Team sport speed training is less about flying 60m sprints and more about repeatable bursts of acceleration and controlled stops. Whether it’s the first 5 yards in baseball, short-sprint separation in soccer, or braking in basketball and hockey, athletes live in these moments. With the 1080 Sprint, coaches can target acceleration training and design precise deceleration drills that mirror the real demands of team sports.
In this article we’ll dive into answering:
1. How do I train or test athletes in team sports where max velocity isn’t the goal?
2. Can I use the 1080 Sprint to train or assess deceleration?
Acceleration Training for Team Sport Athletes
You don’t need 60-meter sprints to get value out of the 1080 Sprint 2. Many team-sport athletes, like basketball or hockey, rarely hit max velocity in their sport anyway. Instead, focus on acceleration training and first-step projection, where most team sport athletes live in competition. Here are a few best practices:
Using Short Sprints and Split times (5-20yd)
-Use shorter sprints (5–20yd) and track the 0–5yd or 0–10yd splits, max velocity achieved, or total time
-Re-test regularly, even if it's just comparing short split times or max velocity achieved in 15yd
Building a Pseudo Load-Velocity-Profile for Team Sports
-Sprint profile with 3 loads and build a pseudo-Load-Velocity Profile, enough to individualize training loads and track progress over time
You can also combine resisted sprint accelerations with movement prep, jump work, or change of direction drills to increase sprint exposure without needing extra time or space.
Not every athlete in team sport speed training needs to reach +9m/s, but the 1080 Sprint 2 gives coaches multiple ways to load, measure, and improve short-sprint speed with precision.
Deceleration Drills and Testing with the 1080 Sprint
Using the 1080 Sprint 2 for deceleration drills and testing is probably one of its most underutilized functions. The ability to not only quantify an athlete's deceleration, but also precisely overload to develop it, might be your next competitive edge.
How to Run the ADA (Acceleration-Deceleration Ability) Test
A simple but effective test used by many coaches is the ADA Test:
1. Sprint as fast as possible towards the machine
2. Decelerate as quickly as possible, stopping on the finish line
This provides valuable deceleration metrics like: max deceleration, time to decel, and deceleration distance.
Using Assisted Loads to Overload Deceleration
You can also use the 1080 Sprint 2 to overload deceleration by adding moderate assistance (loads of 5-8kg) over short distances (usually 5–10yd). This increases the eccentric demand, requiring athletes to create greater braking forces to stop effectively.
As with all aspects of speed training for team sports: start with movement quality and intent, then use load (resistance or assistance) to challenge the pattern and increase the stimulus.
Applying Speed Training in Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, and Hockey
For coaches in soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey, or any other sport that mostly lives in small spaces and/or isn't predominantly sprinting, the 1080 Sprint provides a reliable way to test, train, and monitor the speed qualities that matter most in games.
From resisted acceleration training to deceleration drills and short-sprint profiling, it equips you to individualize loads and track progress with precision. If you’re looking to expand speed training for team sports, the 1080 Sprint 2 is a proven tool worth exploring.