Healthy living
Information, Symptoms, Treatments and Resources
Raise Your Game: Are You World Cup Fit?
Rating
By Natalie Gingerich Mackenzie
You may hold the record for loudest yell when your team scores or most hours logged in front of the screen watching matches, but when it comes to on-the-field skills and fitness, how would you stack up against your favorite pro soccer players and referees? (That’s right, even the refs have to pass FIFA’s fitness test to be eligible to work matches!)
Think you can outrun, outjump and outmaneuver a pro? Lace up your kicks, grab a stopwatch and yardstick or measuring tape, and head down to your local track to find out. These six drills will show how you compare to the sport’s finest. If your results are less than World Cup-worthy, don’t feel bad; you have four whole years to get in shape for the next one.
The test: 5-10-5 shuttle drill
What it tests: Speed and agility
How to do it: Place three cones (or water bottles, or any marker you’ve got handy) in a line spaced 5 yards apart. Start by standing at the middle cone. When you’re ready, start the clock and sprint to the cone to your right (5 yards), touch the ground, sprint to the cone farthest to the left (10 yards), touch the ground, then sprint back to the middle cone (5 yards).
What a pro can do: The quickest Major League Soccer (MLS) players can complete the drill right around 4 seconds. Researchers who evaluated the movement patterns during soccer games counted a total of 726 turns in a game — and less than 50 percent of the players’ movement was forward, making the ability to sprint, pivot and turn essential.
The test: 30-meter dash
What it tests: Speed
How to do it: Measure 30-meters and run, run, run! Get somebody with a stopwatch to time you since timing yourself will slow you down.
What a pro can do: Players cover about 6 miles over the course of an 80- to 90- minute game, which averages out to a 13-minute mile. But you’d better believe they’re not running that slow — they’re constantly switching between fast and slow speeds. The pros averaged the 30-meter sprint in 4.19 seconds in the 2014 testing, but the speediest players came in under 4 seconds!
The test: Vertical jump
What it tests: Explosive strength and power
How to do it: While MLS uses a high tech system of LED lights to measure how high the players can jump, you can do it more simply at home. Stand next to a wall and, keeping your feet flat on the ground, reach up as high as you can and mark that spot with tape or chalk. Then, jump as high as you can and mark the spot where you could reach the highest (or have someone do it for you). The difference between the two is your vertical jump.
What a pro can do: In January 2014 testing, Rafael Diaz, the new goalkeeper for the Orlando City Lions, led the way with 21.1 inches. The average was 16.7 inches.
The test: Functional movement screen: Deep squat
How to do it: Squats are great for getting strong, but they’re also a good way to
evaluate mobility in the hips, knees and ankles, which affects a player’s injury risk.
Try it at home: Stand holding a lightweight bar (or broomstick) overhead, with your
feet shoulder-width apart. Sit back into a deep squat.
What a pro can do: Trainers want to see that the players can sit deeply into their hips (which is important for slowing down and changing directions on the field) while keeping the bar overhead, a flat back, and their knees from caving in toward each other. Learn more about what to look for and try other exercises that Ben Yauss, the strength and conditioning coach for the L.A. Galaxy, uses for his players.
The test: Referees’ intermittent activity run
What it tests: The ability to quickly switch between walking and running to
keep up with the game
How to do it: Find a 400-meter running track. Sprint for 150 meters, walk quickly for 50 meters, then repeat the sprint-walk set to complete the lap. For added authenticity, get a friend to time you and blow a whistle at 30 seconds for the running segments, and 35 seconds later for the walk.
What a pro can do: World Cup referees must be able to run the 150 meters in 30 seconds and walk the 50 meters in 35 seconds. Get the full details of the test here.
The test: Referees’ 40-meter sprints
What it tests: Average running speed during repeated fast runs
How to do it: Measure out 40 meters and mark the start and finish. Have someone with a stopwatch time you as you run the distance as fast as you can. Take up to 90 seconds to walk back to the start and repeat for 6 total sprints.
What a pro can do: World Cup refs have to cover the distance in 6.2 seconds per sprint.
Published June 23, 2014
See also:
| Explore More In Our Hep C Learning Center |
 What Is Hepatitis C? Learn about this treatable virus. |
 Diagnosing Hepatitis C Getting tested for this viral infection. |
 Just Diagnosed? Here’s What’s Next 3 key steps to getting on treatment. |
 Understanding Hepatitis C Treatment 4 steps to getting on therapy. |
 Your Guide to Hep C Treatments What you need to know about Hep C drugs. |
 Managing Side Effects of Treatment How the drugs might affect you. |
 Making Hep C Treatment a Success These tips may up your chances of a cure. |
Today's Pulse
This article will tell you more about strength training at home, giving you some options that require little to no equipment.
Trying to lose weight? Grab a snack that works with your diet, not against it. Check out these delicious, slimming foods.
