Breath And Reset

Objective

• -Lower breathing rate after play
• -Relax the body with gentle movement
• -End the session calmly and safely

Setup

1. 1Mark out a 20 x 20 yards square with cones.
2. 2Place one marker cone at each corner for the group to gather round.
3. 3Players start spread around the square with a few yards between each other.

How to play

1. 1Players jog very slowly around the square for one minute.
2. 2On the coach's call, they walk and take three deep breaths.
3. 3Players stop at a marker and do a simple stretch, such as calves or quads.
4. 4After each stretch, they move on to the next marker and repeat.
5. 5Finish by standing still together and taking two final slow breaths.

Progressions

• +Progressive Tempo: add a fourth maximal round
• +Ball For Every Player: shrink the working area
• +Reaction Start: two cues, one a decoy
• +Add a competitive scoreline for the last round

Regressions

• -Progressive Tempo: stay at the first two tempos only
• -Ball For Every Player: bigger area, share a ball between two
• -Reaction Start: coach counts players in
• -Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

• -Progressive Tempo — Three rounds: 60% pace, 80% pace, then match pace with full recovery between.
• -Ball For Every Player — Every player works with their own ball so no one waits in a queue.
• -Reaction Start — Every repetition begins from a visual or audio cue rather than a set count.
• -Partner Race — Players work in matched pairs and race each repetition, best of five.
• -Mobility Focus — Each round finishes with a controlled mobility hold for the hips, groin and ankles.
• -Change Of Direction — Add a 90 or 180 degree turn into every repetition before the finish.
• -Team Target — The whole group works to a shared score target and repeats the round if they miss it.
• -Flip the practice to the opposite side of the pitch

Common mistakes

• -Rushing the jog
• -Holding breath
• -Bouncing in stretches