Warm-up is one of the most important moments during a training session. Whether you are a seniors coach, U15, or U13, the warm-up should not be neglected. It is through quality warm-ups that you can endure over time and your players can progress, both athletically and psychologically.
Why do a soccer warm-up before a training session?
Soccer warm-ups have many advantages to ensure that your players' bodies are ready for the upcoming session. It allows, among other things, to:
- Prepare the joints for the efforts required by the session.
- Improve muscle temperature (commonly known as “muscle vascularization”).
- Gradually increase body temperature.
- Prepare the heart for the efforts to come. The gradual increase in heart rate is a key benefit of an effective warm-up.
What is a good soccer warm-up?
In soccer, a good warm-up is primarily one that is prepared in advance. Forget about “laps around the field” or last-minute warm-up exercises. To properly prepare your players for the upcoming session, we recommend defining your warm-up exercises in advance, and especially selecting drills that relate to the session you want to implement.
Whether you decide that the theme of your session revolves around gegenpressing (counter-pressing), “Juego de Posicion”, or working on movements in tight spaces, it is essential that your warm-up reflects the objectives of your session.
A good soccer warm-up combines several characteristics:
- It primarily allows for a proper rise in temperature and body preparation.
- It is fun and engaging (avoid boring and repetitive exercises).
- It serves as a transition between pre-session and the concentration needed for the training session.
What exercises should be implemented during a warm-up?
When you prepare your warm-up, we recommend implementing varied exercises that are fun and especially related to your session. Beyond the muscular aspect, the warm-up is an excellent catalyst to get all your players in the mindset of the session.
Favor exercises with the ball when possible, but don't be too rigid about it. The “with or without the ball” debate doesn't really make sense. What matters is that your exercises are suited to your group. Here is a list of some of the warm-up exercises offered on SoccerCoachLab:
- Warm-up: possession with numerical advantage and defensive pressing
- Possession and recovery in 2vs2
- Warm-up: off-the-ball movement and passing in motion
- Aerobic work and long passes
- Warm-up with Carlo Ancelotti's Y passing drill
- Warm-up: defensive block and group positioning
- Warm-up: collective ball possession
- Ball mastery and control-pass
- Warm-up: individual possession with support
- Warm-up: support work and motor skills
We have hundreds of quality warm-up exercises, and below we offer a small sample of our classic exercises that you can adapt during your training sessions.
3 examples of warm-up exercises (all categories)
These 3 warm-up exercises are suitable for most categories, from U11 to Seniors. Of course, remember to adjust the times, distances, and intensity according to the age and level of your players.
By offering the possibility to play with support, this 6vs6 warm-up exercise allows your players to work on ball possession and quick play.
Support play work
For this warm-up, mark out a field about 30x40m (you can use the penalty area and an equivalent surface area). Then, form 3 teams of 6 players and place 2 teams on the field, and the last one outside the field. The goal of this warm-up is to maintain possession of the ball.
The players of the 3rd team waiting outside serve as support for the team in possession of the ball. For this warm-up exercise, you can limit the support players to one or two touches of the ball.
A possible variation for this warm-up: when the team in possession of the ball completes 7 consecutive passes, it stays on the field while the other two teams switch roles.
2. Warm-up: sequence, control, dribble, and pass
Through a simple sequence of control-dribble-pass, this ideal warm-up exercise allows you to work on the basics while staying in motion.
Sequence, control, dribble, and pass
For this second warm-up exercise, place 4 gates about 10m apart. They should more or less form a square. Then place 4 cones in a diamond shape after the 1st and 3rd gates. Finally, place a cone between the 2nd and 3rd gates and a final cone between the 4th and 1st gates.
This warm-up drill proceeds as follows: the player dribbles the ball through the course and makes a pass at the end of the 4 cones to another player positioned at the 2nd gate. This player controls the ball, continues the course through the 3rd gate, and makes a pass just after the 4 cones to another player waiting at the 4th gate.
For this warm-up exercise, emphasize the precision of successive sequences dribble-pass and pass-control. The ball must be struck and not pushed when making the pass.
3. Warm-up: deflection play and sequence
An excellent exercise for warm-up, your players practice deflection play and sequencing to remain available for the ball carrier. Remember to change support every 2 minutes and to change direction regularly.
Deflection play and sequence
Use 4 cones to set up a 30m x 25m field. Place 5 players: 4 at each cone to form a square and one in the middle who will serve as a support player. The 1st player passes the ball to the next player and follows to take their position. The 2nd player performs a one-two pass with the support player and passes the ball to the 3rd player while following the action. The 3rd player passes the ball to the support player who gives it to the 4th player. The 3rd player follows to take the place of the 4th, who dribbles the ball to the original position of the 1st player. The exercise then restarts.
Remember to change support every 2 minutes and also to change direction regularly. Don't forget that it's a warm-up exercise, so gradually increase the intensity.
What are the mistakes to avoid during a soccer warm-up?
When preparing the warm-up for your training session, there are several elements we advise you to avoid that could seriously deteriorate the quality of your coaching.
The first thing to avoid, of course, is not doing a warm-up. Starting a session without a warm-up, especially in cold weather, is extremely risky for your players. It's a practice to ban, regardless of the category in which you coach.
The second pitfall to avoid during the pre-session athletic warm-up is not paying attention to what the players do before the session. Players usually arrive gradually and will then take some balls while waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. It is at this moment that some players shoot at the goal, perform high-intensity runs. If you are not attentive, this can lead to injuries, more or less severe.
Do you want to discover hundreds of warm-up exercises with illustrations and variations? Discover the SoccerCoachLab platform and join our community of several thousand amateur coaches.
