Why this isn’t just another HIIT timer
Most generic timers use round numbers like 30/30 with no idea what you’re doing between them. This one ships with soccer-specific presets that respect the sport’s actual demands:
- 4×4 SSG — four minutes on, one minute off, four rounds. The work intervals are long because small-sided games live in 90–95% HRmax for stretches; we tell you that in the log.
- Tabata Soccer — 20 s sprint / 10 s rest × 8. Standard Tabata uses 20 s of “maximum” effort on a bike; doing it with football actions for eight rounds is a different stimulus. We add a warning at round 6.
- Yo-Yo IR2 replica — 20 m runs at increasing pace with 5 s recovery. The tool won’t grade you (you need a beep test for that) but it’ll run the cadence so you can do it solo.
- 6×30 m sprint — with a 90 s recovery that matches the phosphocreatine recovery curve, not a random 60 s.
How to read the results
Every time a phase changes, you get a verbal count “3, 2, 1, GO” and a screen flash. After the session ends, the log shows you your real round durations (vs the target) — useful when you’re testing whether the recovery time was actually enough. If you consistently overrun the rest interval by > 10%, drop a round next session, don’t add one.
Limitations
- This is a clock. It cannot tell you whether you’re running at the right intensity. Use a chest-strap HR monitor for that.
- Audio cues use your device’s text-to-speech; quality varies by browser.
- It will not prevent you from starting an inappropriate session for your fitness level — the recovery prompt is the closest thing to a guardrail.
FAQ
Will it drain my battery?
A timer like this uses ~1–3% per hour on a modern phone. Keeping the screen on is the bigger cost; lower brightness and lock-screen widgets help. The page itself does not stream anything while running.
Why does it beep three times before a round?
Anticipatory countdowns reduce reaction lag by ~0.3 s on average in sprint studies. Three beeps is the minimum that’s been shown to make a difference.
Can I save my custom preset?
Custom values are kept in your browser’s local storage so they survive a refresh — but only on this device, and not if you clear site data. We never send them anywhere.