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Reactive agility training provides greater improvements in reactive agility performance and enjoyment compared to planned agility training in youth soccer players. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

March 1, 2026Open Access

Comparative effects of reactive and planned agility training on physical performance, internal load and enjoyment in youth soccer players

Key Points

To compare the effects of reactive agility and planned agility training on physical performance, internal load, and enjoyment in youth soccer players.
Conducted a randomized, volume-matched, 8-week intervention with 18 under-16 male players.
Players assigned to reactive agility (RAG) or planned agility (PAG) training groups.
Measured performance via sprints, agility tests, jumps, and fitness assessments pre- and post-training.
Recorded perceived exertion and enjoyment after each training session.
Both training groups showed significant improvements in sprints, agility, jumps, balance, and fitness tests.
Reactive agility led to faster performance in reactive agility tests compared to planned agility.
Enjoyment scores were significantly higher in the reactive agility group, with no difference in perceived exertion between groups.

Abstract

Abstract Agility is a key determinant of soccer performance, combining mechanical change of direction (COD) ability with perceptual and decision-making processes. This study compared the effects of reactive agility (RA) and planned agility (PA) training on physical performance, internal load, and enjoyment in youth soccer players during the in-season period. In a randomized, volume-matched, 8-week intervention, 18 under-16 male players were assigned to a RA (RAG) or PA (PAG) training group. Pre- and post-testing included 10- and 20-m sprints, reactive agility without and with the ball (RAT, RATB), COD and COD with the ball (CODB), countermovement jump (CMJ), balance, and endurance-intensive fitness. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) were recorded after each session. Both groups showed significant ( p 0.05). This randomized, volume-matched, in-season comparison demonstrates that stimulus-driven RA provides additional task-specific gains in reactive agility and higher enjoyment, without increasing RPE, compared with PA in youth soccer. Accordingly, integrating brief weekly RA blocks (cue-rich, game-representative drills, with and without the ball) alongside PA may further optimize agility adaptations and adherence in youth soccer.

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Cite This Study

Doua et al. (Fri,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69a3d89aec16d51705d2f91a https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41891-8

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