Days

between TRAINING PERIODIZATION AND INJURY PREVENTION - FOOTBALL MEDICINE® PERSPECTIVE: MODEL A
Matches

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6

POWER STRENGTH SESSION Wide Pitch (> 30x30 m) < 40% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
<30% VHI Distance
- Before field training <40% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
- Low Load/High Speed 70-90% VHI Distance w/ >10% 60-90 minutes
- Without reaching fatigue Sprint Ex: Tactical, Set Pieces
Distance < 20% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
Reach Players’ Individual <10% VHI Distance
MOTOR CONTROL SESSION Maximal Speed If shooting drills: < 5/ MATCH DAY
player (L/R) Start recovery strategies:

6 days - Before field training 60-90 minutes

Ex: 11x11
Small Pitch (< 30x30m) MAXIMUM STRENGTH SESSION
Hydration
Nutrition
< 60 minutes Cold Water Immersion
Ex: Team building Games, Compression Garments
MOTOR CONTROL SESSION Tactical, Set Pieces, Avoid
Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours)

RECOVERY Collisions (SSG).

70-90% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s - After field training - After field training
SESSION <30% VHI Distance - High Load

1) Schedule the session in 60-90 minutes

order to provide enough
sleeping time (min. 8h)
before recovery session
2) Unload MSK system
from eccentric activities
and impact forces (ex:
bicycle, water)
3) Avoid cardiovascular
and metabolic
5 days overloading (HRmax<
OFF DAY 60%)
4) Treatment of MSK
MATCH DAY complains
5) Contrast Bath,
Stretching, Foam Class,
Massage and other
modalities w/
Start recovery strategies:
Hydration conflicting evidence
Nutrition
Cold Water Immersion
Compression Garments
Promote Sleeping (min. 8
hours)
Ex: SSG
Mixed Small Pitch (< 30x30m) and Wide < 40% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
Pitch (> 30x30 m) <30% VHI Distance
60-80% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s 60-90 minutes < 20% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
60-80% VHI Distance w/ >10% Sprint Ex: Tactical, Set Pieces <10% VHI Distance
If shooting drills: < 5/player (L/R)
MATCH DAY
Distance Start recovery strategies:
Reach Players’ Individual Maximal Speed
< 60 minutes
Hydration
Nutrition
60-90 minutes Ex: Team building Games, Cold Water Immersion
Compression Garments
Tactical, Set Pieces, Avoid Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours)
MAXIMUM STRENGTH SESSION MOTOR CONTROL SESSION Collisions (SSG).
- After field training - After field training
- High Load
POWER STRENGTH SESSION
- Before field traing
< 20% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
- Low Load/High Speed
<10% VHI Distance
Without reaching fatigue
If shooting drills: < 5/player (L/R) MATCH DAY
Start recovery strategies:

4 days - Motor control exercises

< 60 minutes
Hydration
Nutrition
Cold Water Immersion
Ex: Team building Games,
< 40% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s Compression Garments
Tactical, Set Pieces, Avoid Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours)
<30% VHI Distance
Collisions (SSG).
60-90 minutes
Ex: Tactical, Set Pieces

< 20% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s

<10% VHI Distance MATCH DAY
If shooting drills: < 5/player (L/R) Start recovery strategies:

3 days
No ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
No VHI Distance
RECOVERY SESSION No shooting drills
Hydration
Nutrition
< 60 minutes Cold Water Immersion
Compression Garments
Ex: Team building Games, Tactical, Set Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours)
Pieces, Avoid Collisions (SSG)

1) Schedule the session in order to provide < 60 minutes

Ex: Team building Games,
enough sleeping time (min. 8h) before recovery
session Tactical, Set Pieces, Avoid MATCH DAY
Start recovery strategies:
Collisions (SSG).
2 days 2) Unload MSK system from eccentric activities Hydration
Nutrition Gym Session
and impact forces (ex: bicycle, water) Cold Water Immersion
3) Avoid cardiovascular and metabolic Compression Garments The percentages in the table are
overloading (HRmax< 60%)
Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours) relative to the individual players’
4) Treatment of MSK complains match GPS data averages
Field Session
5) Contrast Bath, Stretching, Foam Class, Massage
and other modalities w/ conflicting evidence

ABBREVIATIONS MSK - Musculoskeletal; ACC/DEC - Accelerations and Decelerations; VHI - Very High Intensity; SSG - Small Sided Games GLOSSARY VHI Distance - distance covered above 5,5 m/s; Sprint Distance - distance covered above 7 m/s
 Days
between TRAINING PERIODIZATION AND INJURY PREVENTION - FOOTBALL MEDICINE® PERSPECTIVE: MODEL B
Matches

DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6

POWER STRENGTH SESSION Small Pitch (< 30x30m) < 40% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
<30% VHI Distance
- Before field training 70-90% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
- Low Load/High Speed <30% VHI Distance 60-90 minutes
- Without reaching fatigue Ex: Tactical, Set Pieces
60-90 minutes
Ex: SSG < 20% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
MOTOR CONTROL SESSION <10% VHI Distance
If shooting drills: < 5/player MATCH DAY
- Before field training (L/R) Start recovery strategies:

6 days Hydration
Nutrition
Wide Pitch (> 30x30 m) MAXIMUM STRENGTH SESSION MOTOR CONTROL SESSION < 60 minutes Cold Water Immersion
Compression Garments
Ex: Team building Games, Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours)
<40% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s - After field training - After field training Tactical, Set Pieces, Avoid
70-90% VHI Distance w/ >10% Sprint - High Load Collisions (SSG).
Distance
Reach Players’ Individual Maximal Speed

60-90 minutes
Ex: 11x11

< 40% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s

Mixed Small Pitch (< 30x30m) and Wide Pitch (> <30% VHI Distance
RECOVERY 30x30 m)

SESSION OFF DAY 60-90 minutes

Ex: Tactical, Set Pieces < 20% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
60-80% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
60-80% VHI Distance w/ >10% Sprint Distance <10% VHI Distance MATCH DAY
1) Schedule the session in order Reach Players’ Individual Maximal Speed If shooting drills: < 5/player (L/R) Start recovery strategies:

5 days MATCH DAY to provide enough sleeping

Hydration
Nutrition
time (min. 8h) before 60-90 minutes < 60 minutes Cold Water Immersion
Ex: Team building Games, Tactical, Compression Garments
recovery session Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours)
2) Unload MSK system from Set Pieces, Avoid Collisions (SSG).
MAXIMUM STRENGTH SESSION MOTOR CONTROL SESSION
Start recovery strategies: eccentric activities and
Hydration impact forces (ex: bicycle,
- After field training - After field training
Nutrition water)
Cold Water Immersion - High Load
3) Avoid cardiovascular and
Compression Garments metabolic overloading
Promote Sleeping (min. 8 POWER STRENGTH SESSION
(HRmax< 60%)
hours)
4) Treatment of MSK complains
- Low Load/High Speed
5) Contrast Bath, Stretching,
Without reaching fatigue < 20% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
Foam Class, Massage and
other modalities w/
- Motor control exercises
<10% VHI Distance MATCH DAY
conflicting evidence If shooting drills: < 5/player (L/R) Start recovery strategies:

4 days Hydration
Nutrition
< 40% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s < 60 minutes Cold Water Immersion
<30% VHI Distance Ex: Team building Games, Tactical, Set Compression Garments
Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours)
Pieces, Avoid Collisions (SSG).
60-90 minutes
Ex: Tactical, Set Pieces

< 20% ACC/DEC>2,5m/s

<10% VHI Distance MATCH DAY
If shooting drills: < 5/player (L/R) Start recovery strategies:

3 days No ACC/DEC>2,5m/s
No VHI Distance
No shooting drills
Hydration
Nutrition
< 60 minutes Cold Water Immersion
Ex: Team building Games, Tactical, Set Pieces, Compression Garments
Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours)
Avoid Collisions (SSG).

< 60 minutes
Ex: Team building Games,
Tactical, Set Pieces, Avoid MATCH DAY Gym Session
Collisions (SSG). Start recovery strategies: The percentages in the table are
2 days Hydration
Nutrition
relative to the individual players’
Cold Water Immersion match GPS data averages
Compression Garments Field Session
Promote Sleeping (min. 8 hours)

ABBREVIATIONS MSK - Musculoskeletal; ACC/DEC - Accelerations and Decelerations; VHI - Very High Intensity; SSG - Small Sided Games GLOSSARY VHI Distance - distance covered above 5,5 m/s; Sprint Distance - distance covered above 7 m/s