Strength & Conditioning

Your guide to the physical fundamentals through to specific football conditioning that build your players physical capacity to meet the demands of the game and development phase.
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What is Strength & Conditioning

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Strength and conditioning is the practical application to enhance quality movement. However, we need to make this specific to the game of football and futsal to meet the demands of the game.

If we focus on movement quality and components relative to the game, we’ll improve performance with a specific focus on speed, strength, and stamina. This also helps prevent injury, keeping you in the game for longer.

Let’s look at what S&C looks like in football and why it’s important:

​​​​​​How can you improve these areas?

First, you need to identify where you’re at. What areas do you need to improve the most?

Rate yourself between 0 – 5 for each category and find out what you might do to enhance your physical capability.

Speed​​​​​​​     

 5 

 4 

 3 

 2 

 1 

Strength     

 5 

 4 

 3 

 2 

 1 

Stamina​​​​​​​     

 5 

 4 

 3 

 2 

 1 

Second, once you’ve identified your area(s) of need, look to introduce some ‘add ons’ to your training sessions or perform them at home.

A few specific drills and exercises added to a training session will make a huge impact ensuring you progress with results without adding extra sessions to your schedule, which will ultimately enhance your performance.

Check out these simple yet effective drills that can added to training that will enhance your physical ability specific to football.

1. Speed

Nordic

Nordic hamstring lowers are an effective and evidence-based exercise for increasing strength, sprint speed and guarding the hamstrings against injury.

Start with 3-5 repetitions and as you become stronger and more efficient, progress to 6-10 and then 10-15 repetitions.

Bounding

Plyometric exercises such as bounding help improve coordination and rhythm and is a powerful tool for improving speed from 5-20 meters, or mid-acceleration. It will also make you more powerful in explosive movements, such as changing directions and jumping off one leg.

Bound 2 x 20 meters (best completed post warm up or incorporated within your warmup)

​​​​​​​Sprinting

Sprinting has many benefits but to become faster and more efficient at sprinting, you must sprint!

It's been shown that sprinting whilst not under fatigue, improves all 3 of our football components - muscle strength, stamina, and speed!

Sprint 2 x 30 meters post warm up (your sprints will be more effective post warm up and not under fatigue).

2. Strength

Adding an element of strength work to training can be completed post warm up or at the end of training or at home.

Check out the following combinations that provide both core and leg strength which are 2 vital aspects in football performance:

C O M B I N A T I O N  1

C O M B I N A T I O N  2

3. Stamina

Although Stamina is an important aspect of football, many of our players are getting enough stamina training by turning up to sessions and matches.

There may be a need to top up those players who are not playing every week, but this should be a small minority.

If you  are struggling with stamina, tiredness, or are lacking the ability to last a full game, you need to have a conversation with your coach/player. There are several reasons why a player maybe feeling tired with one of those aspects being overtraining/overload. Click here to find out more on managing load.​​​​​​​

Top Stamina Tips

  • Always ensure correct technique! Focus on alignment of the hips, knees, and ankles.
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  • Compliance and consistency are key. You should be performing strength and conditioning exercises 2 x week (minimum).
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  • Don’t go too hard too early and don’t compare your progress with others. You’ll receive better and faster results with great technique over going heavy or progressing to more advanced exercises too early.
  • Ensure you control every movement throughout each exercise.
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  • Ensure you’re well warmed up prior to executing any S&C exercises and are not too fatigued.
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  • Set yourself a SMART goal. Do you want to get faster? Stronger? Setting an appropriate goal that’s Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time bound.

Did you know?

  • The average number of sprints made by players at the 2018 FIFA Men’s World Cup was 34 per match with the average max speed at 29.5 km per hour.
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  • In the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, teams that completed more sprints and at higher speeds were more likely to move onto the semi-finals. ​​​​​​​


​​​​​​​Check out our evidence-based GOLD standard S&C exercise programme below that enhance performance and reduce the risk of all injuries by 30% and severe injury by up to 50%.

To find more useful information for players, check out our list of player resources.