Effects of the FIFA 11+ Kids Warm-Up Program on Physical Performance in Youth Judo Athletes

Acute Effects of the FIFA 11+ Kids Warm-Up Program on Explosive and Functional Performance in Youth Judo Athletes

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if the FIFA 11+ Kids warm-up program improves physical performance in young judo athletes. The study includes children aged about 10 to 14 who regularly practice judo.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does the FIFA 11+ Kids warm-up improve jumping and strength performance?

Does it improve speed, agility, and movement ability?

Researchers will compare the FIFA 11+ Kids warm-up with a judo-specific warm-up to see which one better prepares young athletes for training. Each participant will perform both warm-up programs on different days.

Participants will:

Perform the FIFA 11+ Kids warm-up and a judo-specific warm-up on separate days

Complete physical performance tests after each warm-up, including jumping, sprinting, strength, and agility tests

This study may help coaches and athletes choose more effective warm-up routines to improve performance and reduce injury risk in youth judo.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Muscle Strength; Physical Performance; Neuromuscular Performance; Explosive Power
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: FIFA 11+ Kids Warm-Up Program; Behavioral: Judo-Specific Warm-Up

Detailed Description

Judo is a high-intensity combat sport that requires strength, power, agility, and coordination. In youth athletes, improving these physical abilities is important for both performance and injury prevention. Warm-up routines play a key role in preparing athletes for training and competition by enhancing neuromuscular readiness.

The FIFA 11+ Kids program is a structured warm-up protocol originally developed for injury prevention in youth football players. It includes exercises focusing on balance, coordination, strength, and movement control. Although this program has been shown to improve performance and reduce injury risk in team sports, its effects in combat sports such as judo are not well understood.

The aim of this study is to investigate the acute effects of the FIFA 11+ Kids warm-up program on selected physical performance parameters in youth judo athletes, compared with a traditional judo-specific warm-up.

This study uses a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design. Participants are assigned to perform two different warm-up conditions (FIFA 11+ Kids and judo-specific warm-up) in a random order, with a washout period between sessions. This design allows each participant to serve as their own control.

A total of 16 competitive youth judo athletes aged approximately 10 to 14 years participate in the study. All participants have regular training experience and are actively competing.

After completing each warm-up protocol, participants perform a series of physical performance tests. These tests include measures of explosive power, speed, agility, upper- and lower-body strength, and functional performance.

The results of this study are expected to provide information on whether the FIFA 11+ Kids warm-up program can be used as an effective alternative to traditional warm-up routines in youth judo athletes. This may help coaches and practitioners select evidence-based warm-up strategies to improve performance and reduce injury risk.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 16
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Sinop, Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Sinop University, Faculty of Sport Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Aged 10-14 years and actively participating in judo
• At least 1 year of regular judo training
• Training at least 4-5 days per week
• Having competition experience at the national or club level

Exclusion Criteria:

• A serious musculoskeletal injury affecting the limbs within the past 6 months
• Any orthopedic, neurological, or chronic health condition that could affect test results or performance

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: FIFA 11+ Kids Warm-Up; Participants perform the FIFA 11+ Kids warm-up program before completing physical performance tests. This program includes exercises designed to improve strength, coordination, and movement control.	Behavioral: FIFA 11+ Kids Warm-Up Program; A structured warm-up program designed to improve neuromuscular control, strength, and movement coordination in youth athletes. The program includes running exercises, balance activities, strength exercises, and plyometric drills.
Experimental: Judo-Specific Warm-Up; Participants perform a traditional judo-specific warm-up before completing physical performance tests. This warm-up reflects routine preparation used in judo training.	Behavioral: Judo-Specific Warm-Up; A traditional warm-up routine commonly used in judo training, including sport-specific movements and exercises to prepare athletes for practice.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Vertical Jump Height	Vertical jump height measured to assess lower-body explosive performance following each warm-up condition.	Immediately after each warm-up session

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ahmet Mor

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 10, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 25, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): December 25, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 17, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 17, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 23, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Judo, Youth Athletes, Warm-Up Exercise, Physical Performance, Explosive Strength
• Other Study ID Numbers: FIFA11JUDO2025

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No