Ages 8-12: Focusing on technical skills in unopposed warm-ups

It is imperative that young players repeatedly practise core technical skills that will stand them in good stead as they develop. Unopposed warm-ups provide coaches with an excellent opportunity to refine these fundamental abilities.

In another edition of FIFA’s Grassroots Coaching Essentials series, Stanley Gardiner dives into unopposed warm-ups, highlighting three key tips for coaches to get the most out of these types of activities: introduce new skills, balance technique and speed, and make training exciting. Furthermore, you will be presented with some example activities that can be applied to your own warm-ups to engage and prepare players for the session ahead.

Below, you will find a 9-minute presentation in which Stanley explains each tip in further detail, followed by a written summary and diagrams of sample activities to show coaches how focusing on technical skills in unopposed warm-ups can be beneficial for players between the ages of 8 and 12.

Tip 1: Use unopposed activities to introduce new skills

Practising unopposed does not stop coaches incorporating competition into an activity. However, these types of drills allow players to practise their technical skills and perfect technique without fear of losing the ball. Here, Stanley explains why this is important:

Build confidence: By practising without a direct opponent, players can get comfortable with the ball at their feet, which builds confidence for the rest of the session.
Get plenty of touches of the ball: Building on the previous point, having as many touches of the ball is important to players in order to refine their technical skills and perfect their technique.
Keep everyone involved: When practising technical skills, coaches should ensure that each player remains active during a warm-up. Have plenty of balls ready to avoid any breakdown of the activity.

Activity 1: This is a simple activity in which two teams volley the ball to each other from their hands. The other team are tasked with catching the ball to earn points. This game allows players to work on their technique and precision.

Tip 2: Balance technique and speed

Having good technique when playing with the ball at one's feet is significant for all players and must be central to practice, particularly for players between 8 and 12. In this section, Stanley discusses the importance of technique and speed, and how both can work in tandem:

Practise makes perfect: Players’ technical skills will improve the more they are practised so coaches should set up activities that incorporate plenty of repetition, while still varying the activity to keep children motivated.
Finding the right balance: It is important, to get the most out of more competitive activities, that coaches emphasise to their players the importance of striking a nice balance between using quality technique and speed to increase their chances of winning.
Using the weaker foot: Coaches should also challenge players to use their weaker foot during unopposed activities to build confidence and comfort while using it.

Activity 2: For this drill, players are divided into two teams of six v. two goalkeepers. As a pair, two players take turns passing the ball to each other through the gates before having a shot on goal, working on skills like passing and shooting, while still being competitive.

Tip 3: Make training exciting

Unopposed activities can easily become monotonous and repetitive for young players. As a result, coaches should try to enhance each activity to keep players engaged for as long as possible. Here, Stanley presents different ways that this can be done:

The importance of competition: Including unopposed competition during warm-ups will generate a more exciting environment for the players and encourage them to work hard and stay attentive for the remaining activities.
Ask leading questions: Coaches can actively engage players by asking thought-provoking questions that encourage them to think critically, stay focused, and remain fully involved in the activity.
Tailor the exercise to the players' needs: Coaches can alter the playing area to match the skill levels of their players, helping to maintain an appropriate level of challenge while promoting a sense of accomplishment for all.

Activity 3: Our final activity involves each player dribbling around a circular playing area with a ball. On the coach's command, the player must leave their ball and find another. The coach gradually removes a ball each time, thus eliminating players from the game.

Key Take-aways

In this presentation, Stanley highlighted some significant benefits of why unopposed activities are essential for warm-ups if coaches are looking to develop and enhance their players' technical skills. Here is a summary of the key information that should be taken away from this presentation:

Fun is mandatory: Players can still have fun while developing core skills through unopposed activities, especially when coaches introduce an element of competition between players or teams to enhance engagement.
The ball should always be present: Coaches should always design warm-ups that allow each player to get as many touches of the ball as possible. This is essential during their “golden era of learning”.
Unopposed activities build confidence: By practising unopposed, players can develop their skills without fear of losing the ball which, in turn, will instil confidence in them heading into the remainder of the session.