Warm-Up Drills

The first ten minutes decide the mood of your whole session. These soccer warm-up drills get heart rates up and feet on the ball straight away - fun, game-based openers that sneak in real skill work while players think they're just playing. Grab one, and start every practice with energy.

56 drills
HomeDrillsWarm-Ups
easy

Sharks and Minnows

Sharks and Minnows is one of the best soccer dribbling drills for U5–U8 players because it disguises hard work as a game.

15 min6+ playersU5–U8
easy

Ouch!

Ouch! is a fun soccer dribbling drill for U5–U8 that sneaks three skills into one silly game: dribbling, looking up, and striking a moving target.

10 min4+ playersU5–U8
easy

The Flag Game: Dribbling in Tight Spaces

The Flag Game is a soccer dribbling drill for U6–U10 that forces young players to keep the ball close in genuinely tight space.

15 min6+ playersU6–U10
easy

Simon Says

Simon Says is a soccer dribbling drill for U5–U8 that borrows the playground classic and adds a ball.

10 min4+ playersU5–U8
easy

Red Light, Green Light

Red Light, Green Light is a soccer dribbling drill for U5–U8 that turns the playground game into ball mastery practice.

10 min4+ playersU5–U8
easy

Extreme Tag

Extreme Tag is a soccer dribbling drill for U6–U10 where every player is hunter and hunted at the same time.

10 min6+ playersU6–U10
medium

Speed of Play Warm-Up

The Speed of Play Warm-Up is a soccer passing drill for U10–U16 that primes both feet and brain before a speed-of-play session.

15 min6+ playersU10–U16
easy

The Greeting Game

The Greeting Game is a soccer warm-up for U5–U8 players that gets a shy group moving, laughing, and interacting in the first five minutes of practice.

10 min6+ playersU5–U8
easy

Trapping with Passive Opposition

Trapping with Passive Opposition is a soccer receiving drill that adds a live body to basic control work.

15 min3+ playersU9–U16
easy

Jam-Packed Soccer Dribbling Drill

The Jam-Packed Soccer Dribbling Drill teaches young players to keep control of the ball when the field gets crowded.

15 min4+ playersU6–U12
easy

Down and Back Dribbling Game

The Down and Back Dribbling Game is a simple racing drill for young players who are just learning to dribble.

15 min6+ playersU5–U10
easy

Across-Field Warm-Up

The Across-Field Warm-Up packs volleys, traps, and headers into a moving pre-game routine.

15 min2+ playersU9–U16
easy

Head/Catch Game

The Head/Catch Game is a listening-and-reaction game that doubles as light heading practice.

10 min6+ playersU6–U12
easy

Dribbling Warm-Up

This Dribbling Warm-Up is a ten-minute routine that touches every part of the foot before the real session begins.

10 min4+ playersU8–U16
easy

Shadow Dribbling

Shadow Dribbling pairs players up so one leads and one copies, both with a ball at their feet.

10 min4+ playersU6–U12
medium

Soccer Tennis

Soccer Tennis turns volleying and aerial control into a game older kids genuinely love.

20 min6+ playersU11–U16
easy

Hitters and Dodgers

Hitters and Dodgers is a dribble-and-pass game that young players fall in love with instantly.

15 min8+ playersU5–U9
easy

Soccer Ball Smash

Soccer Ball Smash turns passing accuracy into a game your youngest players will beg to repeat.

15 min2+ playersU6–U10
easy

Dribbling Warm-Up Drill

This dribbling warm-up drill piles up ball touches faster than almost any other soccer dribbling drill for U6–U12 players.

20 min3+ playersU6–U12
medium

5v2 Angle of Support Passing Drill

The 5v2 is a soccer passing drill for U9–U16 players and one of the best tools there is for teaching support angles.

15 min7+ playersU9–U16
easy

Criss Cross Dribbling Game

The Criss Cross Dribbling Game is a soccer dribbling drill for U5–U9 players that makes heads-up dribbling non-negotiable: teams race across the grid straight into oncoming traffic.

15 min12–24 playersU5–U9
medium

Diagonal Soccer Shooting Drill

The Diagonal Soccer Shooting Drill is a high-energy soccer shooting drill for U11–U16 players that works perfectly as a pre-game or pre-shooting-session warm-up.

20 min6+ playersU11–U16
easy

Guard the Castle

Guard the Castle is a soccer passing drill for U6–U10 players disguised as a siege game.

15 min4+ playersU6–U10
easy

Traffic Jam Dribbling Game

The Traffic Jam Dribbling Game is a soccer dribbling drill for U5–U9 players that turns cone clutter into a teaching tool.

15 min8+ playersU5–U9
easy

Team Reaction Dribbling Drill

The Team Reaction Dribbling Drill is a soccer dribbling drill for U6–U12 players that mixes free dribbling with sudden bursts of reaction speed.

15 min6+ playersU6–U12
easy

Goalkeeper Warm-up Drill

Every keeper deserves better than a few lazy shots before kickoff.

10 min1+ playersU9–U16
easy

Body Parts Warm-up Game

The Body Parts Warm-up Game is a simple soccer dribbling drill that gets U5–U8 players moving, laughing, and listening from the first minute of practice.

10 min4+ playersU5–U8
medium

One-Two Wall Pass Combination

The one-two is the fastest way through a defender who can't be dribbled.

15 min6+ playersU9–U16
easy

Pirate Treasure Dribbling Game

Tell young players they're pirates raiding for treasure and suddenly every dribbling rep matters.

15 min6+ playersU5–U8
easy

Soccer Tag

Soccer Tag hides hundreds of dribbling touches inside a playground game.

10 min6+ playersU5–U8
easy

The Passing Name Game

Quick players aren't always the fastest - they're the ones who decide before the ball arrives.

10 min6+ playersU7–U12
easy

Trapping and Control with No Opposition

Before a player can control the ball under pressure, they need to control it with none.

10 min2+ playersU8–U14
easy

Coach's Revenge

Coach's Revenge is a fun soccer warm-up drill that gets young players moving fast while sneaking in agility work.

10 min8+ playersU5–U10
medium

Shooting Warm-Up

This soccer shooting warm-up drill turns long-range striking into a team race.

20 min9-18 playersU10–U16
easy

Reaction, Acceleration, and Winning the Ball

Reaction, Acceleration, and Winning the Ball is a soccer fitness drill that turns 50-50 duels into a game.

12 min6+ playersU8–U16
medium

Dribble with Speed

Dribble with Speed is a soccer dribbling drill that teaches U8-U14 players to run with the ball flat out - and then bring it back under control.

15 min10+ playersU8–U14
medium

Line Passing Combination Warm-Up

This soccer passing warm-up drill gets a group of four combining while they travel the length of the field together.

12 min4+ (groups of 4) playersU10–U16
easy

Check-In Passing Warm-Up

This soccer passing warm-up drill trains U9-U16 players to check in toward the ball and strike a clean return while moving.

12 min4+ (pairs) playersU9–U16
easy

Dribbling at the Cone

Dribbling at the Cone is a soccer dribbling drill that lets U6-U10 players learn fakes and feints without any pressure.

12 min3 per grid playersU6–U10
easy

Clean Your Room

Clean Your Room is a soccer dribbling drill made for U5-U8 players.

10 min6+ playersU5–U8
easy

Can You Do This?

Can You Do This? is a follow-the-leader soccer warm-up game built for U5-U6 players.

10 min4+ playersU5–U7
medium

Fun Dribbling Warm-Up

This fun soccer dribbling warm-up turns teammates into obstacles.

15 min6+ (pairs) playersU8–U12
medium

Three-Person Passing Combination

The Three-Person Passing Combination is a soccer passing drill that keeps a trio of U10-U16 players in perpetual motion.

15 min3 per grid playersU10–U16
easy

Frogger

Frogger is a soccer dribbling drill built for U6 to U8 players who are still learning to move with the ball under light pressure.

10 min8+ playersU6–U8
easy

Indoor Dribbling and Passing Drill

When practice moves inside, this indoor soccer dribbling and passing drill turns the walls into an extra teammate.

10 min3+ playersU8–U14
easy

Partner Pass and Move Warm-Up

The Partner Pass and Move warm-up is a foundational soccer passing drill for U6 to U10 players.

10 min4+ playersU6–U10
easy

Passing and Receiving Warm-Up

This passing and receiving soccer warm-up suits players from U9 up and adapts to almost any technical theme you want to open practice with.

12 min8+ playersU9–U16
easy

Knock Out

Knock Out is a classic soccer dribbling warm-up for U6 to U10 players that hides serious skill work inside a game kids beg to play.

10 min6+ playersU6–U10
medium

Handling Flighted Balls

Handling Flighted Balls is a soccer receiving drill for U10 to U16 players that builds comfort with the ball arriving out of the air.

15 min8+ playersU10–U16
medium

Line Passing Overlap Warm-Up

The Line Passing Overlap warm-up is a soccer passing drill for U9 to U14 teams that introduces the overlapping run in a simple, repeatable pattern.

12 min8+ playersU9–U14
medium

Circle Passing Combination Drill

The Circle Passing Combination drill is a soccer passing warm-up for U10 to U16 teams that runs two balls at once, so nobody gets to switch off.

12 min8+ playersU10–U16
easy

Monster Turns

Monster Turns is a soccer dribbling drill for U6 to U8 players that makes turning away from pressure feel like the best game at practice.

10 min6+ playersU6–U8
medium

Triangle Combination Passing Drill

The Triangle Combination Passing drill is a compact soccer passing drill for U9 to U14 players that packs one-twos, receiving angles, and movement into a tiny footprint.

12 min3+ playersU9–U14
easy

Snake in the Grass Soccer Game

Snake in the Grass is a soccer warm-up game for U5 to U8 players that develops the raw movement skills young athletes need before ball work even matters: balance, coordination, and quick changes of direction.

10 min6+ playersU5–U8
hard

Circle Passing Overlap Combination

The Circle Passing Overlap Combination is a soccer passing drill for U12 to U16 teams that layers overlapping runs onto a two-ball circle pattern.

15 min8+ playersU12–U16
easy

Alien Tag Soccer Game

Alien Tag is a soccer game for the very youngest players, ideal for U5 and U6 groups and even toddlers just starting out.

10 min6+ playersU5–U6