Guides
Train smarter for match day
Practical, evidence-led guides for Saturday and Sunday league players, written by S&C coach Aaron Parry. Every guide lists its references.
- In seasonIn-season gym programme for Sunday league playersA simple, evidence-based in-season gym plan for amateur footballers who play on Sundays and train once or twice a week: which days to lift, what to do and how hard to go.Read guide
- Pre-seasonPre-season football training plan for amateur playersA 6–8 week pre-season plan for Saturday and Sunday league footballers: aerobic fitness, strength, speed, Nordic and Copenhagen build-ups, and how to fit it round club sessions.Read guide
- HamstringsThe Nordic hamstring curl: a guide for footballersHow to do the Nordic hamstring curl, how many sets and reps footballers need in pre-season and in season, when to do it in the week, and what the research actually shows.Read guide
- GroinThe Copenhagen adductor exercise: a guide for footballersHow to do the Copenhagen adductor exercise at three levels, how often footballers need it in pre-season and in season, how to progress safely and what the trial found.Read guide
- Warm-upThe FIFA 11+ warm-up explainedWhat the FIFA 11+ warm-up is, its three parts and three levels, what the studies found for amateur players, how often to do it and how to get a grassroots team to stick with it.Read guide
- Club weekPlaying Saturday and Sunday: how to train around double-headersHow to plan gym and fitness work when you play for two teams on Saturday and Sunday, or have a midweek cup game: recovery, when to lift, minutes played and what to cut.Read guide
- SafetyConcussion return to play in grassroots footballWhat to do after a possible head injury in grassroots football: If in doubt, sit them out, the first 24 hours, red flags, and the UK graduated return with full training no earlier than day 15 and matches no earlier than day 21.Read guide
- PositionsGoalkeeper strength training for amateur keepersHow goalkeepers should train in the gym: explosive lower-body power, lateral strength, shoulders and trunk for diving and landing, why keepers don’t need repeated sprints, and how to plan the week.Read guide
- MastersFootball training over 35: how to keep playing wellHow veterans and over-35 footballers should train: strength to keep speed, longer recovery after games, calf and hamstring work, the warm-up, and why chest pain means stop and call 999.Read guide
- RecoveryShould you go to the gym the day after a football match?What amateur footballers should do the day after a game: why heavy legs wait 48–72 hours, what light recovery helps, ice baths, soreness versus injury, and where to put your next gym session.Read guide
- Home trainingFootball home workout: no gym neededA no-gym strength, speed and fitness workout for footballers: bodyweight and band exercises, a backpack for load, Nordics and Copenhagens at home, and how to fit it round club training.Read guide
- SpeedSpeed and agility training for amateur footballersHow amateur footballers can get quicker: acceleration, top speed, change of direction and reactive agility drills, how strength training helps, curved sprints and how often to train.Read guide
Coming soon
Train for match day, not for someone else’s week.
Match Ready: Football is coming soon to iPhone and Android. Your plan, built around your club nights and fixtures, with the safety tools free for everyone.
Coming soon tothe App StoreComing soon toGoogle Play
Match Ready Pro
£79.99 a year with a 14-day free trial, or £12.99 a month.
Head injury, pain and illness tools are always free.