Football/Soccer Session (Beginner): U7 - U8 Warm Up Options Red Zone

Warm Up 1 (10 mins)

Organization

- All players in a 20 x 20 area

- All players have a ball

Activity

 - All players dribble their ball around the area getting lots of touches on the ball

 - As they move around the coach will call go at which point the players have to change direction and accelerate with the ball

- Make this activity more specific by adding different skills and turns e.g start with on the coaches call the players must perform a scissors and accelerate in to the space. This age range may not get the techniques perfect, however that's okay. Focus on the changes of direction and speed and add little technique bits of advice where possible.

- Progress by adding different Techniques which they will, then add to each other, resulting in the players performing 5-6 turns/skills back to back 

This warm up is focused on the players having time with the ball at their feet and learning to manipulate with changes of speed and direction. Depending on the level of players that you have you may start without the ball and build up to the ball with the focus remaining on the changes of speed and direction.

Warm Up 3 (10 mins)

Organization:

Players spread out inside a 25 x 25 area 

Players get in to pairs and number themselves 1 and 2

1 cone and 1 ball between the pair

Activity

- Player 1 has the ball

- Player 2 has the cone

- Player 1 dribbles around the area, player two will attempt to throw their cone to hit their partners ball.

- If the cone thrower is successful the two players will then switch roles and continue to play.

- The player with the ball at the end of the game is the winner and get a point. The player with the most points after -5 attempts is the winner. 

This is a fun warm up that will get the players thinking about lifting their head as they dribble, protecting their ball, and changes of direction and speed. There is a safety aspect to this and coaches will have to make sure the cone throwers are keeping their cones below knee height.

Warm Up 5 (10 mins)

Organization

 - Create a 25 x 25 area

 - All players will start in the area without a ball

Activity

- Players will move around the area and listen for the coach to call a number. The number will be between 1-4.

 - Whatever number the coach calls the players will place that amount of hands or feet on the floor without falling over. e.g 3 maybe two feet and one hand or two hands and 1 foot.

 - The coach can make the challenge harder if they want to by saying you must have a hand involved when the number is above 1.

 - During this the coach may also ask the players to move in different ways e.g. skipping, hopping jumping.

Progression

- Add the ball and adjust from numbers to body parts.

- If the coach calls belly it will be the first player to stop their ball and place their belly on the ball to get the point.

This is another fun warm up where players will be developing physical literacy and movement skills. Once the ball is added it will give the players the opportunity to manipulate the ball in addition to the physical literacy.

Warm Up 7 (10 mins)

Organization

- Players Line up in a single file line in the centre of a 20 x 20 square

- Players must be 2m apart

Activity

- The players line up in a single file line in front of the coach

- The coach names the line either side as different football teams, cartoons, superheroes etc

- The coach will then run through some actions that the players have to perform on the shout

- Both hands- Touch the floor with both hands

- Up - Jump

- Right - Put your right hand down

- Left - Put your left hand left

- Spin - 180 turn

- On the call of the teams the players will sprint to that line and back

- Give the players 4-5 practices

- Make it competitive and give each player 3 points, coins, lives to start with. Each time they are in the last 2 back to the middle line they lose a point

- Manage the game so that there is never a player that gets to 0 and all continue to play

- Ask the players at the end of 3 minutes how many coins they have

Progression

- All calls are opposite

Progression

- Add the ball in with players doing different ball manipulations when in line.

The focus for this warm up is to have fun, get a little energy going in the session and develop the players physical literacy. We are looking to see if players are able to jump with two feet, bend down and get back up quickly, land and change direction etc.