Effects of the FIFA 11 + warm-up programme on motor performance in U-15 female soccer players: a randomized controlled trial

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the FIFA 11 + warm-up programme on the agility, jumping and sprint performance of U-15 female soccer players. A twenty-four female U-15 football players (≥ 3 years of playing experience; regular training) randomly allocated to either the FIFA 11 + experimental or a control group in a parallel pretest–posttest design. The experimental group performed the FIFA 11 + during training sessions, three times per week for six weeks. The control group continued their regular warm-up. Performance outcomes were assessed at baseline and post-intervention using the Illinois agility test, countermovement vertical jump and 30-m sprint. A significant group × time interaction was found for the Illinois Agility (IA) test (F = 23.056, p < 0.001, η p ² = 0.512), with a greater improvement in the experimental group (ΔExp–ΔCon = − 0.74 s; 95% CI: − 1.00 to − 0.48). Vertical jump performance also showed a significant interaction (F = 6.749, p = 0.016, η p ² = 0.235), favoring the experimental group (ΔExp–ΔCon = + 1.79 cm; 95% CI: +0.42 to + 3.15). In contrast, the 30 m sprint test revealed no significant interaction (F = 1.126, p = 0.300, η p ² = 0.049), with minimal between-group differences (ΔExp–ΔCon = − 0.05 s; 95% CI: − 0.17 to + 0.07). Overall, the intervention enhanced agility and jump performance but not sprint speed. These results show that the FIFA 11 + warm-up program can be effective in improving agility and vertical jump performance in under-15 female soccer players, but it did not create a significant difference between groups in 30-meter sprint performance. These findings suggest that the program effectively supports neuromuscular control and lower extremity strength development, but more complex speed components such as sprinting may require additional or different training stimuli.