Hops and bounds
Transcript
Hops and bounds build power, once you can land. Here's how. Learn jump and stick first. Warm up, then find twenty metres of flat grass, with a coach watching. Watch. Two feet, a small jump forward. First, land quietly, knees over your toes. Then, stick it before the next one. Not this, too far to hold. Now hop, five on each leg. Last, bound, with a high knee and big arm swing. Our target is about forty landings, twice a week, not in a row. Rest two to four minutes between sets. If your knees or heels hurt, stop for the day. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Low-volume jump training (plyometrics) for power, built on landing control: two-foot jumps, then one-leg hops, then bounds, sticking every landing. Plyometrics can be safe for young players when the programme is well designed and supervised (NSCA, ACSM).
Set up
- Warm up first
- 20 m of space
- Flat grass
- A coach watching
How it works
- Warm up first, every time: FIFA 11+ (episode 2 shows it) or your club warm-up. Learn jump and stick (episode 22) before this. Wear trainers or boots that support your feet.
- Two-foot jumps: from a quick dip, jump forward about a stride and stick the landing. 5 jumps in a row along the grass, then walk back.
- One-leg hops: hop forward on one leg and stick it on the same leg. 5 on each leg.
- Bounds: springy running strides with a high knee, landing on the ball of each foot, big arm swing (opposite arm and leg), for 15 m. 3 runs. The video shows them on the spot so the whole body stays in view.
- Rest 2-4 minutes between sets. About 40 landings in all, twice a week, never on two days in a row. Stop the set as soon as a landing gets loud or wobbly.
Coaching points
- Land quiet, knees over toes. Land quietly on the balls of your feet and let your heels settle: hips back, chest up, knees over your toes. Seen from the front, your knees follow your laces and never cave inwards.
- Stick it before the next. Freeze in the landing, balanced, before the next jump. If you cannot hold it still, that jump was too far: go shorter.
Not this
Jumping further than you can control. Your feet land out in front, your hips sit back and you fall backwards. Jump only as far as you can stick it.
Dose
- About 40 landings
- 2x a week, not in a row
Our target: About 40 landings a session (5 jumps, 5 hops each leg, 3 bounds of 15 m), twice a week, not on consecutive days.
Harder / Easier
Harder
Once every landing is quiet and still: continuous hops, with no stick between them, keeping to about 40 landings a session.
Easier
Two-foot jumps only (2 sets of 5), or go back to jump and stick (episode 22) until every landing is quiet.
Safety
- Under 18: do this with a coach or parent watching. Bodyweight only.
- Flat grass or another surface with a little give, and supportive footwear: never a road, concrete or a slippery floor.
- Keep the number of landings low and rest fully: injury risk rises when jump volume or intensity is more than you are ready for (NSCA).
- If your knees or heels hurt when you run or jump, stop for the day and tell a coach or parent. Knee and heel pain is common while you are still growing, and a GP or physio can help. Growing fast? Stay with jump and stick for now.
Sources
- NSCA - Youth resistance training (2009) (opens in a new tab)
- ACSM - Plyometric training for children and adolescents (copy) (opens in a new tab)
- PMC - Ramirez-Campillo 2023, jump training by maturity (opens in a new tab)
- PubMed - Lloyd 2016, plyometric and strength training pre and post growth spurt (opens in a new tab)
- FIFA - 11+ injury prevention poster (bounding, landing) (opens in a new tab)
- NHS - Knee pain (opens in a new tab)
- NHS - Heel pain (opens in a new tab)
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
Take the free test
