Suicide Drill — 5-10-15-20-25m: A Complete Guide

Quick Intro

Suicide Drill — 5-10-15-20-25m is a Speed & Agility exercise performed the same way as the base drill, sprinting to progressively further lines and touching each one before sprinting back to the start, except this version extends the pattern across five lines at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 meters. It is the harder version of Suicide Drill. Dosage follows the same shape as the base version: a complete pattern counts as one rep, with rest taken between full reps while the individual line touches inside a rep follow one another without a break.

Equipment Needed

No equipment is required. As with the base version, the only requirement is enough open, flat ground to mark a start line and five further lines at increasing distances, using cones, floor tape or existing court markings.

Why Suicide Drill — 5-10-15-20-25m Matters

The same muscles that carry the base drill carry this extended version, just for a longer stretch of work. The glutes (gluteus maximus) and outer hip (gluteus medius) drive hip extension out of every turn, while the front of the thigh (quadriceps, rectus femoris) and hip flexor (iliopsoas) handle deceleration into each line and re-acceleration back out. The back of the thigh (hamstrings, biceps femoris) works with the glutes to slow the sprint before all five reversals, and the calf (gastrocnemius), deeper calf muscle (soleus) and shin (tibialis anterior) share the repeated push-off and braking load across a longer total distance. The lower back (erector spinae) has to keep the trunk stable through more direction changes than the base pattern demands. Cardiovascular endurance is the main demand, at a maximal level and above even the base drill, since the longer pattern adds sustained work on top of an already demanding conditioning effort. Muscular endurance rises even more over the base drill, a direct reflection of how much further the fatigue accumulates by the fifth line. Agility and speed both ask a little less than in the base drill, since pacing matters early so the final line doesn’t fall apart, and that early pacing costs a touch of pure quickness across the whole pattern.

When to Do It

This version belongs in the same part of a session as the base drill, in the conditioning block after shorter sprint and agility work has already primed clean acceleration and deceleration mechanics. It suits athletes who already handle the base pattern well and are ready for a longer conditioning test built on the same footwork. Pacing is the whole story here: the drill is decided in the final line, so going out too hard early leaves nothing left for the hardest part of the pattern. Keep it away from a session’s heavy lower-body strength work, and skip it entirely with any current ankle, knee or hamstring strain, since fatigue this deep into a set punishes a compromised joint hard.

Getting Ready

Warm up exactly as for the base version: a short jog, a few submaximal touches at close range and two or three build-up sprints. Walk the full five-line spacing before starting, since misjudging the extra distance at the far end of the pattern is an easy way to mistime the last two lines.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mark all five lines. Set a start line plus lines at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 meters using cones or floor tape, confirming the full spacing before the first rep.
2. Pace the opening lines deliberately. Sprint to the first line and back, then the second, holding back slightly from an all-out effort so there’s something left for the final two lines.
3. Touch and reverse cleanly at every line. Decelerate under control as each line approaches, touch it with a hand or foot and reverse direction immediately, continuing straight to the next distance without pausing.
4. Commit fully once the pattern reaches its final two lines. Push the pace back up for the 20 and 25 meter touches, since holding something in reserve for these final lines is the entire point of pacing the start.
5. Drive through the start line at full speed once the fifth and furthest line has been touched and the last return sprint is complete.

How Many, How Often

Pacing the first two lines matters more here than sprinting them as fast as possible, since this version is won or lost at the final line.

Modifications and Variations

This exercise has one easier step: Suicide Drill, the standard, shorter version of the same pattern, with Suicide Drill — 5-10-15m below that. An athlete who already handles this version well gains more from adding more full patterns per session than from stretching the line spacing any further.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Sprinting the opening lines at full effort. The drill is decided at the final line, and going out too hard on the first two touches leaves nothing in reserve once fatigue hits.

Losing touch quality at the fourth and fifth lines. A tired athlete drifts past the 20 and 25 meter lines rather than planting sharply, adding wasted distance exactly when the pattern is already at its longest.

Letting the trunk collapse forward on the final return. By the last two lines the lower back has to keep stabilizing a body that is breathing hard, and letting the torso fold forward at that point turns the hardest part of the pattern into the sloppiest.

After Your Set

Release the hamstrings with a standing hamstring stretch, hinging forward from the hips with a soft knee bend until a gentle pull builds down the back of the thigh, held on each side, since the extra reversals load the hamstrings’ braking role more than the shorter pattern does. Follow with a seated forward fold, easing toward the toes with straight legs, to release the lower back after stabilizing through five direction changes.

Going Deeper

This extended version pairs well later in a conditioning block, after the base pattern has already built confidence in the turning and deceleration mechanics this longer version leans on. Progress here usually stalls when the first three lines stay sharp but the fourth and fifth touches degrade even though early-line speed looks unchanged, the same repeated eccentric control problem that limits the base drill, just showing up two lines later. Athletes already comfortable with the base pattern who need a deeper conditioning test, particularly in sports with long, repeated-sprint match demands such as soccer and field hockey, get the clearest value from adding this version into a program.

How to Know You’re Improving

1. Turn quality holds steady across all five lines, including the fourth and fifth.
2. Total time for the full five-line pattern drops across repeated sessions.
3. The pacing on the first two lines feels like a tactical choice, controlled and deliberate every time.
4. The extended spacing starts to feel as manageable as the base pattern once did at the same rest intervals.

The clearest sign of progress is holding sharp turn quality at the 20 and 25 meter lines, exactly where fatigue first tends to break the pattern down.

Muscles Worked

• Gluteus Maximus (the largest glute muscle, producing ten separate accelerations across one set)
• Rectus Femoris (a front thigh muscle that crosses both the hip and knee, braking at five lines that keep getting further out)
• Biceps Femoris (a muscle at the back of the thigh, turning the body around time after time)
• Gastrocnemius (a calf muscle, pushing off from standstill more often than any shorter version)
• Gluteus Medius (a smaller glute muscle at the side of the hip, holding the knees in line deep into the set)
• Iliopsoas (the deep hip flexor, driving knee lift on legs already loaded with lactate)
• Soleus (a deeper calf muscle beneath the gastrocnemius, taking a large total impact dose)
• Tibialis Anterior (a muscle along the front of the shin, keeping the ankle working on the longest shuttles)
• Erector Spinae (the muscles running along the length of the spine, holding the torso up as the drill drags on)

FAQ

How is this different from the base Suicide Drill? It extends the touch-and-return pattern to five lines at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 meters, adding distance and total sprint volume beyond the base drill (see Quick Intro above).

Is this version slower than the base drill? A little. Pacing the opening lines to save something for the final two costs a touch of sharpness and quickness across the whole pattern (see Why This Exercise Matters above).

Do I need any equipment? No, beyond something to mark the five lines, such as cones or floor tape (see Equipment Needed above).

Which lines matter most for pacing? The first two, since going out too hard on them is the main reason the last two lines fall apart (see Common Mistakes to Avoid above).

Is there a longer version than this one? No. Five lines is the longest pattern, and the step below it is the standard Suicide Drill (see Modifications and Variations above).