Heating games are essential to prepare young players physically and mentally for a training session, or a match.
They help improve key skills, such as agility, balance, coordination and teamwork, while also preventing injuries as they age, and are excellent to involve children and concentrate.
Here are 10 fun and effective warming games that coaches can use at the beginning of a training session or before the game (the suitability will depend on the ages of the players):
1. Tag games (freezing label, sharks and fish)
- Aim: Players improve their agility, speed and awareness.
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How to play:
- In Freezing labelA player is “that” and tries to label others while each player keeps a ball at his feet inside a definite area. The players tagged freeze until another player defrosts them. This can be a limited time game or ends when all players are frozen. The hidden bibs on the back of the shorts are an excellent way to avoid arguments about the target that some have labeled or not.
- In Sharks and fishThe players (Minnows) try to cross from one side of the training area to the other while maintaining a football under control and without being labeled by sharks. The fish that are labeled become sharks. Again, hidden bibs at the bottom of the shorts help avoid arguments about whether some have been labeled.
2. Four corners
- Aim: Improve agility, listening and spatial consciousness.
- How to play: The game area is divided into four sections with cones of different colors. The players begin in an area defined in the middle of the space, each with a ball at their feet, constantly moving. The coach calls one of the corners by color, and the players run to the designated corner, and the last player to arrive is out. The last remuneration player is the winner.
3. Simon says
- Aim: Improve listening skills, balance and coordination.
- How to play: The coach gives commands as “Simon says Dribble with the left foot” or “Simon says jumping in the place”, and the players must continue. If the coach does not say “Simon says” and a player follows the command, they are out.
4. Traffic light
- Aim: Develop speed, control and change of address.
- How to play: The players begin on one side of the field, each with a ball at their feet. The coach shouts “Green Light” to make players run, the “red light” to stop and “yellow light” to walk. The coach can change the speed or add obstacles to be more challenging.
5. Ball mastery exercises
- Aim: Heating the foot game and ball control.
- How to play: Configure small cones in lines and/or squares. The players take the ball through the cones, using both feet and focus on close control. You can introduce variations to intensify it as dribble with only the inside or off your foot or do stoobs as they move through the cones.
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6. Animal races
- Aim: Increase mobility, coordination and strength.
- How to play: Players mimic different animals to move around the field. For example, they can jump like frogs, crawl like bears or run like cheese. This is an excellent way to make children move in different directions and heat several muscle groups.
7. Retransmission races
- Aim: Build teamwork, coordination and speed.
- How to play: Divide the group into teams and configure a simple obstacle race (cones, markers, etc.). The players turn to run through the course, labeling the next player. You can mix football and incorporate dribling or pass as part of the relay.
8. Passing in pairs
- Aim: Develop pass and reception techniques.
- How to play: The players match and pass the ball back and the forest at a short distance. Start slowly and grant yourself in precision, then gradually increase the pace of step. You can make it more challenging bringing elements such as a touch step, using a waker foot and longer distances.
9. Bumper ball (king of ring)
- Aim: Improves dribble, evasion skills and ball control.
- How to play: Players can play this as individuals or in teams. In both situations, each player has a ball at his feet and tries to remove the balls from the opponents outside a designated area while protecting his own ball. When football leaves the area, the player whose ball is out. This fun and competitive game fosters the dribble and awareness of other players, since they need to play with their heads.
10. Feet game challenges
- Aim: Improve coordination, balance and agility.
- How to play: Set small challenges in which players have to perform several work exercises (EC, staircase exercises, cone fabric or rapid changes of direction) in rapid succession. Add elements such as jumping or making a side step to be more dynamic.
All these games are easy to configure and excellent to heat the physicist of the players at the beginning of a soccer training session, or a match prior to football, and also encourage teamwork, communication and focus, all in a fun and attractive way.
What are your favorite warming games? Do you regularly use any of these, or do you have others that worry you? Send us a comment below to share with our community CF.
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