Pre-season
A soccer pre-season that builds fitness without breaking players
In Victoria most senior clubs start pre-season in November or December and play from February to September. The weeks before round 1 decide how many players are fit to pick. Here is the plan Full Season builds for every player, phase by phase, with the studies behind each part.
Four weeks before you return
Players rebuild on their own so pre-season week one is not a shock: easy running and tempo first, then intervals and repeated sprints, with top-speed build-ups twice a week and strength, Nordics, Copenhagens and calf raises at home. The load climbs each week but never doubles, because sudden spikes in running and high-speed load are what go with injury.
Bowen et al. 2020, Br J Sports Med, 33 English Premier League players over three seasons.
PubMedStokes et al. 2020, Int J Sports Med, expert review on returning after prolonged training restrictions, professional collision sports.
PubMedXie and Cai 2026, Front Public Health, systematic review of 22 observational soccer studies, mostly professional.
PubMedPecci et al. 2026, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 95 elite male players returning from hamstring injury, retrospective cohort.
PubMedPre-season: build fitness, speed and robustness
Six to eight weeks combining one interval day, one longer tempo or game day, repeated sprints with turns, change of direction with jumps, and a strength and prevention block three times a week. Build match minutes through the trial games, then lighten the last 1 to 2 weeks by cutting volume while keeping intensity.
Faude et al. 2013, J Sports Sci, 20 high-level youth players about 16 years old, cross-over trial.
PubMedBelamjahad et al. 2024, Sports Med Open, 24 professional-club female players about 17 years old, 6-week pre-season, randomised.
PubMedBeato et al. 2019, J Hum Kinet, 36 soccer players, 2 weeks, randomised.
PubMedBeato et al. 2018, J Strength Cond Res, 21 elite youth players about 17 years old, 6 weeks twice a week, randomised.
PubMedBeltran-Valls et al. 2020, J Strength Cond Res, 22 amateur male players after 6 weeks of training.
PubMedIn-season: the weekly rhythm around the match
Keep 48 hours after a match for recovery, put heavy strength and hard running on MD-4 and the long fast runs on MD-3, keep MD-2 short and quick and MD-1 light. Top up players who did not play, keep prevention in the warm-up twice a week, and every fourth week run a lighter week.
Cross et al. 2019, Eur J Sport Sci, survey of 35 professional team sport practitioners, 18 in soccer.
PubMedMarqués-Jiménez et al. 2025, J Funct Morphol Kinesiol, 13 amateur male players, observational, after an official match.
PubMedSpiering et al. 2021, J Strength Cond Res, narrative review of the minimal exercise dose, general populations, athletes and military.
PubMedMoalla et al. 2021, Int J Sports Physiol Perform, one professional team monitored over 2 seasons.
PubMedLindblom et al. 2023, Br J Sports Med, 502 amateur male and female players aged 14 to 46, cluster randomised.
PubMedOff-season: rest, then keep the engine ticking
Take 1 to 2 weeks fully off, then keep a small weekly dose: one hard interval session, one short heavy strength session, one sprint and jump session, and a few minutes of groin and hamstring work. Stopping completely costs aerobic fitness, speed and repeated-sprint ability, while a simple low-frequency plan holds most of it, and intensity matters more than volume.
Clemente et al. 2021, Sports Med, 12 studies of healthy male soccer players, systematic review and meta-analysis.
PubMedSilva et al. 2016, Sports Med, review of 12 studies, 252 adult players.
PubMedSlettaløkken and Rønnestad 2014, J Strength Cond Res, 17 semi-professional male players, Norway, 6-week off-season, randomised.
PubMedSpiering et al. 2021, J Strength Cond Res, narrative review of the minimal exercise dose, general populations, athletes and military.
PubMedLiu et al. 2024, J Sports Sci Med, 58 U19 male players, 3-week off-season, randomised.
PubMedThe one rule that matters most
Build the load gradually and never let a week jump far past the weeks before it. Sudden spikes in running, especially fast running, are what go with injury, which is why the plan climbs each week and backs off every fourth.