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10 Yard Sprint Start: First Step Acceleration Drill

Updated · Fact checked

The 10 yard sprint start trains the first three or four steps of a run: out of a 2-point stance, no false step, low and pushing. On NFL.com, Gil Brandt wrote that the 10 and 20 yard splits of a 40 are good indicators of a quick first step. For a ball carrier, a quick first step is what gets you to the hole before it closes.

10 Yard Sprint Training | Reach Top Speed FASTER!Garage Strength

How to do it

  1. Set up

    Stand at the start line in a 2-point stance: feet hip width, one foot slightly ahead, knees bent, leaning a little forward.

  2. First push

    Drive off the front leg with the first step going forward, not back. Snap the opposite arm forward with it.

  3. Accelerate

    Stay in a forward lean and push the ground back for the full 10 yards, rising gradually as you gain speed.

  4. Recover

    Slow down past the line, walk back and rest a full 60 seconds before the next rep.

Sets and reps
5 x 10 yards from a 2-point stance, max effort, 60 seconds rest (4 x 10 in season).
Equipment
Cones or lines marking a 10 yard lane, Stopwatch or timing app (optional)
Muscles and skills
Glutes, Quads, Calves
Used in these 440 plans
Running Back, Athlete

Coaching cues and common mistakes

Coaching cues

  • Forward lean, shin angles match torso
  • Violent arm action
  • Push, push, push - don't reach

Common mistakes

  • Popping up tall
  • Overstriding in front of the hips
  • False step backward

Make it easier

  • Falling Start

Make it harder

  • Sled Sprint

Set the 2-point stance

Stand with your feet about hip width apart, one foot slightly ahead and knees bent. USA Football's development model for running backs and receivers lists what the start should look like: no false steps, a push off the front leg and hip drive from the back leg.

The false step is the habit to coach out: a small step backward before you go. Set the stagger before the rep starts, so your first step goes forward.

What a fast start looks like

Lean from the ankles so your shins and torso angle forward together, and drive the arms hard, opposite arm to opposite leg. Push the ground back behind you instead of reaching out in front, and rise gradually over the 10 yards instead of popping straight up.

Reaching for longer steps is a common instinct, but longer steps weren't what set fast starters apart in one study. Testing 20 field sport athletes over the first three steps of a sprint, researchers in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine found the faster group had shorter ground contacts and a higher stride frequency, with no difference in stride length.

Where it fits in the plan

440 programs the 10 yard start on acceleration days in the running back plan, and the same drill runs in the ATH plan. Pair it with the 5-10-5 drill so the burst carries into cuts.

FAQ

How long should you rest between 10 yard sprints?

440 rests 60 seconds per 10 yards sprinted, so a full minute after each 10 yard start. The point is a full speed rep every time; short rest turns the drill into conditioning.

Should you start from a 2-point or a 3-point stance?

440's running back and ATH plans use a 2-point stance for this drill. In 440, tight ends and linemen get the 3 point stance start instead. Use the stance you actually line up in.

More running back drills

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Sources

  1. What does the combine data mean? Depends on your position (Gil Brandt, 2011-02-24), NFL.com
  2. USA Football Football Development Model: Running & Receiving cheat sheet, hosted by Special Olympics (PDF; the bullet is the list separator in the PDF text), USA Football / Special Olympics
  3. Kinematic Determinants of Early Acceleration in Field Sport Athletes (Murphy, Lockie, Coutts, J Sports Sci Med 2003;2:144-150), Journal of Sports Science and Medicine

Program numbers (benchmarks, sets, reps, loads, protein targets) are 440 Football's own prescriptions. For athletes 13 and older; check with a physician or a registered dietitian before major training or diet changes.