Calories burned playing football
Football mixes jogging, sprinting and quick changes of direction over a big pitch. A kickabout and a competitive match are very different in effort, so pick the level that matches how hard you really play.
That is roughly the energy in about 4.5 bananas, about 4 rotis or about 2.5 samosas.
At every effort level
| Effort | MET | Calories for 60 min |
|---|---|---|
| Light kickabout | 5 | 350 kcal |
| Casual game | 7 | 490 kcal |
| Competitive match | 10 | 700 kcal |
Calories burned playing football, by weight and time
At a regular pace (Casual game).
| Body weight | 30 min | 45 min | 60 min | 90 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg | 175 kcal | 265 kcal | 350 kcal | 525 kcal |
| 60 kg | 210 kcal | 315 kcal | 420 kcal | 630 kcal |
| 70 kg | 245 kcal | 370 kcal | 490 kcal | 735 kcal |
| 80 kg | 280 kcal | 420 kcal | 560 kcal | 840 kcal |
| 90 kg | 315 kcal | 475 kcal | 630 kcal | 945 kcal |
Good to know
- Midfielders and wide players usually cover the most ground.
- Small-sided games on turf keep you moving non-stop, so they can burn more per minute than a full-size game where you wait for play.
These are estimates for an average adult, based on the Compendium of Physical Activities. Your real figure depends on your fitness, technique and effort. This is general guidance, not medical advice.
Questions people ask
How many calories does an hour of playing football burn?
At a regular pace, a 60 kg person burns about 420 kcal, a 70 kg person about 490 kcal and an 80 kg person about 560 kcal in an hour. Taking it easy (light kickabout) burns about 350 kcal for a 70 kg person, and going hard (competitive match) about 700 kcal.
How many calories does 30 minutes of playing football burn?
At a regular pace, about 210 kcal for a 60 kg person, 245 kcal for 70 kg and 280 kcal for 80 kg. Use the calculator above to enter your own weight and time.
How is the number worked out?
Calories burned = MET x your weight in kg x time in hours. A MET says how many times more energy an activity uses than sitting still. For playing football we use 5 (easy), 7 (regular) and 10 (hard). These values follow the Compendium of Physical Activities, a standard research list, and are averages for adults.
How accurate is this?
It is an estimate, usually within about 20 percent. Your fitness, technique, body build and how hard you really work all change the true figure, and fitness watches can differ from it too. Use it to compare activities and plan, not as an exact count.
Is playing football good for weight loss?
Any activity that gets you moving helps, and the best one is the one you will keep doing. Weight depends on what you eat as much as what you burn. As a very rough rule, around 7,700 kcal is about 1 kg of body fat, but real results vary from person to person. If you have a health condition, check with a doctor before starting something new.
