An amateur who runs and also plays volleyball on Wednesdays runs into the same mistake: the game is treated as "something easy", simply added to the plan — and the week quietly turns into three hard days in a row. Then you're surprised by a long run that won't go, and knees that ache for no apparent reason.
Let's look at the other side of the question — not how to warm up before a game (there's a separate article on that), but how to fit games and running into one week so they don't eat into each other.
A game is an intense workout
Football, basketball and volleyball consist of accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction and jumps. In terms of load, this is closer to interval work than to an easy run, and in terms of stress on joints and tendons it's tougher than almost any running workout.
What each game gives and what it costs:
| Type | What it develops | What it loads the most |
|---|---|---|
| Football | Repeated accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction, strength endurance | Hamstrings, calves, ankles, knees; plus duels and unpredictable movements |
| Basketball | Explosive strength, short accelerations, jumps, reaction | Calves, Achilles tendons, knees — due to the number of jumps and landings |
| Volleyball | Jumping ability, foot work, coordination, core strength | Series of jumps and landings with less running volume |
Hence the first rule: a game day takes the place of speed work in the plan, not added on top of it. If you had intervals on Tuesday and football on Wednesday, you have two intense days in a row that week, and recovery won't be ready for Saturday's long run.
Where to place a game in the week
For a road race the logic is simple: one speed session, one long run, the game instead of the second intense session. Leave 24–48 hours between the game and hard running, depending on how hard you played.
For a mountain race there's another consideration. Downhills already load the same muscles and tendons as jumps — the mechanics of this are covered in the breakdown of damage from downhills. So place the game further away from a long trail run: at least 48 hours, and preferably two days of easy work in between.
What you definitely shouldn't do:
- schedule a match the day before a long run, tempo run, or race;
- play the day after a long run — your legs no longer absorb landings well, and that's a typical injury;
- treat the game as a substitute for long runs: it gives you neither sport-specific endurance nor the skill of running over terrain.
If the game still lands on a bad day, you can "downgrade" it: no all-out sprints, limit jumping, and avoid hard episodes. It's not a full workout, but it's not a wasted evening either.
Why your jump disappears after a long run
The relationship works both ways. After a long run, your legs temporarily lose their sharpness, and it shows in the game: slower first step, lower jump, worse braking and change of direction, less precise landings. That familiar feeling of "heavy legs" is exactly this.
There are two reasons: the muscles responsible for push-off and stabilization are fatigued, and the nervous system is worse at engaging fast movements. The state passes within a day or two — it's an acute effect, and there's nothing wrong with it.
The accumulated effect is more dangerous. If only volume grows for months while accelerations, jumps, and strength work have no place, endurance grows but explosive power slowly fades. It's not "long runs made me slow" — it's the absence of quality work in the program.
The antidote is cheap: keep a small amount of speed-strength work year-round — short accelerations, low jumps, foot and ankle exercises, core stability. Do it when fresh, not at the end of a hard workout. Specific exercises are covered in the articles on plyometrics and calf and Achilles.
Warm-up: why it's longer for team-sport players
A runner can start a workout with slow running and gradually speed up — the workout itself serves as the warm-up. A team-sport player can't do that: the very first play may require a jump or a lateral sprint on cold muscles.
That's why a team-sport player's warm-up goes step by step: general warm-up, movement drills (side steps, backward running, short accelerations with stops), dynamic mobilization of the ankle, knee, hips, and thoracic spine, then coordination and balance, then ball work in pairs, and only at the end — jumps, kicks, and game episodes.
The differences between sports are small but real. For a volleyball player, the shoulder and thoracic spine matter more, as well as series of soft jumps before blocking and spiking. For a basketball player — stops, pivots, and landings: not muscles, but body position control. For a football player — hamstrings, kicks with increasing force, and engaging attention: already during passes the player starts reading the space.
It's better not to do static stretching before explosive work — it belongs in the cool-down or as a separate session. The full step-by-step warm-up ladder and a breakdown of what changes with age are in the article about warm-up for team-sport players.
Before the race
10–14 days before the race, you can still keep moderate play if you tolerate it well. In the final week, it's better to skip full matches: the risk of pulling something out of nowhere is too high, and muscle soreness costs too much.
Especially undesirable before a race are football with combat sports, basketball with a lot of jumping, long play at high intensity, and a sudden change of surface. If it's too boring without playing, leave a short technical session with the ball, without maximal accelerations.
A short set of rules
- Play is an intense day, not active recovery.
- It replaces speed work, not supplements it.
- 24–48 hours before hard running work; before a long trail run — no less than 48.
- No matches on the eve of a long run, tempo run, or race.
- After a long run, your legs temporarily don't jump — that's normal and passes.
- Keep a small amount of speed-strength work year-round, when fresh.
- The last week before a race — no full matches.
In 1trAIner, the AI coach treats a game workout as an intense day and arranges the rest of the week around it: the long run moves away from the match, speed training is not duplicated, and before the game starts they drop out of the plan on their own. First 7 days free.
This material is for informational purposes and does not replace a doctor's consultation. If you have joint or tendon pain, or after injuries, agree on your game load regimen with a doctor or rehabilitation specialist.
