WARM-UPS

Why?

This warm-up lets players practice their first touch on the ball.
Players practice heading, receiving with different parts of the body, and one-touch volleys and passes.
Players get focused for practice.

How?

Half the players, with balls, spread out on the outside of the circle. The other half get ready to move around, in one direction, on the inside of the circle.
The players on the outside toss the ball to the players on the inside, who practice different first touch skills.
The two groups switch after every skill to let all players practice the skill.
This simple warm-up works for headers, volleys (inside of foot, laces), thigh traps, different foot traps (inside, outside, sole), and one -ouch passes.

What to Say

For headers – Focus on the ball, eyes open, and snap your neck through contact to give the header power back to the tosser’s hands.
For volleys – Keep your ankle locked on contact. Don’t take a big swing. Point your foot where you want the ball to go.
Keep moving. If someone drops the ball, go to the next “number on the clock.”

Why?

How?

Have players dribble in the center circle or a small grid. Every player has a ball except one “free player.”
Players dribble with their balls until you yell “switch” or “change,” at which point every player must stop their ball and find a new one to keep dribbling.
One player will be left without a ball.
Repeat, letting the players try different moves and turns. Have the players speed up once they get comfortable.
For older players (U-10+), have half the players get rid of their ball. Players now run around the grid, passing and receiving whenever possible.

What To Say

Try to keep your head up while dribbling. This helps you avoid teammates and keep the ball.
Always be ready to stop, or trap, the ball. Keep it close.
For passing, communicate verbally, or with your eyes, who you want to pass to or receive from.

Why?

This warm-up gives players lots of touches on the ball in a short amount of time.
Players practice their ball control, turns, and moves.
Players need to keep their heads up while dribbling, to avoid teammates and keep the ball.
Players warm their muscles in between dribbling by doing dynamic movements over and around the ball.
Players get warmed up and more focused before practice.

How?

Have players dribble in a small penalty box, or a grid about 30 by 20 yards.
Have them keep control of the ball while constantly changing directions, keeping the ball in bounds.
Have them practice old and new moves in a safe environment.
In between dribbling, stop the players and show them some dynamic movements that they can use to raise their temperature and warm their muscles. For example, players can do toe-taps or “hot feet” on the ball, jump over the ball, and do some high knees.
Have players finish by increasing the intensity of the warm-up, dribbling and turning faster.
Finish with stretching.

What To Say

Try to keep your head up while dribbling. Don’t run into teammates and keep the ball in bounds.
Practice some fakes and moves.

Why?

How?

Use after running and stretching.
Set up grids, 10 by 10 yards. Five players per grid.
1st Exercise – A player is on each corner. The ball is passed to a corner. The free player supports the player on the corner by moving towards him/her on the outside of the grid. The corner player lays the ball off to the free player, who passes to the next corner, and takes the corner player’s place. The original corner player now becomes the free player and runs to support the next corner. And so on.
2nd Exercise – Now the free player executes a give and go with the corner player around the corner cone. The free player stays at the cone while the corner player moves on to execute a give and go with the next corner in the rotation. And so on.
3rd Exercise – Now the free player comes into the middle of the grid. He/she receives a ball from a corner and one-touches it to the next corner in the rotation. The free player moves to the corner where he/she receives the ball from. And the corner player that passes the ball becomes the new free player.

What to Say?

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