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.