-610; Polar Electro,
Kempele, Finland) and supervised by team coaches. The
in-season strength training program targeted the major
muscle groups and was undertaken twice a week (i.e. legs,
back, chest) and consisted of varied workouts with exer-
cises focusing on muscular power development (e.g. jump

Milanovic et al.
101
squats, back squats, bench throws) using loads of up to
75–85% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). Endurance
training was performed once a week. The high intensity
training consisted of 4 x 4 minute maximal running using
different drills at exercise intensity levels of 90–95% of
the maximal heart rate, separated by 3 minute ‘rest’ peri-
ods where technical drills were undertaken at 55–65% of
the maximal heart rate. During the 3 minute technical
drills, participants were required to work in pairs and
perform inside-of-the-foot passes (first drill), control the
ball on the chest (second drill), and perform headers (third
drill).
Statistical analysis
Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package
for the Social Sciences (v13.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL,
USA). Descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov–Smirnov
(normality of the distribution) and Levene’s (homogeneity
of variance) tests (Stone and O’Bryant, 1984) were calcu-
lated for all experimental data before inferential testing.
Changes in agility, with and without ball, were compared
over the training period for players in the experimental
and control groups using two factor (group x time) uni-
variate analysis of variance (ANOVA). Statistical signifi-
cance was set at p < 0.05.
Results
The Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests showed that data were
normally distributed and no violation of homogeneity of
variance found using Levene’s test. The experimental and
control groups were well matched on the pre-training tests
with no significant differences found for any variable
between the two groups. The experimental group
significantly improved (p < 0.05) their performance from
pre- to post-training on all measures with the exception of
the sprint with backward and forward running (Table 4)
whereas performance in the control group remained simi-
lar levels for all tests. The experimental groups therefore
outperformed the control group in all of the final tests
with the exception of the Sprint with backward and
forward running.
Discussion
This study has shown that 12 weeks of SAQ training had
positive effects on agility with and without ball in soccer
players. Players in the experimental group improved their
performance significantly regardless of the time that was
necessary to complete the agility test with and without
ball. These results demonstrate that specific speed and
agility training (SAQ), as part of the overall training proc-
ess, can be considered a useful tool for the improvement
of speed and agility among young soccer players. They
also confirm Bloomfield et al.’s (2007) viewpoint that the
SAQ regimen is an important training method for the
improvement of speed and quickness. Importantly, the
tests used in this study assessed sprinting performance in
a very soccer specific manner i.e. with changes of direc-
tion from 5 to 15 meters, with and without the ball, as this
type of movement represents 90% of all sprint activities
during soccer matches (Bangsbo, 1994). Furthermore,
Weineck (2000) suggested that agility along with quick-
ness and speed during the first three steps represent the
most significant motor ability of a soccer player.
Although it is considered that the best period for
the development of agility is at the age of 16 (Marković et
al., 2007), this study has shown that agility can also be
improved in later years using an appropriate training
programme. This confirms previous findings by Sporiš
(2010b) where a poly-structural complex training pro-
gramme produced improved performance in young soccer
players.
Whilst recent studies (Bloomfield et al 2007;
Jovanovic et al., 2011; Polman et al., 2004; Sporis,
2010b) have tended to show that SAQ training methods
have a positive impact on power, speed and quickness
these did not consider agility with and without the ball.
Consequently the finding that SAQ training had a positive
impact on agility in more realistic soccer specific tests
than previously used (i.e. sprinting with 900,turns, 1800
turns and more complex movements with turns in differ-
ent directions, both with and without ball) provides strong
support for the efficacy of this training. Interestingly, no
improvement was found when only linear movement was
tested (backward and forward sprint test) suggesting that
this form of training has specific benefits related to turn-
ing movements. This result is in agreement with Polman
et al. (2004) who found that SAQ training was effective in
the physical conditioning of female soccer players due to
a significant improvement in lateral agility. It seems,
therefore, that speed, agility and quickness should be
viewed as independent motor abilities, which have limited
influence on each other, and thus specific training is re-
quired for each (Little and Wiliams, 2006).
The SAQ training protocol used in this study in-
cluded a large number of complex coordination exercises
with the ball deemed important by Weineck (2000) as
these included relevant technical elements within the
conditioning training. This training protocol was shown to
Table 4. Differences between experimental and control group. Data are means (±SD).
Experimental group (n = 66) Control group (n = 66)
Initial Final Initial Final
Sprint with 180° turns 7.40 (.33) 7.29 (.35) ** 7.46 (.35) 7.49 (.36)
Sprint with backward and forward running 7.84 (.39) 7.74 (.39) 7.76 (.41) 7.80 (.43)
Sprint 4x5 m 5.93 (.38) 5.86 (.39) ** 6.04 (.35) 6.07 (.34)
Slalom test with ball 10.93 (1.11) 10.67 (1.06) ** 10.95 (1.21) 11.24 (1.23)
Slalom test 7.83 (.74) 7.77 (.76) * 7.85 (1.06) 7.95 (1.13)
Sprint with 90° turns with ball 9.92 (.60) 9.67 (.58) * 9.85 (.64) 9.91 (.65)
Sprint with 90° turns 7.83 (.51) 7.67 (.48) * 7.72 (.63) 7.75 (.65)
* and ** denote significant difference (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively) between initial and final testing.

Effects of SAQ training on agility in soccer
102
improve performance, which was thought to be primarily
as a consequence of improved agility. Agility is one of the
key components of contemporary soccer, which requires
high levels of endurance, power performance and agility
(Jeffreys, 2004; Meckel et al., 2009). Whilst one might
expect that training protocols would attempt to enhance
all three of these components, Jovanovic et al. (2011)
suggest a tendency for emphasis on non-specific endur-
ance and power training and less emphasis on agility.
They also argue that this may be a cause for overtraining
in soccer, as coaches do not recognise the importance of
agility training. Clearly this is something that needs to be
addressed in the research literature on soccer, specifically
how SAQ training could improve agility, but also the
extent to which this form of training should make up
typical training regimens.
The specific programme used in this study demon-
strated benefits for agility performance but what are the
long-term costs and/or benefits of such training? One
might hypothesise that on the ball training has advantages
for both skill development and would have motivational
benefits over and above similar training without a ball.
This may well result in improvement of players’ perform-
ances during matches in specific situations as well as
decreasing rather increasing the risks of overtraining.
A limitation of this study is that reactive agility
(agility in reaction to a stimulus) was not assessed. This is
thought to be a more game-related assessment of agility
since movements in soccer play tends to be a consequence
of something happening, such as the ball being deflected
off an opponent. Thus, in open skills situations like soc-
cer, it is thought that cognitive activity is required and
therefore preplanned change of direction speed tests, like
those used in this study, might not fully assess game spe-
cific skills.
Conclusion
The seven different phases of a specific speed and agility
(SAQ) training programme (Pearson, 2001) contributed to
a statistically significant improvement in performance in
different agility tests with and without the ball in U19
soccer players. Whilst it is impossible to determine which
any individual components had significant or non-
significant contributions the overall effect led to an im-
provement in agility. These findings support the conten-
tion that the SAQ programme should be a part of routine
soccer training. The extent to which SAQ training fea-
tures in both pre-season and in-season training needs to be
further investigated as it appears anecdotally that agility
training, for many teams, is not undertaken to the extent
that it should be. Research suggests that appropriate SAQ
training will improve soccer players’ agility and condition
them to cope with the actual demands of the game.
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Milanovic et al.
103
Key points
• SAQ training appears to be an effective way of im-
proving agility with and without the ball in young
soccer players
• Soccer coaches could use this training during pre-
season and in-season training
• Compared with pre-training, there was a statistically
significant improvement in all but one measure of
agility, both with and without the ball after SAQ
training
AUTHORS BIOGRAPHY
Milanovic ZORAN
Employment
Scientific researcher in Faculty of Sport and
Physical Activitiy, Universitiy of Nis, Serbia
Degrees
BSc, MSc, PhD Student
Research interests
Diagnostics, selection, technology and meth-
odology of training process in soccer. Re-
search methodology. Strength and
conditioning training, tapering and
periodisation, talent identification
E-mail: zoooro_85@yahoo.com
Goran SPORIŠ
Employment
Professor - Faculty of Kinesiology,
University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Degree
PhD
Research interests
Research methodology, strength and
conditioning training, tapering and
periodisation in team sports.
E-mail: g.sporis@kif.hr
Nebojsa TRAJKOVIC
Employment
Scientific researcher in Faculty of Sport and
Physical Activitiy, Universitiy of Nis, Serbia
Degrees
BSc, MSc, PhD Student
Research interests
Team sports conditioning programe, speed,
agility and quickness methodology
E-mail: nele_trajce@yahoo.com
Nic JAMES
Employment
Professor – London Sport Institute,
Middlesex University, London, UK
Degree
PhD
Research interests
Performance analysis, team and individual
sports, statistical methods
E-mail: n.james@mdx.ac.uk
Krešimir ŠAMIJA
Employment
Professor - Faculty of Kinesiology,
University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Degree
PhD
Research interests
Research methodology, Strength and
conditioning training, team sports
performance.
E-mail: kresimir.samija@zg.htnet.hr
 Zoran Milanovic, PhD
Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, Carnojeviceva 10ª,
18000 Niš, Serbia