Pre-Season Screening

Assess physical readiness before training and competition demands increase

The start of a new sports season often brings a rapid increase in training intensity, running volume, gym work, matches and competition.

Pre-season screening provides an opportunity to assess an athlete’s current physical capacity before these demands increase. It can identify areas such as strength, power, balance, mobility or conditioning that may benefit from additional work during pre-season training.

Screening is not designed to predict exactly who will become injured. Instead, it provides useful baseline information that can help guide training, address previous rehabilitation gaps and prepare the athlete more effectively for the season ahead.

What is pre-season screening?

Pre-season screening is a structured physical assessment completed before or during the early stages of a sporting season.

Depending on the sport, it may assess:

• Lower-body strength
• Upper-body strength
• Single-leg strength
• Balance
• Mobility
• Power
• Jumping
• Landing
• Hopping
• Running
• Sprinting
• Acceleration
• Deceleration
• Changes of direction
• Physical endurance
• Previous injury areas

The tests are selected according to the athlete, sport, position and competition level.

A football player will have different physical demands from a runner, swimmer or racket-sport athlete, so screening should reflect the activity rather than follow one fixed testing routine.

Who may benefit from pre-season screening?

Pre-season screening may be useful for:

• Competitive athletes
• Recreational athletes
• School and university athletes
• Teenage athletes
• Team-sport players
• Runners
• Racket-sport athletes
• Athletes returning after injury
• Athletes returning after an off-season
• Players moving to a higher competition level
• Athletes increasing training frequency or intensity

It may be particularly useful if you have experienced previous injuries or have not completed structured training during the off-season.

Why screen before the season?

During pre-season, training demands can increase quickly.

Athletes may suddenly begin:

• More running
• Faster running
• Sprinting
• Repeated jumping
• Direction changes
• Contact training
• Heavy strength work
• Longer sessions

If physical capacity has reduced during time away from competition, the athlete may not immediately be ready for the same workload they managed at the end of the previous season.

Screening can help establish a clearer starting point.

What happens during a pre-season assessment?

The session begins with a discussion about your sport and upcoming season.

You may be asked about:

• Your sport
• Position or event
• Competition level
• Previous season
• Current training
• Off-season activity
• Gym training
• Previous injuries
• Current symptoms
• Rehabilitation completed
• Upcoming competitions
• Training schedule
• Your goals for the season

Testing can then be selected according to the demands you are preparing for.

Previous injury review

Previous injury is an important part of pre-season screening.

You may be asked about previous:

• Ankle sprains
• Knee injuries
• Hamstring strains
• Groin problems
• Calf injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Fractures
• Surgery

The aim is not to assume that an old injury will cause another problem.

Instead, screening can check whether strength, movement or sport-specific capacity has fully recovered.

Strength testing

Strength helps the body tolerate the forces involved in sport.

Depending on your sport, testing may assess:

• Quadriceps
• Hamstrings
• Calves
• Gluteal muscles
• Hip muscles
• Groin muscles
• Trunk
• Shoulders
• Upper body

Testing may involve:

• Resistance exercises
• Repetition tests
• Single-leg exercises
• Objective strength equipment where available

Results can help identify areas that may need greater focus during pre-season training.

Single-leg strength

Many sports involve repeated single-leg loading.

Examples include:

• Running
• Sprinting
• Kicking
• Jumping
• Cutting
• Landing

Tests may include:

• Single-leg squat
• Split squat
• Step-down
• Single-leg calf raises
• Single-leg strength exercises

The assessment may consider both overall capacity and differences between sides.

Comparing sides

Comparing the left and right sides can provide useful information, particularly after a previous injury.

However, perfect symmetry is not required.

An athlete may have similar results on both sides while both sides are below the level required for sport.

For that reason, screening should consider:

• Overall strength
• Previous performance
• Sport demands
• Movement quality

rather than relying only on percentage differences between limbs.

Jump testing

Jump testing may be included for sports involving explosive movement.

Testing can include:

• Vertical jumps
• Broad jumps
• Single-leg jumps
• Repeated jumps

The assessment may look at:

• Power
• Landing
• Control
• Differences between sides
• Ability to repeat the effort

This information can guide strength and power training during pre-season.

Hop testing

Single-leg hopping places greater demand on one limb.

Tests may include:

• Single hops
• Triple hops
• Repeated hops
• Side-to-side hops

Results may help identify:

• Strength differences
• Reduced confidence
• Reduced power
• Poor landing control

Hop testing can be particularly relevant for athletes returning after lower-limb injury.

Landing assessment

Landing requires the body to absorb force quickly.

For jumping sports, screening may assess:

• Knee and hip control
• Balance
• Trunk control
• Ability to absorb force
• Ability to move immediately after landing

Testing can begin with controlled tasks and progress towards more demanding movements where appropriate.

Balance testing

Balance can be particularly relevant for athletes with a history of ankle or lower-limb injuries.

Testing may include:

• Single-leg balance
• Dynamic reaching
• Stepping
• Balance during movement

For athletes, standing still on one leg is usually only a starting point.

More dynamic movement may provide more useful information.

Mobility assessment

Mobility may be assessed where the sport requires particular ranges of movement.

This may include the:

• Ankles
• Hips
• Shoulders
• Upper back

The aim is not to make every athlete more flexible.

If adequate mobility is already present, additional stretching may not be required.

Strength and control may be more important.

Running assessment

For running-based sports, screening may include observation of running.

This may consider:

• Running mechanics
• Symmetry
• Speed
• Control
• Response to increasing pace

The assessment should also consider whether the athlete has recently been exposed to enough running to prepare for pre-season demands.

Sprint exposure

Many athletes return to pre-season having remained generally active but with very little exposure to high-speed running.

This can create a large jump when sprint training begins.

Where appropriate, screening may assess whether the athlete is ready to progress towards:

• Faster running
• Acceleration
• Near-maximal sprinting
• Repeated sprint efforts

Sprint exposure can then be increased progressively during training.

Acceleration

Acceleration is important in sports where athletes repeatedly need to increase speed quickly.

Examples include:

• Football
• Rugby
• Hockey
• Basketball
• Tennis

Testing may include short accelerations or sport-specific starting movements.

The results can help guide speed and strength training.

Deceleration

Stopping quickly can place significant demand through the legs.

Pre-season preparation may therefore include assessment of:

• Controlled stopping
• Faster deceleration
• Balance after stopping
• Ability to change direction

Athletes returning from knee, ankle or lower-limb injuries may particularly benefit from rebuilding this ability before competition.

Change-of-direction testing

Many field and court sports require:

• Cutting
• Turning
• Side stepping
• Pivoting

Screening may assess:

• Speed
• Control
• Confidence
• Differences between directions

The aim is to identify whether the athlete needs additional strength or movement preparation before high-intensity training.

Sport-specific screening

The most useful screening reflects the sport.

Football

Football screening may include:

• Hamstring strength
• Calf strength
• Groin strength
• Single-leg strength
• Jumping
• Sprinting
• Changes of direction

Rugby

Rugby screening may consider:

• Whole-body strength
• Lower-limb power
• Sprinting
• Change of direction
• Conditioning
• Previous contact injuries

Running

Running screening may focus on:

• Calf strength
• Hip and leg strength
• Running capacity
• Previous injuries
• Current mileage

Court sports

Tennis, padel, basketball, netball and badminton may require assessment of:

• Single-leg strength
• Calf strength
• Jumping
• Landing
• Lateral movement
• Direction changes

Overhead sports

Swimming, cricket, volleyball and racket sports may also require assessment of:

• Shoulder strength
• Rotator cuff capacity
• Shoulder movement
• Upper-back and trunk strength

Pre-season screening for teenage athletes

Teenage athletes may experience significant changes in strength, coordination and body proportions as they grow.

Screening can be adapted according to:

• Age
• Stage of development
• Training experience
• Sport
• Competition level

The purpose is not to compare teenagers rigidly with adult standards.

Instead, screening can identify useful areas for physical development before training demands increase.

Returning after the off-season

Even a fit athlete may lose some sport-specific capacity during the off-season.

For example, they may continue gym training but complete less:

• Sprinting
• Jumping
• Running
• Cutting
• Sport-specific conditioning

Pre-season should therefore provide a gradual transition back towards these demands.

Screening can help identify which qualities need to be rebuilt.

Returning after injury

An athlete may have completed rehabilitation and returned to normal exercise but still not be fully prepared for pre-season.

Screening may identify remaining differences in:

• Strength
• Power
• Hopping
• Running
• Confidence
• Sport-specific movement

These findings can guide additional rehabilitation alongside team training.

Training load at the start of the season

A common challenge during pre-season is that several training demands increase simultaneously.

An athlete may begin:

• More team sessions
• More running
• Gym training
• Friendly matches
• Additional conditioning

The total workload should be considered.

Adding a long injury-prevention or strength programme on top of an already demanding schedule may not always be appropriate.

The aim is to prioritise the most useful work.

Baseline measurements

Pre-season screening can provide baseline measurements before competition begins.

These may include:

• Strength
• Repetitions
• Jump height
• Hop distance
• Sprint times
• Balance measures

Baseline data can later help assess whether physical capacity has:

• Improved
• Been maintained
• Reduced after injury

Measurements should still be interpreted alongside symptoms, training and performance.

Screening does not predict every injury

It is important to understand the limitations of pre-season screening.

A screening test cannot reliably tell us exactly who will or will not become injured.

Sports injuries are influenced by many factors, including:

• Contact
• Training volume
• Previous injury
• Fatigue
• Recovery
• Competition demands
• Unexpected movements

Screening is more useful for identifying physical qualities that can be measured and trained.

Turning screening results into training

The most important part of screening is what happens afterwards.

If testing identifies reduced:

• Calf strength
• Hamstring strength
• Groin strength
• Single-leg power
• Balance
• Conditioning

the athlete can receive exercises designed to address these areas.

The goal is not to collect scores without changing the training programme.

Strength programmes after screening

Depending on the findings, exercises may include:

• Squats
• Split squats
• Lunges
• Step-ups
• Deadlift variations
• Calf raises
• Hamstring exercises
• Groin strengthening
• Rows
• Pressing exercises

The programme should be challenging enough to produce useful physical adaptation.

Power development

If testing identifies limited explosive ability, pre-season training may include:

• Jumping
• Hopping
• Bounding
• Medicine-ball exercises where appropriate
• Faster strength movements

Power training should be introduced at a level appropriate for the athlete's strength and experience.

Running and sprint preparation

If running exposure has been limited during the off-season, the programme may gradually increase:

• Running duration
• Faster running
• Sprint distance
• Number of sprint efforts

The aim is to avoid jumping immediately from low-speed training to repeated maximum-speed work.

Conditioning

Some athletes return to pre-season with reasonable strength but reduced endurance.

Conditioning may therefore include:

• Running intervals
• Cycling
• Repeated sport-specific drills
• Repeated sprint work

The type of conditioning should reflect the demands of the sport.

Warm-up programmes

Screening findings may also influence the athlete's warm-up.

A sport-specific warm-up may include:

• Light running
• Dynamic movement
• Strength exercises
• Balance
• Jumping
• Direction changes
• Progressive accelerations

A structured warm-up can provide regular exposure to useful physical preparation throughout the season.

Injury prevention work

Pre-season screening may identify areas that can be incorporated into an injury prevention programme.

This may include:

• Hamstring strengthening
• Calf strengthening
• Groin strengthening
• Balance work
• Jumping and landing
• Sprint exposure

These exercises can often be maintained during the season in a reduced or modified form.

More exercises are not always better

A screening programme may identify several areas that could improve.

That does not necessarily mean the athlete needs a long list of additional exercises.

The programme should prioritise the areas that are:

• Most relevant to the sport
• Most relevant to previous injury
• Most likely to influence physical preparation

A shorter programme completed consistently is often more practical than a long routine that competes with normal training.

Monitoring progress through pre-season

Selected tests may be repeated after several weeks of training.

Re-testing may help assess changes in:

• Strength
• Power
• Running
• Balance
• Physical conditioning

This can show whether the programme is producing the intended improvements.

Not every test needs to be repeated each time.

Preparing for the first competition

Being able to complete pre-season training does not automatically mean an athlete is ready for a full competitive workload.

Before competition, the athlete may need exposure to:

• Full-speed running
• Repeated direction changes
• Contact where relevant
• Match-duration conditioning
• Sport-specific drills

Screening results can help guide this progression.

Returning to full training

If a previous injury is identified during screening, the athlete may initially require modified training.

This could involve:

• Reduced session duration
• Lower running volume
• Limited contact
• Fewer high-speed efforts

Training can then increase as physical capacity improves.

Pre-season screening and confidence

Athletes returning after injury may feel physically recovered but remain uncertain about particular movements.

Screening can provide opportunities to test:

• Hopping
• Sprinting
• Jumping
• Cutting

in a controlled environment.

This may help identify whether further physical or sport-specific rehabilitation is required before competition.

Screening for recreational athletes

Pre-season screening is not limited to professional teams.

It can also be useful if you are preparing for:

• A local football season
• Club rugby
• Recreational running events
• Tennis or padel competition
• School or university sport
• Amateur leagues

The tests can be adapted to the level at which you participate.

When screening may not be appropriate yet

Pre-season performance testing may need to be modified or postponed if you currently have:

• Significant pain
• Significant swelling
• A recent untreated injury
• Major weakness
• Difficulty running
• Joint instability
• Medical or surgical restrictions

In this situation, an individual physiotherapy assessment may be more appropriate before higher-level testing.

When further medical assessment may be needed

Seek appropriate clinical assessment if you experience:

• Severe or worsening pain
• Significant swelling
• Inability to put weight through a limb
• Repeated joint giving way
• New numbness
• Significant unexplained weakness
• Persistent localised bone pain
• Symptoms following a significant injury
• Unexplained loss of physical performance
• Symptoms that are rapidly worsening

These problems should be assessed rather than simply worked around during screening.

Screening based on your season and goals

Your pre-season screen should reflect what you are preparing for.

Your goals may include:

• Returning for a new football season
• Preparing for competitive rugby
• Increasing running volume
• Preparing for school or university sport
• Returning after injury
• Improving strength before competition
• Establishing baseline physical measures
• Identifying priorities for pre-season training
• Improving confidence before full training

Testing can then be selected around those demands.

What happens after pre-season screening?

After screening, you may receive recommendations relating to:

• Strength training
• Running
• Sprint exposure
• Jumping and landing
• Balance
• Mobility where required
• Conditioning
• Injury prevention
• Further rehabilitation

The programme should focus on the findings most relevant to your sport rather than trying to correct every small difference identified during testing.

How often should pre-season screening be completed?

Pre-season screening is typically most useful before or during the early stages of a new competitive period.

Selected tests may then be repeated:

• Later in pre-season
• During the season
• After an injury
• Following a structured training block

The purpose of re-testing is to guide training decisions, not simply to repeat tests on a fixed schedule.