School Soccer 11+ Injury Prevention Warm-Up

A school version of the FIFA 11+ injury prevention program: running with mobility, core and leg strength, balance and jumps with controlled landings. Students learn why each block lowers the risk of knee, ankle and hamstring injuries and lead it in groups.

How to play

1. During the huddle, explain the three blocks of the program and give each group a card with the exercises and their technique cues (2 min).
2. Block 1, running: in 15-meter lanes, jog with hip out and hip in, side shuffles and gentle shoulder contact in pairs (3 min).
3. Block 2, strength and balance: front and side plank for 20 s, single-leg squat with the knee lined up, and partner-assisted Nordic curls, five reps (4 min).
4. Block 3, plyometrics and running: lateral hops landing on one leg and holding for 2 s, plus two build-up sprints at 70% and 85% (2 min).
5. Each group captain notes on the card whether knees caved in on the landings (1 min).

Rules

• On every landing the knee stays lined up over the foot, never caving in.
• Nordic curls go down slowly with hands landing at the end; the partner holds the ankles without pulling.
• Shoulder contact is gentle and sideways, between partners of similar size.
• Anyone with pain swaps to the lower-level version of the exercise.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: does the core and arm exercises in the wheelchair and runs the group's timer.
• Autism: card with photos of each exercise in exact order and a heads-up before each change.
• Overweight: does the level 1 jumps, landing on both feet.

Learning goals

• Know an evidence-based injury prevention warm-up.
• Control knee alignment on landings and single-leg support.
• Lead a small-group warm-up independently.

Equipment for a class of 25

• cones: 24
• cards: 6

Teacher tip

The program works best when repeated at least twice a week; have a different captain lead it in each lesson of the unit.

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