Abstract
- Injuries to the ankle are among the most common injuries for soccer players at any age (Agel, Evans, Dick, Putukian, & Marshall, 2007). Soccer coaches should be aware of current research and best practices that suggest it is possible to decrease the incidence of soccer players’ ankle injuries by providing an appropriate warm-up to utilize prior to practices and games. This article introduces two soccer-specific warm-ups (FIFA 11+ and the PEP) that have been designed as an attempt to reduce ankle injuries and other injuries. The description of these two programs include a brief overview of the activities, relevant research findings on their effectiveness, resources and weblinks for more detailed information including videotaped demonstrations, and tips on how to implement a new soccer warm up routine.