Injury prevention
The 15 minute warm-up that does the most for your squad
The best tested injury prevention in soccer is not a gadget. It is a structured warm-up done properly, at least twice a week, all season. Most coaches know it exists; the hard part is fitting it in and keeping players doing it. This guide is for junior and senior coaches.
What the trials found
FIFA 11+ (teens and adults). Across four trials in recreational and sub-elite players, the authors report "reducing football injuries by 39%".
Thorborg et al. 2017, British Journal of Sports Medicine, meta-analysis of 4 FIFA 11+ trials in recreational and sub-elite football.
PubMedSoligard et al. 2008, BMJ, young female footballers, cluster-randomised, one season.
PubMed
FIFA 11+ Kids (under 13s). "The overall injury rate in the intervention group was reduced by 48% compared with the control group."
Rössler et al. 2018, Sports Medicine, 3895 children's football players, mean age 10.8, multinational cluster-randomised.
PubMed
Nordic hamstring curls. "Programmes that include the NHE reduce hamstring injuries by up to 51%." In 50 Danish soccer teams, acute hamstring injury rates per 100 player seasons were 3.8 versus 13.1 (with the program, then without).
van Dyk, Behan and Whiteley 2019, British Journal of Sports Medicine, meta-analysis, 15 studies, 8459 athletes.
PubMedPetersen et al. 2011, American Journal of Sports Medicine, 50 Danish professional and amateur soccer teams, 942 players, one season.
PubMed
Knee control programs. "extended Knee Control reduced injury incidence by nearly one-third compared with a self-selected IPEP."
Lindblom et al. 2023, Br J Sports Med, 502 amateur male and female players aged 14 to 46, cluster randomised.
PubMed
How to fit it in
Twice a week, every week. The benefit comes from doing it all season, not from a few weeks in pre-season. Make it the club's normal warm-up so nobody has to remember.
About 15 minutes. Running drills, then strength, jumping and balance, then faster running. Under 13s use the Kids version, which is built around play.
Nordics: start small. Two sets of a few reps, lowering as slowly as you can and catching yourself with your hands. Players are sore in week one; that settles.
Keep it from going stale. Coaches name time, boredom and not knowing the exercises as the reasons a warm-up stops. Rotate the variations, let senior players lead it, and keep it brisk.
Football Australia's own program is called Perform+, and FIFA publishes the 11+ manuals and videos free. Full Season puts the right version into every player's warm-up and shows the coach who is doing it.