Reader,
The first ten minutes of training can easily become a waiting room for the “real” session.
Players arrive. They pass in pairs. They move through cones. They take a few touches. Then the coach brings them in and begins the actual work.
But the warm-up is already part of the learning environment.
It sets the tone for how players arrive in the session: passive or engaged, dependent or responsible, switched off or curious. If the opening activity is disconnected from the main theme, players may warm their bodies without preparing their minds for the decisions they will soon need to make.
That does not mean every warm-up has to look like the main practice. It does not need to be overly complex or packed with coaching points. But it should give players an early route into the session’s purpose.
If the session is about playing forward, the warm-up can include moments where players check their shoulder, receive on an angle, or recognise when to break a line.
In a session about defending transition, the warm-up can include quick reactions, changes of direction, and small moments of pressure.
And if the session is about combination play, the warm-up can help players connect movement, timing, and communication before the practice becomes more opposed.
The point is not to coach everything early. The point is to make the beginning of the session feel connected to what comes next. Keep in mind that practice design should help players prepare to think, not only move.
A useful warm-up prepares the body, but it also prepares attention. It gives players something to notice. It helps them arrive at the football problem, not just in the training space.
For younger players especially, this matters. The way a session starts often shapes the behaviour that follows. A coach who controls every movement from the first minute may get organisation, but not always ownership. A simple player-led warm-up can begin building responsibility before the main practice even starts.
Three Things to Consider
1. Start with the session purpose. Before choosing the opening activity, ask what players will need later: awareness, tempo, timing, communication, receiving skills, pressing reactions, or decision-making under pressure. The warm-up should gently point players in that direction.
2. Keep it simple enough for players to enter quickly. A warm-up that needs a five-minute explanation can lose the energy it is supposed to create. Players should be able to understand the task, begin moving, and gradually find the detail inside it.
3. Use the first few minutes to observe. The warm-up gives the coach early information: who is focused, who is distracted, who understands the theme, who needs support, and what the group may need before the session develops.
One thing to try this week
Design your warm-up after you design the main part of the session.
Once the main learning problem is clear, create a short opening activity that includes one small piece of that problem. It might be as simple as a passing warm-up that introduces the timing, angles, or scanning players will need later.
Do not over-coach it. Let players play, move, adjust, and notice. Then, when the session develops, refer back to something they have already experienced.
For example: “Remember in the warm-up when you had to check before receiving? That same situation is here now, only with more pressure.”
One Critical Resource on the Topic
PDP’s piece on what makes an effective pre-game warm-up can give coaches a broader way to think about preparation, readiness, and purpose before performance begins.
FAQ
Should the warm-up always include the ball?
Not always. The decision should depend on the age of the players, the physical needs of the group, and the purpose of the session. But when the ball can be included safely and meaningfully, it often helps players connect movement with perception, timing, and interaction.
How long should a warm-up be?
Long enough for players to become physically ready and mentally engaged, but not so long that it becomes separate from the session. For many youth teams, a short, purposeful opening activity is more useful than a long, generic routine.
Can players lead part of the warm-up without standards dropping?
Yes, if the expectations are clear. Player ownership does not mean the coach disappears. It means players are trusted with a defined responsibility, while the coach observes, supports and shapes the environment when needed.
