Warm Up Drills

Reaction Warm-Up
Set-Up
Make a circle with markers – one for each player.
If you have a large number of players, make two (or three) circles.
The size of the circle will depend on the age of your team and how much of a work-out you want to
give them – but even a small circle is good enough if you do the drill at pace.

Procedure
Couldn’t be simpler – you just shout out instructions!
“2 left”
“3 right, 1 left”
“2 right, centre, 1 left”
(Centre means run to the middle of the circle AND BACK)

Variations
The drill can be done with or without a ball.
Specify the type of steps they have to use between each marker, i.e., sidesteps or turn and run.
Have them sit down after each instruction – then they get to practice getting on their feet quickly (or
get trampled!)

Points to Watch
Make sure your kids are on their toes ready to move – no standing flat-footed.

Every step touch the ball

Players dribble a football slowly in a defined area. Then tell them to try to touch the football with
every step they take – (not as easy as it sounds!). On the command ‘Go’, the players must leave their
ball and find another. Let them try this a few times then take one or two balls away. The players who
end up without a ball have to run a lap of the activity area.

Spiders and bugs

Mark three lines 20 yards long and fifteen yards apart as shown by the x’s in the diagram
below.

Divide your children into two equal teams. Each team should stand along-side the centre line
about two yards apart and all facing forwards. Name one team Spiders (the ‘S’ in the
diagram above) and one team Bugs (the ‘B’s). When you call ‘Spiders’! or ‘Bugs’! that team
has to sprint for the end line nearest them. The other team tries to tag them. Anyone who is
tagged joins the other team. Continue until there are only a couple of children left who
haven’t been tagged. Don’t carry on until they are all exhausted!).

Pass and follow

A player in the centre of the circle passes to a player standing on the outside of the circle.
She follows her pass and exchanges places with the player she passed to. That player then dribbles
into the centre of the circle and passes to another player on the outside. As the players improve, put
another ball into play and/or impose restrictions (one-touch play, alternate side-of-the-foot and
lofted passes, etc).
You could also try putting half the players on the outside of the circle and half on the inside. The
players on the inside look to the players on the outside for a thrown-in ball, receive it and one-touch
it back (vary the service so that the ball is thrown to feet, to thigh, to chest, to head).
The Zipper Drill
Organisation
Grid can be determined by the age of the players. 20yds x 20yds is the normal.
Divide team into two groups here blues and greens. Players start on cone A and run down to cone B
doing whatever is asked of them. When they pass cone B
they run diagonally to the opposite corner and cross the
other group, they now start from cone A again.

Progression
- Players bump into each other in the middle and
sprint to A
- Turn before the Zip
- Introduce a ball.
- Exercises (from A to B)
- Slow Jogging.
- Stop, turn.
- Skipping.
- Skipping Sideways.
- Skipping Backwards.
- Faster Jogging
- Striding Out.
- Slight changes of direction. Three steps to the right then three steps to the left.
- High Knees.
- Heel Flicks.
- Sprinting.
- Jump and Head.
- Turn and Sprint.
- Backing Off.
- Jockeying.

Quick reactions
Organisation
Players line up behind each other in a straight line with cones ten yards away on their left and right.
The coach stands opposite them and shouts instructions. The players run to the line of cones
indicated by the coach.
Moves:
- Skip
- Run
- Dribble with ball (leave on line or take back).
- Run with ball in hands (leave on line or take back).
Players can react from:
- Voice
- Signal
- Shouting colours (blue is left, green is right).
- Numbers odd numbers and even numbers.
- Opposites

Switch Ball
Organisation
Grid is 30 x 30 yards, you can even use the centre circle. Use 10+ players.
Three players are in the middle of a 30 x 30 yard grid. The remaining players make a circle around
the grid. Five of these players each have a ball.
Each player in the middle moves to a player with a ball, receives it, turns and switches it to a team
mate who does not have a ball. Play continues in this fashion for a designated period.

Variations
- Allow two touches for the players in the middle.
- The switched ball has to be chipped in the air.
- Add a defender to mark players in the middle.
- Rotate middle and circle players.

(Footy4kids, n.d.)