These Movement Based Warm Ups provide a general framework for organising and structuring warm ups for your young players, and as such can be simply adapted or modified to include and challenge a variety of different football and movement skills alongside the development of teamwork, co-operation, decision-making and communication skills. Each of the three parts shown here illustrate a few of the large number of skills that can be practiced through this warm up framework.

• Number of Players: 4+
• Equipment: One ball between pairs
• Time: 5-15mins

• Set-up a four row grid with one column for every four players.
• Arrange players in pairs, with two pairs per column, partners facing each other between the blue and yellow cones.

• Players now work together in pairs, passing a ball between them as they travel along the columns (either forwards & backwards or sideways) using various types of pass either selected by themselves or suggested by the coach.
• Specific movements can be added with/out the ball, for example, add a turn with the ball or do 5 ‘keepie-uppies’ before passing, ten fast foot steps or full 360° spin after every pass.

These are just a few example activities that can challenge and prepare the players physically, mentally and/or socially.

• For younger players allow more space in each column
• Let players be creative to try out and suggest different ways of moving with and without the ball
• To further challenge spatial awareness and teamwork/co-operation, have players passing diagonally across to opposite partner so balls are constantly crossing, or have players between same colour cones swapping places after every pass.