Football calories burned
Quick answer
Playing football burns about 210 kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. One hour burns about 420 kcal.
- 30 minutes, 70 kg
- 210 kcal
- 1 hour, 70 kg
- 420 kcal
- MET used
- 7
- Effort or pace
- Moderate
Easy is for light practice, Moderate for a casual game and Hard for a competitive match. Count the time you play, not long breaks on the bench.
Calories burned by body weight
Estimated kcal for each effort level the Nibbs app offers for football. Pick the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5 MET | 100 kcal | 120 kcal | 140 kcal | 160 kcal | 180 kcal | 200 kcal |
| Moderate7 MET | 150 kcal | 180 kcal | 210 kcal | 240 kcal | 270 kcal | 300 kcal |
| Hard9.5 MET | 213 kcal | 255 kcal | 298 kcal | 340 kcal | 383 kcal | 425 kcal |
| Effort level | 50 kg | 60 kg | 70 kg | 80 kg | 90 kg | 100 kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy5 MET | 200 kcal | 240 kcal | 280 kcal | 320 kcal | 360 kcal | 400 kcal |
| Moderate7 MET | 300 kcal | 360 kcal | 420 kcal | 480 kcal | 540 kcal | 600 kcal |
| Hard9.5 MET | 425 kcal | 510 kcal | 595 kcal | 680 kcal | 765 kcal | 850 kcal |
- Easy:
- Relaxed, light effort.
- Moderate:
- Steady, noticeable effort. New logs in the app start here.
- Hard:
- Demanding and hard to keep up.
How this is calculated
Calories burned = (MET − 1) × body weight in kg × time in hours
MET compares the energy an activity uses with sitting at rest. Nibbs takes away 1 MET, the energy your body uses at rest (about 1 kcal per kg per hour), so it counts only the extra calories from the activity. The app rounds the result to the nearest whole kcal.
Worked example (Moderate, 70 kg, 30 minutes): (7 − 1) × 70 × 0.5 = 210 kcal.
| Effort level | MET | Compendium code |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 5 | Effort model |
| Moderate | 7 | 15610 |
| Hard | 9.5 | Effort model |
Compendium row for football: code 15610, 7 MET.Compendium wording: “Soccer, casual, general”
Easy, Moderate and Hard come from the Nibbs effort model. They are approximate rates, based on Compendium codes 15610, 15605, 15070. They are not separate measurements of football. A code shows next to a level only where its rate equals the row above.
Common questions
How many calories does playing football burn in an hour?
About 420 kcal for a 70 kg person at moderate effort. At the same effort, a 50 kg person burns about 300 kcal and a 100 kg person about 600 kcal.
Does playing football burn more calories at a harder effort?
Yes. For a 70 kg person, 30 minutes burns about 140 kcal at easy effort, 210 kcal at moderate effort and 298 kcal at hard effort. Choose the level that matches the whole session, including normal short rests.
Why are these numbers lower than some other calculators?
Nibbs counts only the calories you burn above your resting rate. It takes away 1 MET, about 1 kcal per kg of body weight per hour, because your body burns that much even when you sit still. Calculators that count total calories include this resting energy, so their numbers are higher.
How do I log football in Nibbs?
Add Football (Soccer) from the exercise library, enter how long you did it and pick Easy, Moderate or Hard. Nibbs uses the weight in your profile to estimate the calories. You can replace the estimate with your own number.
Log football in Nibbs and get a calorie estimate automatically
Nibbs has a library of more than 1,200 exercises. Add a workout and Nibbs uses your weight to estimate the calories, next to the meals you log.
Calories burned in related activities
Values are kcal in 30 minutes for a 70 kg person, at the app's default effort level or the pace shown on each page.