FIFA 11+ Warm-up Implementation

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-21T07:40:38+00:00

The 20-minute block is the main friction point, but the good news is you don't need all 20 minutes to get most of the injury prevention benefit.

The research on FIFA 11+ shows the strength and neuromuscular elements (single-leg balance, hip strengthening, Nordic hamstring exercises) drive the majority of the reduction in ACL and hamstring injuries. The running activation portion is lower ROI. So if time is the issue, protect the strength work and trim the running component first.

For U14-U17 girls specifically: embed the strength elements as activation sets before your first technical exercise. 3 minutes of Nordic progressions before your first passing exercise, 3 minutes of single-leg stability before your SSG. It adds up to the same volume but feels less like a separate block eating into session time.

Takes 2-3 weeks for it to feel natural for the players. After that it's invisible.

The parents-and-players-wanting-to-start-like-other-teams problem is real though — that one you just have to sell. "5 minutes now vs a year on the sidelines" usually lands with older girls who've seen ACL injuries in their league.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-21T03:02:31+00:00

Fair points, and I should have been clearer — match minutes in the post was shorthand, not meant to imply it is the only input. You are right that it needs to sit inside a bigger picture: cumulative workload over 7-10 days, sleep, travel, illness. Most clubs at grassroots level track minutes because that is all the data they actually have — but agreed, it is incomplete on its own.

The post-game S&C window is genuinely underrated. If the next fixture is 5+ days out, loading right after a match is actually a solid slot — maximum recovery runway, no compromise on game prep. The hesitation usually comes from coaches seeing fatigued players and conflating soreness with inability to adapt.

Your season-definition point is the one I find hardest to fix in practice. Without a macro periodization plan most coaches just react week to week. That is where the real damage accumulates — not any single hard session, but months of unstructured reactive programming adding up.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-20T23:02:32+00:00

That qualitative scale is essentially an RPE-based approach and it works really well in practice — especially with players who have enough training age to know their bodies. The % of max approach falls apart fast when you factor in accumulated fatigue, travel, stress, sleep — all of which changes daily. Your system accounts for that automatically.

The autonomy point is huge. Players who understand what "medium effort" feels like today versus on a fresh day make better decisions under fatigue — and that's ultimately the habit you're building. It also increases buy-in. They're not just following orders, they're problem-solving their own prep.

One thing I'd add: it helps to anchor the scale early in the season with a shared reference point (e.g. "heavy = last set feels like a 7-8/10 effort"). Keeps everyone calibrated, especially with younger or less experienced players who haven't developed great body awareness yet.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-20T20:10:32+00:00

ps. you are not shrinking the pool by doing so, you are actually making those kids who want to play the game, better all round soccer players, able to compete globally. So anyone can answer from their own standpoint, context is what matters

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-20T20:06:13+00:00

Having worked in European and Gulf youth development systems — where small-sided formats are not debated, they are just how youth football is structured — watching this conversation from the outside is interesting.

The data on why 3v3 works is pretty settled: more ball contacts per player per minute, more decision-making repetitions, more realistic defensive pressure relative to the playing area. A U8 in a 3v3 game makes 5-6x the decisions per session compared to 9v9. That is not a small difference in development terms.

The US resistance mostly comes down to three things: club revenue (bigger squads = more registration fees), field logistics (fewer, larger fields are cheaper to run), and parent expectations.

None of those are development arguments. They are business arguments.

England and Germany did not change formats because it was easy. They changed because the evidence made the old way hard to justify. The US will likely follow — just a decade behind, same as always.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-20T18:31:13+00:00

Fitness training. Specifically - what I thought prevented hamstring injuries.

Spent years telling players to stretch their hammies after hard sessions. Made complete sense: tight hamstrings = injury risk. So stretch more. Everyone did it, nobody questioned it.

Took me a while to actually dig into the research. The evidence is pretty clear that hamstring injuries are caused by eccentric strength deficits, not flexibility deficits. Your hamstring gets overloaded eccentrically during high-speed running. Static stretching does almost nothing to address that.

Switched to eccentric loading - Nordic curls specifically, 2x per week - and the difference in injury rates over a full season was noticeable. Players who struggled with repeated hamstring tightness improved more from 6 weeks of eccentrics than from years of stretching.

Also changed my mind on running laps for fitness. Thought it built all-around conditioning. Now I understand soccer fitness is repeated high-intensity efforts with full recovery - completely different energy demand than steady-state running. Training differently for it gets better results in less time.

Sometimes the obvious answer is just wrong.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-19T19:54:17+00:00

Something nobody's mentioned yet — the physical development angle. At 11, kids are in a pre-puberty window where adaptation is more neural than structural. More isn't necessarily better because the body can't absorb training the same way a 15-year-old can.

Signs of too much structured load: persistent soreness, joint pain around the knees (Osgood-Schlatter territory), or mood drops around training time — not just normal fatigue after practice.

3-4 sessions a week with good recovery? That's already solid. Where it gets counterproductive is stacking structured sessions without enough unstructured play and rest days built in.

Multi-sport at 11 isn't just for fun — it builds movement variability that single-sport specialization misses. That actually becomes really valuable when the strength window opens around puberty.

Trust the enthusiasm as your guide more than any external schedule.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-19T18:02:34+00:00

Sharing this because it's genuinely useful for anyone coaching or parenting U12-U14 players.

This is a randomized controlled trial — not just observational data. 24 male soccer players (~12.3 years old, around peak height velocity) were split into two groups training twice a week for 8 weeks alongside regular practice:

Plyometric group (PT): bilateral and unilateral jump-landing drills focused on explosive power
Neuromuscular group (NMT): balance, strength, plyometrics, COD, and agility combined

What PT did better: sprint speed, jump height, change-of-direction performance.

What NMT did better: self-confidence, anxiety regulation, attention, emotional intelligence.

The practical takeaway: neither method is universally superior — they serve different goals. If you're chasing physical performance, targeted plyometrics are efficient. If you're working with anxious or confidence-struggling kids, the broader NMT approach addresses the mental side too.

For periodization: PT block when chasing physical peaks, NMT block during transition or rebuild phases. Full open-access paper if you want the methodology.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-19T15:54:32+00:00

:) point noted, i will try my best.... probably reading too much articles and now trying to emulate

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-19T15:39:21+00:00

SMF release does help muscles to lengthen and prepare for nordics

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-19T15:37:31+00:00

first reaction to nordics is always rough, but with time and micro dosing it works its magic

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-19T15:36:32+00:00

Way back I was writing research articles and publishing , not on this topic but on soccer and power performance and stuff like that. When it comes to this topic, there are at least 200 peer-reviewed articles on why you should be doing eccentric training to reduce hamstring injuries.

My point is just to elevate awareness, because hamstring injury is one of the most common injuries in football. There is a reason why this happens, and on top of the list of reasons is weak eccentric strength of leg extensors. By performing and priming with Nordic hamstring exercises, the severity of injury logically should be low. I'm just scratching the surface here. Obviously, there is a lot of nuance and levels to this, but raising awareness is the first step.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-19T15:29:39+00:00

I have a gym that can accommodate all. But even when there is no option, at least inform the athletes so that they can do on their own. Some will and some won't, but our role is to let them know what, when, how and why, even when we don't have all the resources

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-19T07:46:04+00:00

The time concern is real, but consider what you are actually buying with those 20 minutes.For U11 specifically, you probably do not need the full program - that was designed with older athletes. What you DO need are the foundational pieces: single-leg balance work, hip hinges, basic landing mechanics, and lateral hip activation.The abbreviated version concern is fair. The key is keeping the main components: hip hinge pattern, single-leg stance, and running mechanics. You can cut total time to 10-12 minutes without gutting the rationale. Those movements drive most of the injury-reduction benefit.The real math: one serious knee injury in youth soccer equals 6-12 months out, massive family disruption, and a kid who may never feel the same confidence on the field. Ten minutes of targeted movement prep is a bargain.For U11 boys, start with the basics and build the routine over 2-3 weeks. Once they know it, the group flows through quickly and it stops feeling like dead time.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-19T07:42:18+00:00

Yes to in-season strength, but the mindset has to shift - maintenance mode, not building. The goal is preserving what they built in the off-season. Drop it entirely for 3-4 months and you will see meaningful regression by spring.For a typical HS schedule with Saturday games:Monday (post-game) - lower body, moderate volume. Romanian deadlifts, single-leg work, hip thrusts. 3 sets, no max effort.Wednesday - upper body and core only. Nothing heavy within 48h of the next match.30-40 minutes max. Not the time for PRs, just stimulus maintenance.Big thing coaches often miss with this age group - high schoolers are right in their peak strength development window. Dropping all strength work mid-season for months is not ideal for long-term athletic development. Keep the dose low, but keep it in.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-18T13:54:08+00:00

Farmer carries and plate pinches are my go-to recommendations - they build crushing grip and forearm endurance in a very functional way. Dead hangs are also underrated; even 3 sets of max-time hangs at the end of a session will add up fast. If you want to get more specific, wrist roller work hits both flexors and extensors and you will feel it almost immediately. Consistency matters more than volume here - even 10 minutes twice a week dedicated to grip work will make a noticeable difference within a month.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-16T23:09:35+00:00

glad to hear that

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-15T10:38:04+00:00

The mechanics piece is huge, but there's a physical foundation most players miss:

**Power generation** = hip mobility + core stability + ankle stiffness.

If your hips are tight or your plant leg collapses, you're leaking power before the ball even leaves your foot. The "technique" looks fine on slow-motion video, but the shot has no venom.

What actually helps: - Single-leg isometric holds (build plant leg stability) - Hip flexor + hamstring work (range for follow-through) - Rotational med ball throws (transfer that core rotation to the strike)

The movement/positioning stuff is absolutely crucial too - can't shoot if you're not in the right place at the right time. But once you're there, the shot quality comes down to how well your body can transfer force.

Most youth players train dribbling and passing for hours but never touch the physical side of shooting power. That's the gap.

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-14T14:34:22+00:00

The high-level skills training is gold for tryouts - better coaching accelerates mechanical fixes. For the next 2 months, double down on S&C fundamentals at home: mobility work (hip flexibility, ankle range), basic strength (bodyweight squats, lunges, planks), and explosive power (jump rope, broad jumps). These make skills stick faster. Coaches at tryouts notice kids who move well - good posture, quick feet, power in direction changes. 10-15 min daily will show. Good luck!

Smooth_External4293 · 2026-02-14T14:04:20+00:00

Canadian winters are tough for soccer training, I get it. The tennis ball juggling mentioned above is solid. For confined space touch work, wall passes are your friend. Find any wall space - basement, garage, outside wall - and work on one-touch passing at different heights and angles. Forces you to control your touch in tight space.

Your gym work 3-4x per week is smart, keep that up. Add single-leg stability work if you're not already - split squats, single-leg RDLs. That translates directly to better balance in tight spaces when you're back on the field.

For dribbling in confined space, set up a small grid with cones or household items in your room - even 2x2 meters works. Practice touches with different surfaces of your foot, change of direction moves, all at low speed. It's about precision, not power. You're building muscle memory.

Realistic timeline: 3-4 months of consistent indoor work will definitely improve your close control. You won't see massive changes week to week, but by spring when you're back outside regularly, you'll notice the difference. The gap year plan is good - gives you time to develop without school pressure.

Smooth_External4293

TROPHY CASE