Warm Ups

Warm Up Passing Waves

Warm up with a ball and plenty of passes

Warm Ups

Passing

Receiving

Warm Up Passing Waves is a 10-minute warm ups drill for 6-20 players, suitable for Under 5 to Adults at beginner, intermediate level. You need balls, cones. Below you will find the objective, the set-up, how to run it, coaching points, common mistakes, progressions, regressions and variations.

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Warm Ups

Passing

Receiving

Warm Up

Beginner

Intermediate

Full Squad

Minimal Equipment

Foundation Phase

Youth Friendly

Adult Suitable

Quick 10 Minutes

Repetition

Duration

10 min

Players

6-20

Pitch size

25 x 15 yards

Ability levels

Beginner / Intermediate

Pitch diagram

Warm Up Passing Waves — Pairs facing each other · 25 x 15 yards

Step 1 of 4Pass into the middle station, receive the set and play to the far line.

1. Pass into the middle station, receive the set and play to the far line.
2. Follow your pass and join the back of the far line.
3. Add a one-two combination once the passing is sharp.
4. Rotation: Follow your pass.

Ball
Pairs working across a marked lane
Dotted arrow = rotation between repetitions
Solid arrow = pass, thick = shot, dashed = run / dribble

Objectives

-Warm up with a ball and plenty of passes
-Rehearse the receiving shape the session will use
-Get the group talking early

Setup

1Two lines of cones twenty five yards apart with a middle station.
2One ball per pair.
3Players split evenly across both lines.

Coaching instructions

1Pass into the middle station, receive the set and play to the far line.
2Follow your pass and join the back of the far line.
3Add a one-two combination once the passing is sharp.

Coaching points

-Firm pass along the ground, inside of the foot
-Open the body before receiving
-Call the receiver's name early

Common mistakes

-Passes too soft to be realistic
-Receiving square with no vision
-Silence — no communication

Equipment needed

Balls

Cones

Age groups

Under 5

Under 6

Under 7

Under 8

Under 9

Under 10

Under 11

Under 12

Under 13

Under 14

Under 15

Under 16

Adults

Progressions

+Two-Touch Limit: drop to one touch in the central area
+Weak Foot Only: add a defender to raise the pressure
+Tempo Clock: cut the clock to four seconds
+Add a competitive scoreline for the last round

Regressions

-Two-Touch Limit: allow three touches while the picture is learned
-Weak Foot Only: static, unopposed reps before adding movement
-Tempo Clock: extend the clock to ten seconds
-Simplify the area or the service until success returns

Variations

-Two-Touch Limit — Players are limited to two touches — one to control, one to release.
-Weak Foot Only — Every touch, pass and finish must be with the weaker foot.
-Tempo Clock — The ball must reach the end action inside six seconds or the rep restarts.
-Scan and Cue — The coach shows a colour or number and the receiver must call it before their first touch.
-Shadow Pressure — A shadow defender applies half pressure and can win the ball only after the first touch.
-Score Challenge — Run it as a timed competition — pairs or teams count successful reps and compare scores.
-1-to-1 Session — Run as an individual session: coach serves, one player works through the reps with rest built in.
-Flip the practice to the opposite side of the pitch