InkboundRecruiting Tips
How Long Should a Recruiting Highlight Video Be? The Real Answer
By Inkbound 5 min read
Find the ideal highlight video length for college recruiting by sport, plus what to put first so coaches keep watching.
Most athletes make their highlight video too long.
Coaches want enough footage to evaluate you, but not so much that they waste time.
The Best Length for Most Sports
A strong range is 3 to 5 minutes.
If you are a goalie, quarterback, or pitcher, you can go slightly longer if every clip adds value.
What Matters More Than Length
The first 20 seconds.
If your first plays are weak, the coach will click away even if the total video is short.
By Sport Considerations
- Soccer: include off-ball moments and decisions
- Basketball: show defense and playmaking, not only scoring
- Football: include multiple snaps, not just best hit
- Baseball: show mechanics and repeatable actions
- Volleyball: include serve receive and transitions
- Lacrosse and field hockey: show two-way play
Final Tip
Shorter, stronger, clearer wins.
FieldVision Studio helps you build the right length automatically by removing filler and keeping only evaluation plays.
Related articles
Back to the blog or browse college soccer programs by state.
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