Figure 2. Factors that affect acceleration. Figure 3. Factors that influence maximum speed. Figure 4. Factors determining agility.

Research concerning which characteristics are important to performance of the speed components has utilized cross-sectional analysis. Such analysis can only provide suggestive mechanisms for the factors that limit performance. To elucidate true cause and effect relationships, longitudinal studies are required, where potential limiting factors are specifically trained. Until such time, speed training should be biased to the suggested limiting factors for each speed component, represented in Figures 2, 3 and 4, in areas where the player is weak or the speed component is of particular importance.