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Home/Training Drills/Conditioning Drills/Cool-Down Jog and Stretch
ConditioningBeginner

Cool-Down Jog and Stretch

Cool down after training. Jog at an easy, continuous pace to lower the heart rate, keep the breathing relaxed, then hold static stretches for the main muscle groups.

Create your own drill
Live animationCON
Duration
6 min
Total drill time
Players
4
Recommended
Pitch
40 × 30 m
Setup space
Level
Beginner
Skill required
Intensity
Low
Physical demand
Age band
U6-U8
Any format

Setup & instructions

Players jog a slow, continuous lap of the grid, gradually lowering the pace and letting the breathing settle. After a couple of minutes of easy jogging, move into static stretches, holding each for 20 to 30 seconds for the calves, hamstrings, quads, hips, and groin. Keep it calm and unhurried.

Setup time: 1 min

Tactical breakdown

Evidence that a cool-down prevents muscle soreness or meaningfully speeds recovery is considerably weaker than most coaches assume. The research on post-exercise stretching in particular has not supported the claims made for it over several decades. That is worth knowing before you tell a squad that ten minutes of jogging will stop their legs aching on Tuesday, because it probably will not.

There are still sound reasons to run one, and they are worth stating honestly rather than dressing up. An easy jog brings the heart rate down gradually instead of stopping dead, which is more comfortable and avoids the light-headedness that can follow ending a hard session abruptly. Gentle movement loosens off muscles that have been working, and players report feeling better for it, which counts for something even where the physiology is unclear.

The strongest argument is the one that never appears in a coaching manual. A cool-down is the only part of a session where the entire squad is together, moving slowly, and able to talk. It is when a coach finds out how a player's week has gone, and when training gets a proper ending instead of trailing off into the car park.

So run it, but run it for what it does. Easy continuous pace with no stops and starts, let the breathing settle, then hold static stretches lightly without bouncing. Keep it short.

If you are pressed for time, cut it rather than rushing it. Four minutes done properly beats ten minutes of standing about.

How to run this drill

  1. Jog at an easy continuous pace. No stops and starts. The aim is a gradual descent in heart rate rather than another set of efforts at the end of a session.
  2. Let the breathing settle first. Stretching while still breathing hard is uncomfortable and pointless. Wait until players can hold a conversation.
  3. Hold static stretches lightly. No bouncing and no forcing the range. This part is about feeling loose, and the evidence does not support pushing it further.
  4. Do not promise it prevents soreness. The research does not support that claim, and a coach who makes it loses credibility the first Tuesday a player wakes up aching.
  5. Use the time to talk to players. This is the only point in a session where the whole squad is together and slow enough to have a conversation. It is the strongest reason to do it.
  6. Cut it rather than rush it. Four minutes done properly is worth more than ten minutes of standing about while a coach packs the equipment away.

Coaching focus

FROM SESSION PLAN

Coaching points

  • Easy, continuous pace: no stops and starts
  • Let the breathing settle and slow
  • Flush the legs, shake out any tightness
  • Hold each static stretch calmly, do not bounce
  • Cover the main groups: calves, hamstrings, quads, hips

Common mistakes

  • Stopping dead instead of jogging the heart rate down
  • Bouncing in the static stretches
  • Skipping the cool-down entirely
  • Rushing the holds instead of relaxing into them

Progressions & regressions

VARIATIONS

Progressions

  • Add gentle mobility drills between stretches
  • Include breathing or light foam rolling to finish
  • Pair up for partner-assisted stretches

Regressions

  • Walk the lap if very fatigued
  • Shorten the jog and go straight to stretching
  • Seated stretches for those who need them
Equipment
Cones×4
Tactical principles
cool downpost training recoverystatic stretchinglowering the heart ratemuscle sorenessfootball cool down drillend of session routineu7 cool downrecovery jogsession structure
Audience
U6-U8

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All Conditioning drillsAll drill collectionsConditioning for U6-U8

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