Football Calories Burned Calculator
Calculate how many calories you burn during football activities based on official MET values from the Compendium of Physical Activities.
How Many Calories Does Football Burn? ⚽
Football burns between 300-900 calories per hour, depending on playing intensity, body weight, and position. According to research published in PMC, football training provides exceptional metabolic benefits due to its intermittent high-intensity nature. For a 150-pound person, a competitive football match can burn approximately 550-650 calories per hour while developing aerobic capacity, leg strength, and balance through its unique combination of sprinting, jogging, and skilled movements.
Football Intensity Levels & Calorie Expenditure
Based on research from the Compendium of Physical Activities and metabolic equivalent (MET) values, here are the different football intensity levels:
- Casual Football (4.0 METs): Light effort recreational play, walking football, technical drills, beginner level training
- Touch/Flag Football (6.0-8.0 METs): Non-competitive play with moderate running, short sprints, passing drills, and technical training
- Regular Football Training (7.0 METs): Practice sessions with drills, moderate-intensity scrimmages, tactical training, and skill development
- Competitive Soccer (9.5 METs): High-intensity match play with continuous movement, sprinting, tactical positioning, and minimal rest
- Competitive Football (8.0 METs): Full-effort competitive American football with position-specific exertion, sprinting, and tactical play
According to research from the University of Jyväskylä, football players can reach 80-90% of their maximum heart rate during intense gameplay, creating significant metabolic demand that continues to burn calories hours after playing through the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) effect!
Football Calorie Burn Chart
| Duration | Casual Play (4.0 MET) |
Regular Training (7.0 MET) |
Flag Football (8.0 MET) |
Competitive Soccer (9.5 MET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | 90-120 calories | 160-210 calories | 180-240 calories | 215-285 calories |
| 45 minutes | 135-180 calories | 240-315 calories | 270-360 calories | 325-425 calories |
| 60 minutes | 180-240 calories | 320-420 calories | 360-480 calories | 430-570 calories |
| 90 minutes | 270-360 calories | 480-630 calories | 540-720 calories | 645-855 calories |
Calories Burned by Player Weight (60 minutes of play)
| Player Weight | Casual Play | Regular Training | Flag Football | Competitive Soccer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 125 lbs (57 kg) | 190 calories | 335 calories | 380 calories | 450 calories |
| 150 lbs (68 kg) | 230 calories | 400 calories | 455 calories | 545 calories |
| 175 lbs (79 kg) | 265 calories | 465 calories | 530 calories | 635 calories |
| 200 lbs (91 kg) | 305 calories | 530 calories | 610 calories | 725 calories |
Formula for Calculating Football Calories Burned
Calories Burned = (MET × Weight(kg) × 3.5) ÷ 200 × Duration(min)
- MET Value: 4.0-9.5 (based on football intensity level)
- Weight: Your body weight in kilograms
- Duration: Football playing time in minutes
- 3.5: Standard metabolic factor
Calorie Burn by Football Activity Type
According to research published in PMC, different types of football training offer unique calorie-burning potential:
- Technical Drills (4.0-6.0 METs): Moderate calorie burn through passing, dribbling, shooting practice, and skill development with intermittent movement
- Small-Sided Games (7.0-8.5 METs): High calorie burn with continuous movement in reduced spaces, frequent ball contacts, and tactical decision-making
- Scrimmage/Practice Match (8.0-9.0 METs): High-intensity training simulating game conditions with tactical elements, positional play, and competitive spirit
- Sprint Training (8.0-10.0 METs): Very high intensity with repeated sprint efforts, change of direction drills, and explosive power development
- Full Competitive Match (9.5 METs): Maximum calorie burn with 90 minutes of intermittent high-intensity running, tactical movements, and skill execution
Football Training Health Benefits
According to research published in PMC, football provides exceptional health benefits:
- Cardiovascular Health: Football’s intermittent high-intensity nature creates powerful cardiorespiratory adaptations, improving resting heart rate, blood pressure, and arterial function
- Bone Mineral Density: The sport’s unique combination of rapid accelerations, decelerations, and changes of direction stimulates bone formation and calcium retention, particularly in weight-bearing bones
- Metabolic Benefits: Regular football participation enhances insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism, and lipid profile, reducing risk factors for metabolic syndrome
- Muscle Development: Football’s diverse movement patterns develop comprehensive lower body strength, power, and muscular endurance while improving neuromuscular coordination
According to University of Jyväskylä research, recreational football players experience significant improvements in aerobic capacity (+10-15%), muscle strength (+15%), and reductions in body fat percentage (-2-3%) after just 12 weeks of regular play, demonstrating football’s exceptional training efficiency!
Related Tools
- Push Ups Calories Burned
- Jumping Jacks Calories Burn
- Sit Ups Calories Burned Calculator
- Pull Ups Calories Burned
- Burpees Calories Burned
- Lunges Calories Burned
- Crunch Workout Calories Burned
References
- Milanović, Z., Pantelić, S., Čović, N., Sporiš, G., Mohr, M., & Krustrup, P. (2018). Broad-spectrum physical fitness benefits of recreational football: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 53(15), 926. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097885
- Krustrup, P., & Krustrup, B. R. (2018). Football is medicine: It is time for patients to play! British Journal of Sports Medicine, 52(22), 1412. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099377
- Herrmann SD, Willis EA, Ainsworth BE, Barreira TV, Hastert M, Kracht CL, Schuna Jr. JM, Cai Z, Quan M, Tudor-Locke C, Whitt-Glover MC, Jacobs DR. 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities: A third update of the energy costs of human activities. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 2024;13(1): 6-12.
