How to warm up with the ball: ideas for every age group

Laps of the pitch and stretching in a circle are still the warm-up in many teams. They raise the temperature, but they waste ten minutes in which the players could be touching the ball and preparing for what comes next.

A good warm-up does three things: it raises the heart rate gradually, it prepares the joints and muscles for sprints and changes of direction, and it gets the players thinking about football. You can do all three with a ball.

1. Activation (3–5 min): ball mastery or passing at low intensity, with mobility movements between repetitions.

2. Movement (3–5 min): changes of direction, short accelerations and jumps, ideally linked to a pass or a ball.

3. Game (4–6 min): a rondo or a small possession game at higher intensity, close to what the main part will need.

At this age the warm-up is a game. A ball mastery grid where everyone dribbles in the same space and reacts to signals, or a passing game through gates where each pair counts how many gates they pass through in a minute.

No static stretching at the start: children do not need it and it takes away playing time.

From U13 upwards it is worth including a few minutes of specific activation: dynamic mobility, core and landing from jumps. They are short routines that help to reduce the risk of injury and can be done with the ball nearby.

Then a rondo or a short passing pattern, at the speed of the match. If the main part will be pressing, end the warm-up with a game where the defenders have to win the ball back quickly.

Warm-ups that are longer than the main part. Going straight into maximum sprints. Long explanations while the players are cooling down. And a warm-up that has nothing to do with the rest of the session.

In the planner, the warm-up tasks are proposed according to the objectives you choose, so they fit with the main part.