# Periodisation in Football · Football Level 10: Professional

Football · Level 10: Professional · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/football/level-10/periodisation-in-football/)

Periodisation in Football in Football (Level 10: Professional) on Insporta: 100 sourced facts behind 10 tests. Covers: classic periodisation and its t.

How the football season is planned: classic periodisation and its critics, Vítor Frade's tactical periodisation and the morphocycle, weeks with two matches, pre-season, the transfer windows, tournament summers and the debate over the calendar.

## Test 1: Classic periodisation and its terms

- Matveyev's model, drawn from Soviet Olympic athletes, divided the year into preparation, competition and transition. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Macro, meso and micro describe the season, blocks of weeks and the week itself. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- The microcycle is usually the week; the morphocycle is tactical periodisation's own name for its week. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Bompa's 'Theory and Methodology of Training' became 'Periodization' in later editions. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Matveyev built it for sports with a few target competitions a year; a league has thirty or more. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Issurin's 2008 book 'Block Periodization' made the term widely known. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- With a match every weekend, and often midweek too, the week is the natural unit of the plan. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- A session, a week, a block of weeks and the whole season. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- 1960s, 1983 and 2008. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Matveyev's year runs preparation, competition and transition; in football the competition period is the season itself. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)

## Test 2: Vítor Frade and tactical periodisation

- Frade's ideas spread through his students into Portuguese coaching and then abroad. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Mourinho worked with the method from his first head-coach jobs; van Gaal lost the 2010 final to his Inter. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- The game model is the thread through every session; physical, technical and mental work come with it. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Frade called it specificity: the effort should be the effort of playing the way the team plays. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Faria was Mourinho's fitness and methodology coach from Porto until 2018. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Tamarit's book first appeared in Spanish in 2007 and in English in 2015. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Pitch size, numbers and rules are set so the behaviour being trained keeps coming up. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- 2002, 2004, 2008 and 2010. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Complex progression moves from parts of the model to the whole without leaving the game. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Frade taught at the University of Porto's faculty of sport, and several of FC Porto's coaches studied with him. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)

## Test 3: The morphocycle week

- In a Sunday-to-Sunday week the tension day falls on Wednesday, after recovery and a day off. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- The pattern week is the template that shorter weeks are cut down from. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- The speed day keeps players sharp while leaving them fresh for the match. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- The alternation lets the team train the model almost every day without piling up fatigue. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Complex progression and propensities are Frade's other principles, about the content of sessions. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- The compensation session gives unused players the match-like work they missed. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- The day off on MD+2 comes before the tension day, the most demanding session of the week. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Sunday, Monday, Wednesday or so, and the next Saturday. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Thursday, MD-3, is the day closest to the match in its demands, working the big principles in large areas. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)

## Test 4: Weeks with two matches

- With seventy-two hours between games there is no room for acquisition days, only recovery and preparation. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Coaches move the teaching off the pitch when the pitch time has to be recovery. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- A new plan needs pitch time, which a two-match week does not have. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- It rehearses shape and set pieces without adding fatigue. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Late kick-offs and flights push the recovery work into the travel day. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Their recovery decides who can start the next game, so the plan is built around them. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- One group recovers while the other trains with match-like intensity. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Match, recovery on Sunday, activation on Monday and the second match. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- The more days, the more room for acquisition sessions. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- The day before the second match is kept light: activation, set pieces and a reminder of the plan. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)

## Test 5: Pre-season in the modern game

- Clubs usually return in early July for a season starting in August. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Six clubs played the first edition in July 2023; it has returned since. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Two line-ups of about ninety minutes each get everyone playing time. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Opponent-specific work starts once the season is close. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Camps in the Alps or abroad bring the squad together for a block of focused work. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- A player at a final in July may get three weeks off, missing most of the pre-season. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Tours earn appearance fees and help sponsors, at the cost of travel in the build-up. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Checks, a camp, a step up in opposition and the season opener. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- May, June, early July and mid-August. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)
- Tyrol and Salzburg state host dozens of visiting squads each July. (Source: Published periodisation and coaching literature (Matveyev, Bompa, Issurin, Tamarit); club and federation practice)

## Test 6: Transfer windows and the season plan

- The first period may run up to twelve weeks and the mid-season one up to four. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- In Europe that is the January window, closing in early February. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- The window shut on 9 August 2018, the day before the season began. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Managers had complained of losing or gaining players after the season was under way. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- English clubs could not replace a player sold abroad in the last weeks of August. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Under FIFA's transfer regulations a professional whose contract ran out before the end of a registration period may be registered after it closes, so a free agent is not kept idle until the next window; everyone else must wait. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- In summer a new player has a pre-season; in January he is thrown into the fixture list. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Late May, mid-June, mid-August and 1 September. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- 2002, 2018 and 2020. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- In his final six months a player may sign a pre-contract with a foreign club; English clubs must wait longer to talk to a domestic rival's player. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)

## Test 7: Tournament summers and the club season

- The last round before the break was on 12-13 November, and the league resumed on 26 December. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- The 2023 Asian Cup was moved to early 2024; South Korea reached the semi-finals. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Clubs can lose several starters for a month of league matches. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Players who reach the last rounds join pre-season late and short of a full build-up. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- National teams had about a week together before the opening games. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- FIFA raised the squad limit from twenty-three to twenty-six for the 2022 tournament, three more than in 2018. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- It is the only long stretch a national coach has with the whole squad. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- November 2022, June 2024 and June 2026. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- The break comes after the final, so his return and his first start come later than his team-mates'. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- The heat of a Gulf summer moved the 2022 World Cup to November and December. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)

## Test 8: Season calendars around the world

- The league decided the change in December 2023, after years of debate. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Aligning with Europe's windows and Asia's competitions was the main argument; winter snow in the north was the main worry. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- The play-offs follow the regular season. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- The play-offs run through November after the regular season ends in October. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Australian rules football and rugby league fill the winter. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- A Nordic or Russian side had to be sharp without competitive matches for months. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- The league follows the European calendar, so its window matched Europe's. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- February, March or April, August and October. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- 2025, the first half of 2026 and 2026-27. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Série A's season sits inside one calendar year, so its clubs' window for European sales is mid-season. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)

## Test 9: The calendar debate and player welfare

- The calendar is part of FIFA's transfer regulations; UEFA sets its own club competitions within it. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- The first matchday of the 36-team league phase was spread over Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. (Source: UEFA competition calendar 2024-25; contemporary reporting)
- Each club plays eight league-phase matches, as in the Champions League. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- They argued FIFA was abusing its position by adding competitions without agreement. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Averages hide the few dozen players who play for club and country almost every week. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Sixty matches spread evenly are different from ten matches in a month. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Players at big clubs who also play for their countries carry most of the extra matches. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- 2018, 2024 and 2025. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- 32, 36 and 48. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- He tore a knee ligament days after warning that players were close to striking over the number of matches. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)

## Test 10: Contested claims about periodisation

- Tactical periodisation is widely used and argued for, but there is no trial showing it produces better results. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Two coaches can both call their method tactical periodisation and train very differently. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Its reviewers point out that much of the original work was never published in checkable form. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Few clubs follow any single method to the letter. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- Good planning reduces some risks; contact, chance and many other factors remain. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- An observational study can show an association; other differences between leagues may play a part. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- A plan fits a squad and a calendar; lifted whole it rarely fits another one. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- 1960s, 1980s and 2010s. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- A single case, a single sample and many samples pooled. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)
- The Elite Club Injury Study has been run from Linköping University since 2001. (Source: FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players; league, UEFA and FIFPRO statements; contemporary reporting)

Sources: IFAB, FIFA and UEFA regulations and reports / club and federation statements / published coaching literature / peer-reviewed studies / contemporary reporting

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