FIFA 11+ part 1: running, hip and shoulder-contact exercises
The six running exercises of the FIFA 11+ injury-prevention programme: straight ahead, hip out, hip in, circling partner, jumping with shoulder contact and quick forwards-and-backwards in a cone course.
Step 1Carrera recta
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Trote de ida por el pasillo, en pareja, con la rodilla alineada.
Objective
Activate the hip, knee and ankle musculature with progressive running and neuromuscular control, reducing injury risk before any session or match.
Organisation
Course of 6 to 10 pairs of parallel cones, 5-6 m apart and about 6 m wide (roughly 30 m long). Players start in pairs from the first pair of cones, one on each line, run to the last pair and come back on the same side. Each exercise is done twice (out and back).
Development
- 1Straight ahead: jog to the last cone and run slightly faster on the way back; upper body straight, hip-knee-foot aligned, knees never buckling inwards. Two sets.
- 2Hip out: comfortable jog stopping at each pair of cones; lift the knee and rotate the hip outwards, alternating legs at each pair. Two sets.
- 3Hip in: same, rotating the hip inwards. Two sets.
- 4Circling partner: pairs advance together; at each pair of cones shuffle sideways 90 degrees towards the partner and circle all the way around them on the toes without crossing the feet. Two sets.
- 5Jumping with shoulder contact: shuffle sideways towards the partner, jump vertically and make gentle shoulder-to-shoulder contact in the air; land on both feet with hips and knees bent. Two sets.
- 6Quick forwards and backwards: sprint two cones forward and backpedal one cone with short, quick steps until the course is completed. Two sets. The block takes about 8 minutes and is done at the start of every session, at least twice a week.
Coaching points4
- Hip, knee and foot always aligned: the knee never collapses inwards (valgus).
- Soft landings on the balls of the feet with bent knees after every jump.
- Sideways shuffles without crossing the feet and with a low centre of gravity.
- Speed increases progressively: the first run is always a jog.
Common mistakes3
- Running with the trunk leaning forward and knees dropping in because of rushing.
- Incomplete hip rotations, or doing them on the move instead of stopping at each pair of cones.
- Rough shoulder contact or landing with stiff legs.
Variations3
- Do the course holding a ball in the hands for the hip rotations (forces an upright trunk).
- Replace the last exercise with a sprint and change of direction on the coach's signal.
- For younger groups, reduce to 6 pairs of cones and one set per exercise.
Progressions2
- Link directly into FIFA 11+ part 3 (high-speed running, bounding, plant-and-cut).
- Roll a ball between the two partners during the straight-ahead run.
Regressions2
- Remove the shoulder-contact jump and keep only the shuffle and landing.
- Shorten the course to 20 m for U12 players.
Tips
- Set up the course before training and always use the same distances so the routine becomes automatic.
- One coach corrects knee alignment from the front of the course.