Football is one of the most aerobically demanding team sports. A Premier League outfield player covers 10 to 13 kilometres per match, with a significant proportion at high intensity. The beep test is a standard fitness assessment in football at all levels, from professional academies to Sunday league pre-seasons.
What Level Should a Footballer Aim For?
The target depends on your level of play.
Recreational
Good aerobic fitness and adequate preparation for a competitive game. Level 10 is a realistic target for any committed amateur player under 35 who trains regularly.
Semi-Professional
Strong benchmark at semi-professional and competitive amateur level. Comparable to some professional youth academy players.
Professional (Outfield)
Expected for professional and aspiring professional outfield players.
Goalkeeper
Typically lower than outfield players due to the different physical demands of the position.
Why Football Players Sometimes Score Lower Than Expected
Football fitness is multidimensional. Players develop exceptional repeated sprint ability, change of direction speed and technical skills that do not directly translate into a high beep test score. A winger who covers high intensity distances in matches may still only score level 11 on the beep test because their training emphasises different energy systems.
The beep test measures continuous aerobic capacity. Football performance relies more on intermittent aerobic capacity — the ability to recover between high intensity efforts. The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test is actually a better predictor of football specific fitness, which is why many professional clubs use it alongside or instead of the standard beep test.
Training for Football
For footballers, beep test improvement should sit within a broader fitness programme rather than being the sole focus. The training guide on this site is applicable — the interval work in weeks 3 to 5 is particularly relevant because it most closely mirrors the demands of match play.
Small sided games in training are also an excellent beep test preparation tool for footballers, because they combine high intensity intermittent running with the directional changes the beep test requires.