Players performance and Level of readiness is always a ”protagonist” for every coach. What should we do? How can we maintain our performance at an adequate level? How can we determine our on-field dominance and our play-style? What should we do in order to ”enter” in a ready to play condition from the very first minute of the match?With this specific post we will try to deliver few updated statements on how we can achieve these training objectives and possibly propose a more tailored to football ”Warm-up” approach holistically.
Scientific Approach Straight from University
There are numerous times that i find myself in front of the aforementioned dilemmas. An unexpected conversation with a close friend ignited the discovery of a more updated methodology according to the latest research around the GO-TO choice of warm-up pre match. An interesting publication from Democritus University of Thrace provided helpful insights. A group of U-17 football players participated in a research model – to examine the impact of ”Traditional” and ”Modern” warm-up on jumping performance (Isbilir et al., 2025). The traditional approach was comprised of classic dynamic drill exercises while on the other hand the modern warm-up implemented a variety of training tools like foam rollers, resistance bands and extras. The outcomes from this scientific initiative strongly supports (p < 0.001) that the traditional warm-up regime exhibited superior neuromuscular activation. This outcome could be perceived as an indicator that the well-adopted conventional dynamic warm-up is a suitable method for a coach who wants to foster a more explosive performance for his/her team. In combination, coaches are also encouraged to utilize modern warm-up also, as it is scientifically evident that it can be beneficial and effective for proprioception and injury prevention adaptations (Isbilir et al., 2025).
Modern Warm – Up
The Modern warm-up is a completely unique activation strategy which incorporates different training tools like resistance bands, stability balls etc., in order to trigger an even more enhanced muscle engagement. Contemporary players undergoing this kind of warm-up intervention demonstrate augmented postural control and increased level of neuromuscular coordination (Bangsbo, 1994; Bishop, 2003, McMillian et al., 2006). To accumulate even more benefits deriving from this training prescription, in line with the findings from (Samson et al., 2012, McGowan et al., 2015, Behm et al., 2016) such warm up protocols offer ”a more integrative framework for pre-competition preparation”. This research tried to preserve a realistic and aligned to reality ”standpoint” by offering 30′ minutes of total preparation time interspersed by 15′ minutes passive rest , completely in line with the guidelines dictated by FIFA. This specific way of constructing the methodology of the research aimed rigorously to imitate the typical pre-match routine, thereby enhancing the ecological validity of the experimental setting. Readers can get even more data and details just by following the references at the end of this post (full methodology applied, kind of exercises, number of exercises and time interval for each warm-up component).
Additional Considerations
Activities which require explosive power and speed, like maximal sprinting, change of directions, sharp decelerations and multi-directional agility actions. get even more maximized and seem to demonstrate minimized muscle fatigue after the incorporation of foam rollers and Bosu balls (Isbilir et al., 2025). A different approach of match preparation placed emphasis on a completely different components of warm-up which is the Post-Warm-Up period. Heated garments and proper dressing room temperature can be a determining factor for a team, in order to maintain an efficient body and muscle temperate post warm up (Silva et al., 2018). Furthermore, Abade (2017) suggested that coaches should carefully consider the characteristics and the peculiarities of each individual in order to apply the optimal re-warm up strategy to maximize readiness and induce acute performance responses. Repeated changes of direction and plyometric jumps were found highly effective for activities like vertical jumps and sprints (Abade et al., 2017).
Coaching Points and Personal Intervention
From my personal view and as a practitioner who tries to ”align” with the findings deriving from the scientific community, i have the obligation to share my Warm-up approach.
I am currently using a specific warm-up which includes different segments and benefits of various methodologies. I am trying to stay ”loyal” to the conventional ”footballistic” warm-up that we all know and i gradually incorporate additional ”hints” after my ”subjective experimental application”. I recommend 2-4′ minutes free on field movements with ball play followed by passes in couples. I always try to keep the intensity stable and gradually increase it. The next part is a team activation for 6-8′ minutes with dynamic stretching and football movements (reverse runs, low impact jumps, low intensity plyos, resistance band exercises for hip activation and more exercises). Players at this moment take a bit of resting time (1:30′ min) to relax and hydrate. At this stage our players should be ready to execute even more demanding exercises which require speed and quick execution like (ladder coordination, quick feet footwork and more). The last part is comprised of possession SSGs* (Small Sided Games) with superiority and short rest intervals. Before getting back to dressing room, we execute combination set-ups with finishing and different ”mulligan” signs which indicate different passing motifs and complications to stimulate the mental readiness and sharpness of our players. A late addition which is extremely impactful to our team’s performance is what is call ”pre-second half activation”. In line with (Silva et al., 2018) a re-warm-up of 5:00′ minutes with explosive tasks or a SSG can be very helpful and results in better explosive performance than just waiting inside the dressing room for the Referee to blow the whistle of the seconds half. Summarizing i strongly believe that my warm-up approach is very effective and feasible for most of the players that i collaborated until now. However there is plenty of space for additions and further refinements to maximize the benefits and the level readiness of each player.
Recommendations
- Practitioners should utilize modern and traditional warm-up strategies in order to embrace sport performance and maximal match preparedness
- Coaches must consider and re-evaluate their team. Each player is different with his/her particular needs and more personal warm-up strategies may be the golden standard
- We should be very cautious and perceive constant feedback from our players. There is always something going-on, be flexible to apply alternations
- Discuss in prior with the other coaching Staff members your personal ”warm-up demands”. It is extremely vital to maximize the effectiveness of your warm-up
- Provide explanations and reasoning to enhance understanding
- Track your Warm-up duration. Make sure you track whole warm-up time and the time needed for each segment separately (efficiency and energy expenditure)
- Make the warm-up engaging for everyone
- Educate your players for any ”additions” (re-warm up SSGs, explosive actions pre- seconds half etc).
- Do not hesitate to ”ask for more” and try to track your players load during warm-up (check GPS values and data collected)
To conclude
I hope that you find this post helpful and exciting. Do not feel reluctant to try new things. By structuring, elaborating and questioning about your warm-up you are already a step closer to your goal. Becoming a better Coach.
Until the next one ciao.
References
1. Silva, L. M., Neiva, H. P., Marques, M. C., Izquierdo, M., & Marinho, D. A. (2018). Effects of warm-up, post-warm-up, and re-warm-up strategies on explosive efforts in team sports: A systematic review. Sports Medicine, 48(10), 2285-2299. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-0958-5
2. Isbilir, M., Ispirlidis, I., Chatzinikolaou, A., & Gioftsidou, A. (2025). The effects of traditional and modern pre-match warm-up protocols on jumping ability in football players. European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science, 12(6). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v12i6.6005
3. Abade, E., Alves, A., Sampaio, J., Viana, J., Gonçalves, B., & Baptista, J. (2017). Effects of different re-warm-up activities in football players’ performance. Journal of Human Kinetics, 57(1), 191–202. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0059
4. Bangsbo, J. (1994). The physiology of soccer—with special reference to intense
intermittent exercise. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, 151(Suppl 619), 1–155.
Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8059610/
5. Bishop, D. (2003). Warm up II: Performance changes following active warm up and how to structure the
warm up. Sports Medicine, 33(7), 483–498.
https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200333070-00002
6. McMillian, D. J., Moore, J. H., Hatler, B. S., & Taylor, D. C. (2006). Dynamic vs. static stretching warm-up: The effect on power and agility performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20(3), 492–499. https://doi.org/10.1519/00124278-200608000-00011
7. Samson, M., Button, D. C., Chaouachi, A., & Behm, D. G. (2012). Effects of dynamic and static stretching within general and activity-specific warm-up protocols. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 11(2), 279–285. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3737866/
8. Behm, D. G., Blazevich, A. J., Kay, A. D., & McHugh, M. (2016). Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: A systematic review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 41(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1139 apnm-2015-0235
9. McGowan, C. J., Pyne, D. B., Thompson, K. G., & Rattray, B. (2015). Warm-up strategies for sport and exercise: Mechanisms and applications. Sports Medicine, 45(11), 1523 https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0376-x
Additional References to Read
10. Soligård, T., Myklebust, G., Steffen, K., Holme, I., Silvers, H., Bizzini, M., Junge, A., Dvorak, J., Bahr, R., & Andersen, T. E. (2009). Comprehensive warm-up programme to prevent injuries in young female footballers: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ, 337, a2469. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.a2469
11. Kızılca, S. (2025). Examining the warm-up knowledge levels of amateur football players. Physical Education of Students, 29(1), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.15561/20755279.2025.0106
12. Haider, K. M. M., & Haider, K. H. (2025). Half-time hydration and re-warm-up strategies for football players. Journal of Biomed Research, 6(1), 64-65. https://doi.org/10.46439/biomedres.6.065
13. Puad, S. M. S. M., Ismail, M., Nor, M. A. M., Tumijan, W., Kassim, A. F. M., & Amiruddin, M. (2020). The effects of music during warm-up on anaerobic performance of football players. International Journal of Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 8(6), 477-482. https://doi.org/10.13189/saj.2020.080621
14. Holt, B. W., & Lambourne, K. (2008). The Impact of Different Warm-Up Protocols on Vertical Jump Performance in Male Collegiate Athletes. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 22(1), 226-229. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e31815f9d6a
