Downloads

---

Tracking sprint times is a fantastic way to give players concrete, measurable targets to chase. In soccer, we usually care most about short-distance acceleration (10 meters) and transitional speed (20 to 30 meters), rather than a full track-style 100-meter dash.

High-level athletic data uses electronic laser gates. If you are clocking them with a handheld stopwatch, humans are naturally slow to react—hand times are typically **0.20 to 0.24 seconds faster** than laser times. If a chart says an elite time is 3.5 seconds, a hand-timed 3.5 is actually closer to a 3.7.

Here is a breakdown of average and elite sprint times for competitive youth female soccer players across different standard distances, compiled from youth sports performance data and soccer-specific tracking studies.

10-Meter Sprint (Acceleration/First Step)

This measures their initial explosiveness—getting to a loose ball first or making a quick recovery run.

| Age Group | Average Competitive Player | High-Level / Elite Elite |

| **U11 – U12** | 2.25 – 2.35 seconds | Under 2.15 seconds |

| **U13 – U14** | 2.12 – 2.20 seconds | Under 2.05 seconds |

| **U15 – U16** | 2.04 – 2.10 seconds | Under 1.95 seconds |

| **U17+** | 2.00 – 2.05 seconds | Under 1.90 seconds |

20-Meter Sprint (Transitional Speed)

This mimics a standard mid-field burst to beat a defender or track back on a counter-attack.

| Age Group | Average Competitive Player | High-Level / Elite Elite |

| **U11 – U12** | 3.85 – 4.00 seconds | Under 3.70 seconds |

| **U13 – U14** | 3.67 – 3.78 seconds | Under 3.50 seconds |

| **U15 – U16** | 3.55 – 3.65 seconds | Under 3.40 seconds |

| **U17+** | 3.50 – 3.55 seconds | Under 3.35 seconds |

40-Yard Dash (Pure Straight-Line Speed)

While less common in soccer matches, this is standard for college scouting combines and overall athletic assessment.

| Age Group | Average Competitive Player | High-Level / Elite Elite |

| **U11 – U12** | 5.80 – 6.10 seconds | Under 5.50 seconds |

| **U13 – U14** | 5.40 – 5.70 seconds | Under 5.20 seconds |

| **U15 – U16** | 5.20 – 5.50 seconds | Under 5.00 seconds |

| **U17+** | 5.10 – 5.30 seconds | Under 4.85 seconds |

💡 Coaching Cue for the Girls

When girls hit growth spurts (usually between 11 and 13), their running mechanics naturally get awkward for a bit as their bodies adjust to longer limbs. If a player tests and hasn't gotten faster—or even feels a bit slower—let them know it's completely normal. Focusing on arm drive, staying low in the first three steps, and high stride frequency will help them unlock that next gear.

Both downhill and uphill sprints make you faster, but they do it by training completely different parts of your running mechanics.

Think of it this way: uphill sprints build the engine (power), while downhill sprints tune the transmission (speed). To get the most out of them, it helps to understand exactly what each one is doing to your body.

1. Uphill Sprints: The Power Builders

When you sprint up a hill, you are essentially doing a form of loaded weight training. Because you are fighting gravity, your muscles have to contract with much more force.

 What they improve: Acceleration and explosive power.

 * **The Mechanics:** Hill sprints force you into a perfect acceleration posture. You naturally drive your knees higher, land on the balls of your feet, and pump your arms harder.

 * **The Big Benefit:** They are incredibly safe. Because the ground meets your foot earlier on an incline, the impact forces on your joints are much lower than sprinting on flat ground. This makes them amazing for building hamstring and glute strength with a lower risk of injury.

2. Downhill Sprints: The Speed Tuners

Downhill sprinting is all about **overspeed training**. Gravity is assisting you, forcing your legs to rotate faster than they ever could on flat ground.

 * **What they improve:** Max velocity (top-end speed) and stride frequency.

 * **The Mechanics:** This trains your central nervous system to rapidly fire your muscles, decreasing your "ground contact time" (the amount of time your foot spends stuck to the floor). It forces your body to adapt to a faster neurological rhythm.

 * **The Big Benefit:** It breaks through "speed plateaus" by teaching your brain what it feels like to move at an advanced pace.

> ⚠️ **The Catch:** Downhill sprinting places massive eccentric stress on your quadriceps and increases impact forces on your joints. If your form breaks down and you start overstriding (landing heavy on your heels to "brake"), it is easy to pull a muscle or hurt your knees.

Which One Should You Do?

If you want a complete speed profile, you actually need both, but they fit into different parts of a training cycle:

| Training Goal | Best Choice | Why? |

| **First-step quickness / Power** | **Uphill Sprints** | Builds the raw, explosive force needed to push off the line. |

| **Top-end speed / Turnover** | **Downhill Sprints** | Teaches your legs to spin faster once you are already moving. |

| **Injury Prevention** | **Uphill Sprints** | Much lower impact; great for building tissue resilience. |

Quick Tips for Implementation

 * **For Hills:** Find a steep incline (10\%\text{ to }15\%) and sprint for 5–8 seconds. Take a full 2–3 minutes of rest between reps to let your central nervous system completely recover.

 * **For Downhills:** Use a very gentle slope (only 2\%\text{ to }3\%). Anything steeper will cause you to lose control, brake with your heels, and risk injury.