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sRPE Basics for Coaches: How to Monitor Training Load

A practical guide to using sRPE and session load to monitor training load without GPS, spreadsheets, or a sports science department.

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sRPE basics guide cover for coaches monitoring session training load.

sRPE basics

Give players a shared language for session intensity

sRPE stands for session rating of perceived exertion. It asks athletes to rate how hard the whole session felt.

sRPE basics guide cover for coaches monitoring session training load.
sRPE turns athlete perception into a consistent coaching signal.

sRPE

The athlete's rating of how hard a session felt, usually on a 0-10 scale.

Example: 0 means rest, 5 means hard but controlled, 7 means very hard, and 10 means maximal.

sRPEDescriptionExample feeling
0RestNo effort.
3ModerateComfortable and sustainable.
5HardWorking but controlled.
7Very hardStrong effort required.
10MaximalAll-out and unsustainable.

sRPE

Multiply effort by duration to create internal load

sRPE alone tells you intensity. Session load combines that intensity with how long the athlete worked.

sRPE

Perceived intensity

How hard the session felt.

min

Duration

How long the athlete worked.

AU

Session load

RPE x minutes.

Example

A 75-minute football session at RPE 7 produces 525 arbitrary units: 7 x 75 = 525 AU.
sRPE is useful because it creates one comparable internal load value across players, sessions, matches, and weeks. If you want software to collect and analyze that workflow automatically, compare the best training load monitoring software for team sports. And if your players already quote a Garmin, Apple Watch or Polar training load score, that guide explains how those numbers relate to sRPE.

Estimate session load

Change duration and sRPE to see how session load changes.

Estimated weekly load

1800

Implementation

Make sRPE a repeatable coaching habit

sRPE works when the scale, timing, education, and weekly review stay consistent.

  1. 1

    Choose a 0-10 scale

    Use simple descriptors and keep them visible during the first weeks.

  2. 2

    Ask 20-30 minutes post-session

    This helps athletes rate the whole session rather than only the final drill.

  3. 3

    Educate athletes

    Explain that sRPE is not a toughness score. Honest answers make training safer and smarter.

  4. 4

    Record duration and sRPE

    Calculate session load for every athlete and main session.

  5. 5

    Review weekly totals

    Look for spikes, drops, and differences between planned and perceived intensity.

Record every session

  • Date.
  • Session type.
  • Duration in minutes.
  • Athlete sRPE.
  • Calculated session load.
  • Weekly load total.

Use cases

Turn sRPE trends into coaching decisions

The value is not the number by itself. It is the pattern across days, players, and weeks.

Use caseWhat to compareCoach response
MD-3 vs MD-1Main loading day against pre-match taper.Reduce MD-1 if it starts looking like a main load day.
Weekly loadCurrent week against previous weeks.Review spikes around 30-40% before they become problems.
Unexpected sRPEA normal session rated much harder or easier than usual.Check sleep, stress, soreness, motivation, or session design.
Use sRPE trends, not single values. Patterns over weeks tell you who is coping, who needs protection, and whether session design matches the plan.

Common mistakes

Simple does not mean careless

sRPE is easy to collect, but the data quality depends on timing, education, context, and review.

Inconsistent timing

Collect at a stable point after sessions instead of switching between immediate, late, and next-day reporting.

Poor athlete education

Teach the scale and reinforce that 7 is not better than 5.

Ignoring context

Heat, travel, stress, illness, and recent matches explain unusual sRPE values.

Never reviewing the data

A weekly 15-minute review is what turns collection into coaching action.
The method above is sport-agnostic, but the schedule you’re reading it against isn’t. If you coach basketball, our sRPE for basketball guide covers the sport-specific research and how to read load through a congested, multi-game week.

Fractall workflow

Scale sRPE beyond a spreadsheet

As squads grow, manually collecting sRPE, wellness, pain reports, and weekly load trends becomes difficult to sustain.

sRPE monitoring in Fractall

1

Athletes submit sRPE and wellness after training and matches.

2

Fractall calculates session load, weekly load, ACWR, monotony, and strain.

3

Coaches review trends, spikes, and readiness signals in shared dashboards.

Make sRPE useful every week

Use Fractall to collect sRPE, calculate load metrics, and combine training load with wellness context — no hardware required.

See how sRPE monitoring works in Fractall

Start tomorrow

  • Choose a 0-10 RPE scale.
  • Explain the scale at the next session.
  • Collect 20-30 minutes post-session.
  • Record date, type, duration, player, and sRPE.
  • Calculate session load and weekly load.
  • Adjust next week's plan based on the trends.

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