INTRODUCTION
A “15-minute drill” rarely delivers 15 minutes of learning.
Most coaches measure time in duration, not in value — assuming clock time equals engagement time.
But when only part of that block involves actual decisions, touches, or movement, the rest becomes lost potential.
Drill density measures that gap.
It’s the ratio between time spent doing and time spent waiting.
The higher the density, the faster the learning.
THE PRINCIPLE — DENSITY DEFINES EFFICIENCY
Across competitive practices, the data shows that most team drills produce 40–60% active time per player.
The remaining minutes are filled with waiting in line, resetting, or idle observation.
That means nearly half of practice time fails to drive skill adaptation.
In other words: a 15-minute drill might only deliver 7–9 minutes of actual learning.
Drill density quantifies this inefficiency.
It measures how effectively your structure converts clock time into meaningful, game-relevant engagement.
THE APPLICATION — TRACK TIME ON TASK
Drill density is calculated by a simple formula:
Active engagement time ÷ total drill time.
For example:
If a 10-minute passing drill provides 5 minutes of true activity per player, your drill density is 0.5 — or 50%.
Elite coaches monitor this number like a metric of efficiency.
High-density drills feature small groups, short rotations, clear resets, and embedded variability.
The design looks chaotic, but it produces more touches, more reads, and faster learning cycles.
THE IMPACT — BUSY VS. PRODUCTIVE
Low-density drills look organized but teach slowly.
Players spend more time observing than solving.
High-density drills, on the other hand, look noisy and compressed — but they drive rapid adaptation because players operate in constant decision environments.
Each rep becomes shorter, more contextual, and more connected to game tempo.
The goal isn’t chaos — it’s compression.
You want to maximize reps per minute without sacrificing decision quality or spacing.
THE TAKEAWAY — COUNT THE RIGHT TIME
Stop measuring drills by total duration.
Measure them by learning time.
Track when players are actively engaged, making reads, or performing live decisions — and compare that against the total clock.
Over time, aim to raise the ratio of active minutes per drill.
High drill density doesn’t just build efficiency — it builds habits that transfer faster to real games.
📊 Efficiency = Density × Quality of Decision.
That’s the true equation of player development.
DOWNLOAD THE FREE PRACTICE EFFICIENCY TRACKER
📥 Download the FREE Practice Efficiency Tracker
Editable, downloadable Google Sheet template that will help you measure the efficiency of your sessions.
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