Angel Di Maria 40m Speed Test, with and without a Ball

I am all for sport specificity.

And I am also all for speed.

But combining the two is the greatest weapon, as Al Vermeil has pointed out years ago.

But did you ever wonder how fast a footballer can run, with or without the ball?

Angel Di Maria 40m Time

Héctor Bellerín reportedly ran 4.42 for 40m at his football camp.  No video.  So you can throw that stat out of the window in comparison to T&F times.

5.11 is impressive, and quite realistic when you consider Usain Bolt’s splits is 4.64 seconds. Of course, there are major differences..  reaction time, spikes, and synthetic surfaces all come to mind.

This is where sport specificity comes to mind.

The 5.11 is impressive for a non-track athlete, but to run 5.24, only 0.13 seconds slower with a ball over 40 meters, is even more impressive.  That’s sport specificity.

Having an impressive 40 yard or 40 meter time is one thing, but having the skills and coordination to play the position is another.