Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41291351›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2026

Effects of the FIFA 11 + Program on Physical Fitness in Youth and Adult Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Ibnu Noufal Kambitta Valappil, Karuppasamy Govindasamy, Gavoutamane Vasanthi, Masilamani Elayaraja, Cain C T Clark, Koulla Parpa, Borko Katanic, Hüseyin Şahin Uysal, Hassane Zouhal, Urs Granacher

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Trial
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Ibnu Noufal Kambitta ValappilDepartment of Physical Education and Sports, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India.
Karuppasamy GovindasamyDepartment of Sports, Recreation and Wellness, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Hyderabad Campus, Modallaguda (V), Nandigama (M), Rangareddy, Telangana, 509217, India.
Gavoutamane VasanthiDepartment of Physical Education and Sports, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India.
Masilamani ElayarajaDepartment of Physical Education and Sports, Pondicherry University, Puducherry, 605014, India.
Cain C T ClarkCollege of Life Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, B15 3TN, UK.
Koulla ParpaFaculty of Sport and Exercise Science, UCLan University of Cyprus, 7080, Pyla, Cyprus.
Borko KatanicMontenergin Sports Academy, Podgorica, Montenegro.
Hüseyin Şahin UysalDepartment of Physical Education and Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, 15030, Burdur, Turkey.
Hassane ZouhalInstitut International des Sciences du Sport (2I2S), 35850, Irodouer, France.
Urs GranacherDepartment of Sport and Sport Science, Exercise and Human Movement Science, University of Freiburg, 79102, Freiburg, Germany. Urs.Granacher@sport.uni-freiburg.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7095-813X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSoccer is a high-intensity sport that requires high levels of physical fitness, including balance, change of direction (CoD), speed and power. The FIFA 11 + program has been widely promoted to enhance physical fitness and reduce injury occurrence.

objectiveThis meta-analysis set out to examine how the FIFA 11 + program, implemented as a warm-up versus conventional warm-up (soccer-specific and alternative warm-ups), impacts physical fitness attributes in youth and adult soccer players.

methodsAfter a priori defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 17 intervention studies with 611 male and female soccer players (Tier 2-4) aged 9-29 years were eligible to be included. The FIFA 11 + program implemented in the warm-up was contrasted with conventional warm-up programs (control) on outcome measures such as dynamic balance, CoD speed, linear sprint and proxies of muscle power (vertical jump height). The influence of potential moderators (e.g., training duration, frequency, session duration, age, sex, training and performance calibre) on study outcome measures was examined using subgroup analyses with the median split method.

resultsFindings demonstrated small-to-moderate improvements in favour of FIFA 11 + compared with conventional warm-ups on dynamic balance (small standardized mean differences [SMDs] = 0.37, p < 0.001, heterogeneity [I

conclusionThe FIFA 11 + program was more effective than conventional soccer warm-up programs to enhance soccer players' physical fitness (i.e., dynamic balance, CoD speed, vertical jump height). A shorter training duration (< 9 weeks) and more weekly training sessions (≥ 3 sessions/week) induced larger performance effects. FIFA 11 + was more effective in older (≥ 18 years) and male players and in players of higher performance calibre (≥ Tier 3). These findings underscore the versatility of the FIFA 11 + program to improve soccer players' physical fitness, supporting its integration into the warm-up of regular soccer training sessions. PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42025633810 , PROSPERO: CRD42025633810.

Indexed as

Physical FitnessSoccerWarm-Up ExerciseAdolescentAdultAthletic PerformanceChildFemaleHumansMaleMuscle StrengthPostural BalanceYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41291351
PMCPMC12982247

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.