Position-specific conditioning

Setup

1. Non-contact. No pads needed; in hot weather train in shorts and helmets only, in the coolest part of the day.
2. Mark three lanes with cones: 40 yards for receivers and defensive backs, 20 yards for running backs, linebackers and tight ends, 10 yards for linemen.
3. Players start in their own stance: three-point for linemen, two-point for the rest.
4. Do a full warm-up first. Water is at the start line and everyone drinks between drives.
5. Safety rule: stop at once with sharp pain, chest pain, dizziness or signs of heat illness (headache, nausea, confusion, cramps, hot skin). Cool the player down and get medical help.

How it runs

1. On the whistle each group goes its distance at full effort. Each rep lasts about 5 to 6 seconds, like a real play.
2. Linemen: explosive get-off for 5 yards, then a 5-yard shuffle or pass set. Backs and linebackers: 20 yards with one cut. Receivers and defensive backs: 40 yards, or a route and a backpedal-and-break.
3. Rest 25 to 40 seconds between reps, walking back to the line like the time between plays. That is a work-to-rest ratio of about 1:5.
4. 8 to 10 reps make one 'drive'. Rest 2 to 3 minutes between drives, with water.
5. Do 2 or 3 drives. In heat, drink every drive and cut to 2 drives.

Coaching points

• Quality first: every rep at full speed. If speed drops off a lot, stop the drive.
• Use the real stance and first step for the position, so the fitness carries into games.
• Walk back, don't stand still; breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.
• Watch for players who are struggling and pull them out. Never use conditioning as punishment.
• Do this early in the week, not the day before a game.

Common mistakes

• Cutting the rest short, so reps turn into slow jogs.
• Linemen running 40 yards when their game is 5-yard bursts.
• Skipping water breaks to 'toughen up'; dehydration and heat illness are dangerous.
• Players hiding pain or dizziness to keep going.