A structured warm-up before practice and games is one of the most-studied risk-reduction interventions in youth sports. Programs like FIFA 11+ (soccer) and PEP (basketball, lacrosse, all field sports) are associated with lower ACL injury rates in adolescent female athletes in the published literature, with effect sizes that vary by study, age group, and how consistently the program is run.
To be clear about what that means: the warm-up shifts the odds. It does not eliminate the risk. ACLs still tear in athletes who do the warm-up every session. The studies show a population-level reduction in injury rates for teams that adopt these programs, not a guarantee for any individual kid.
The biology is real. Female athletes between 12 and 18 tear ACLs in cutting and pivoting sports at higher rates than male athletes. Wider Q-angles. Quad-dominant landing patterns. Less hamstring co-contraction. The warm-up programs target those neuromuscular factors. They don’t change anatomy.
What the warm-up actually is. A structured 10-15 minute sequence that hits jogging patterns, dynamic stretches, strength activation (glutes, hamstrings, calves), single-leg balance, plyometrics, and proper landing mechanics. FIFA 11+ has three parts: running, strength/balance/plyometrics, and running again. PEP runs similar.
Why most teams don’t do it. It takes time. Coaches feel pressure to start drills. Parents don’t push for it. The warm-up adds 10-15 minutes that some coaches feel they can’t afford. The literature points to it as worth the trade.
What to ask your team’s coach. Are we doing a structured warm-up before every practice and game? If yes, which one? If no, what would it take to add one? At the club level, this is usually a coachable ask. At the school level, the athletic trainer is often the right contact.
The kids who skip the warm-up. They miss the risk-reduction effect the program is designed for. The kid who shows up late and runs straight into a scrimmage isn’t getting the protective benefit at all.
For older kids who’ve already had a knee injury. The structured warm-up matters more, not less. Coordination with a sports physical therapist is the next layer — they can build out the prehab program for the specific knee. Most ACL-reconstruction return-to-play protocols include an ongoing prehab routine. Don’t drop it once “cleared.”
The warm-up is free, takes about eleven minutes, and the published evidence supports it as a real risk-reduction tool. It is not a guarantee, and it should sit alongside everything else (sleep, conditioning, gradual workload, listening to early pain signals). Talk to your team’s coach about whether the program is being run, and to your kid’s pediatrician or athletic trainer about how it fits your kid’s specific situation.
Last updated April 2026.