Topend Sports Logo

Fitness Components for Soccer

In addition to the high level of skill required to play soccer, to be a successful player you need excellent aerobic endurance fitness. Other important fitness components are speed and particularly repeat sprint ability and agility. However, which of these are more important?



Below is a discussion about the fitness requirements for soccer, which can help with developing training programs for this sport, and for interpreting fitness testing results and determining the relative strengths and weaknesses of a player. See more on fitness for soccer.

You Need Good Endurance But Be Quick Too

We have a poll about the component of fitness most important for success in soccer. Out of the options of Body Size and Composition, Muscle Strength, Muscular Endurance, Power, Speed / Quickness, Agility, Flexibility, Balance and Coordination, and Cardiovascular Endurance, the factors which are considered most important by the readers of this site are cardiovascular (aerobic) endurance and speed/quickness, followed by agility and coordination. You can add your vote too and see all the results.

You Need to be Agile

In a similar poll, we have asked people to rate the 12 factors of success for sports. Visitors to this site have rated each of these factors for soccer players, and the most important according to them is agility. Good agility itself requires good strength, power, speed, reaction, and coordination, all of which are highly rated too. You can also add your ratings of Which Factors Make Successful Soccer Players, and see the latest results.

agility training you need to be fast and agile, particularly in indoor football

Most Important Factors for Success in Order of Importance (updated June 2014)

  1. Skill and Technique.
  2. Speed / Quickness, Analytic & Tactical Ability
  3. Agility, Balance & Coordination, Motivation & Self Confidence
  4. Coping with Pressure Situations, Reaction Time, Aerobic Endurance.
  5. Strength & Power
  6. Flexibility
  7. Body Size and Composition.

Are You an Expert?

Coaches, scientists and players who work with the sport will have a greater understanding of the physical and other demands of football. We are fortunate to have some feedback from Afrim Mehmeti (PE and Sport Professor - Master degree Ex football player and coach for junior players). He has given his ratings of importance for a range of fitness components for bowling. He believes that all these factors are important and good vision also is very important factor.

I have found that asking all site visitors for their opinion, while it is interesting, does not always lead to accurate results. We want to know what the experts think. If you consider yourself an expert in soccer, go here to add your opinion.



Related Pages

send us a comment Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.

More Football

Football (some call it soccer) is the world's most popular sport. There are many major football tournaments, the pinnacle is the FIFA World Cup. See a calendar of what is coming up. There have been many legends of the game, particularly winners of the Ballon d'Or. For players, there are articles about Football Fitness and Fitness Testing.

Sport Extra

Check out the 800+ sports in the Encyclopedia of Every Sport. Well not every sport, as there is a list of unusual sports, extinct sports and newly created sports. How to get on these lists? See What is a sport? We also have sports winners lists, and about major sports events and a summary of every year.

 → How to Cite