What does PocketAthlete actually do?

You check in each morning with your sleep, soreness and fatigue. It scores your readiness, adjusts that day's session, and builds four-week training blocks around your sport, your position and the equipment you have.

Is it only for footballers?

No. It covers football, rugby, basketball, running, weightlifting and general gym training, with position-specific work for the team sports.

No. Tell it what you have and it programs around it. Many of the technical drills need nothing but a ball and a wall.

Can it work around an injury?

It works around soreness you log and avoids body parts you tell it to leave alone. It is general training information, not medical advice — see a physiotherapist for a diagnosis.

How should a full back train?

Up and down the line all game — repeated sprints, crossing and stamina. Physically, prioritise repeated-sprint ability, aerobic engine, hamstring durability. Technically, work on overlapping runs & crossing, 1v1 defending, recovery runs.

Football · Position guide

How a full back should train

Up and down the line all game — repeated sprints, crossing and stamina.

The short answer

A full back should build repeated-sprint ability and aerobic engine, and practise overlapping runs & crossing and 1v1 defending. The drills that matter most are wall passing reps, crossing off the dribble, 1v1 defending shape. 2 of them need nobody but you.

⚡ Prioritise physically

• Repeated-sprint ability
• Aerobic engine
• Hamstring durability

🎯 Sharpen technically

• Overlapping runs & crossing
• 1v1 defending
• Recovery runs

Key exercises

Hill sprints

Low-impact way to build sprint power and drive mechanics.

Tempo runs

Extends your aerobic base so you repeat sprints late in games.

Single-leg RDL

Bulletproofs the hamstring and trains single-leg balance.

Stride-outs

Primes fast running mechanics without the strain of all-out sprints.

Technical drills for a full back

2 of these need nobody but you.

Wall passing reps

PassingOn your own

Setup: A wall and a ball. 5–8m back.

1. Pass firmly against the wall with the inside of the foot.
2. Take the return with your far foot, away from where a defender would be.
3. Play it back first time, alternating feet every rep.

Volume: 5 × 60 seconds, alternating feet

Coaching point: Your first touch decides the pass — set the ball outside your body, not under it.

Make it harder: Move closer to speed it up, or restrict yourself to two touches, then one.

Crossing off the dribble

CrossingOn your own

Setup: The flank, a goal, cones or targets in the box.

1. Drive 10m down the line, then cross first time off the run.
2. Vary between the near post, the penalty spot and the back post.
3. Whip it — the ball should be moving away from the keeper.

Volume: 5 × 6 crosses each side

Coaching point: Look up once, then cross to the picture — don't stare at the ball.

Make it harder: Add a defender pressing, forcing you to cross earlier.

1v1 defending shape

DefendingNeeds a partner

Setup: A 10×15m channel, an attacker with a ball.

1. Close the ground quickly, then slow into a side-on stance.
2. Show them onto their weaker foot and toward the touchline.
3. Tackle only when the ball is away from their body.

Volume: 8 × 30 seconds, alternating roles

Coaching point: Get there fast, arrive slow. Diving in is how you get beaten.

Make it harder: Shrink the channel; give the attacker a two-touch limit.

Get a program built around you

PocketAthlete builds your program from your sport, your position and how recovered you actually are that morning — then adapts it as you log sessions.

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