8 weeks · 3x / week · All Levels
Soccer Cutting & Knee Durability
Eight weeks of deceleration, landing control and hamstring strength — the three things that hold up under a 60-degree cut.
How to run it
- This is a durability block, not a rehab plan. If you are inside a formal return-to-play protocol, your physio's plan takes precedence.
- Every landing is held for three seconds until phase 3. Control comes before speed.
- Unplanned cuts only appear in phase 3, because that is where injury risk lives and it should be earned.
Springbak® note
A hard cut sends multiple bodyweights through the forefoot. Install Springsoles under your boot insoles from the week 1 symmetry test through the week 8 retest.
Shop SpringsolesThe goal
Land and cut with symmetrical control: less than 10 percent side-to-side difference on single-leg hop tests.
How it progresses
Phase 1 · Weeks 1-3
Bilateral landing control and eccentric hamstring strength.
Phase 2 · Weeks 4-6
Single-leg landings and planned cuts at increasing speed.
Phase 3 · Weeks 7-8
Reactive, unplanned cuts, then symmetry retest.
What you test
- Single-leg hop for distance
- Best of three per leg. Compare sides — under 10 percent difference is the goal.
- Triple hop
- Three consecutive hops per leg, measure total distance.
- Nordic hold angle
- The angle where you lose control, measured each side.
What you need
- Cones
- Open 30 yards
- Nordic bench or partner
- Tape measure
The week
Day 1
Landing control
Drop to stick
Hold three seconds
4 x 5
Single-leg squat to box
3 x 8 per leg
Nordic curl
4 x 5
Copenhagen plank
3 x 20s per side
Day 2
Planned cutting
45-degree cut drill
8 per side at 70 percent
Lateral bound to stick
4 x 4 per side
Rear-foot elevated split squat
3 x 8 per leg
Calf raises
3 x 15
Day 3
Reactive
Partner-cue cuts
10 reps, mixed direction
Deceleration sprints
6 x 20m with a two-step stop
Single-leg hop and hold
3 x 5 per leg
Ankle rocker holds
3 x 30s per leg
Questions about this block
Am I ready for this after an ankle sprain?
If you can walk and jog pain-free and complete a double-leg hop without swelling the next day, start at phase 1. Otherwise wait.
Can I play matches while running it?
Yes in phases 1 and 2. In phase 3 keep hard cutting sessions at least 48 hours away from matches.
Run this next
Build your next block
Tell us your sport, the number you want to move next, and the date of your first competition. We re-rank the program library against those answers and show you why each block placed where it did.
Off-season · Nothing to protect on the weekend, so this is where the heavy, high-volume blocks belong.
Best match · 6 weeks · 3x / week
Baseball First Step & Base Speed
Cut 0.15s off home-to-first and improve first-step reaction on a coach's break signal.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Soccer and speed work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Soccer
- Fits off-season
Option 2 · 6 weeks · 3x / week
Speed & Acceleration
Cut 0.10-0.15s off a 40-yard dash by improving push-off angle and ground contact quality.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Soccer and speed work is exactly what belongs in off-season.
- Written for Soccer
- Fits off-season
Option 3 · 5 weeks · 3x / week
Change of Direction
Cut harder and re-accelerate sooner — a faster pro-agility and a cleaner plant under fatigue.
Why this fits · We ranked this here because it was written for Soccer.
- Written for Soccer