For soccer
For soccer, Nordic curl rates higher on our research criteria: more injury protection.
Both are good choices that build different things for soccer, so a plan can use both.
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Nordic Curl. Danish soccer teams that added Nordics had about 70% fewer acute hamstring injuries over a season.
Single-Leg RDL. Hamstring and hip strength with balance on one leg, the base for sprinting and sudden stops.
For hamstring growth, the two are close. Nordic curl rates slightly higher: more of the work on the hamstrings. Single-leg RDL gives more stretch.
For running, single-leg RDL rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to running.
For American football, Nordic curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to American football, more injury protection.
For skiing & snowboarding, single-leg RDL rates well ahead on our research criteria: more carry-over to skiing & snowboarding.
For soccer, Nordic curl rates higher on our research criteria: more injury protection. Both are good choices that build different things for soccer, so a plan can use both.
About the same: both take some practice.
Nordic curl needs no equipment, so you can do it anywhere. Single-leg RDL needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it.
Nordic curl: it rates Excellent for injury protection in our research rubric, against Strong for single-leg RDL.