Unnithan, V. B., & Pook, M. (2009). Effect of altering tempo of the pre-match warm-up on skills in youth soccer. ACSM 56th Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington. Presentation number 2811.

This study compared a high- and low-tempo pre-match warm-ups on soccer-specific skills in a group of trained male, trained youth soccer players (N = 19). Ss participated in a high-tempo (Heart rate: 160 ± 6 bpm) and a low-tempo (Heart rate: 132 ± 6 bpm) warm-up lasting 10 minutes. The tempo was modified by altering the dimension of the warm-up area and altering the speed of ball movement between players. Following each warm-up, Ss carried out five skill tests (ball control, dribbling with a pass, dribbling speed, passing, and shooting).

Significant differences were identified between the warm-ups for ball control. No statistically significant differences were found for the other skills.

Implication. A high-tempo warm-up can enhance certain technical skills in youth soccer players. This supports the contention that pre-game activities should be close to expected performance intensity.

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