Injury-prevention warm-up

Setup

1. Two lines of cones 20 m apart, with two cut cones halfway between them.
2. Players work in pairs, side by side on the start line; one football per group.
3. Same order every session, so players can run it themselves after a few weeks.

How it runs

1. Part 1 (5 min): jog out and back with high knees, heel flicks, skips, side shuffles and hip openers.
2. Part 2 (5 min): Nordic hamstring lowers in pairs (3–5 slow reps), then single-leg balance with catches, 30 seconds a leg.
3. Part 3 (3 min): jump and land on two feet, then one; then run to the cut cones, plant and cut away at three-quarter pace.
4. Part 4 (2 min): two or three build-up runs to the far cones, finishing at 80–90% pace.

Coaching points

• Land softly with knees over toes, never caving in, and hold the landing for 2 seconds.
• Nordic lowers: partner holds the ankles; lower as slowly as possible and catch with the hands.
• On the cut, lower the hips and plant the outside foot before changing direction.
• Quality first: slow and correct beats fast and sloppy.

Common mistakes

• Dropping through the Nordic lower instead of controlling it.
• Knees falling inward on landings and cuts.
• Skipping the early parts and going straight to sprints.