7 Best Soccer Warm-Up Drills and Exercises to Get Game-Ready

Stop blaming tired legs, bad form, or “needing time to get into the game.” If you’re getting outpaced in the opening minutes of a soccer game or training session, you showed up unprepared, and this is exactly how to fix it.

That heavy-legged feeling isn’t just bad luck; it’s actually your body telling you it wasn’t properly prepared for that physical activity yet. This could do with a lot of different aspects of performance, from your training on the field to injury prevention work to your recovery habits off the field.

The truth is that to get ready for any soccer game or training session, you have to focus on improving your talent, mindset, athleticism, fitness, and recovery habits for the days, weeks, and months leading up to that game. But even with perfect preparation, you still need a proper warm-up routine on game day.

When soccer players without a strong athletic foundation jump straight into intense exercise before elevating their body temperature and heart rate, they’re potentially setting themselves up for poor performance, lack of focus, and injuries. A warm-up is very important for any soccer player because it primes your nervous system and body, increases blood flow, and mentally prepares you to perform at your best, which is why in this post, I’ll break down seven of the best warm-up drills for soccer players.

Table of Contents

What are the Best Soccer Warm Up Drills?

As mentioned above, as a soccer player, your preparation and real warm-up start the days, weeks, months, and years leading up to that next training session or game. That is why you want to take care of every aspect of performance on and off the field, to make sure your body and mind are ready when it matters most, which includes:

Having a strong foundation in the most important skills of the game, such as soccer IQ, decision making, awareness, composure, first touch, passing, dribbling, shooting, and defending.
Being in soccer shape
Having a strong, resilient mindset
Optimizing your sleep, nutrition, hydration, and supplementation
Using natural recovery techniques
Improving Mitochondrial Function
Limiting EMF exposure
Embracing nature

Once you have done the things above, these are the drills and exercises below to help you warm up for soccer.

Myofascial Release

Myofascial release is a form of self-massage that focuses on breaking down fascia adhesions to allow better energy flow in the body to improve proprioception, interoception, and coordination. To perform myofascial release, use a massage tool like a spiky ball or tennis ball and spend time, 3-5 minutes, rolling out muscle groups in your body that feel tight and tender.

Fascia Training

Fascia training is a form of training that targets the connective tissue network surrounding your muscles to improve elasticity, power transfer, and injury prevention. There are different types of fascia training exercises for different purposes, but some of the best general exercises any player can use include:

Towel Toe Retractions
Toe Retraction Drill
Kettle Feet
Barefoot Hops

Dynamic Stretching

Once you have rolled out for a bit and performed some fascia training exercises, you can begin doing some dynamic exercises either barefoot or with soccer cleats. To warm up, you can either use two objects, like cones or shoes, and run in a straight line, or you can run around the field.

If you run around the field, as you’re jogging, perform a dynamic movement for around 10-20 seconds, jog for around the same length, and repeat with a new movement. Some of the best dynamic exercises to include in your warm-up include:

Light jogging
High knees
Butt kickers
High kicks
Side kicks
Across kicks
Back kicks
Open the gates
Close the gates
Skipping variations
Leg swings
Lunge and rotate
Jump to sprints
Shuttle run variations
Sprints

Individual Juggling or Two-Touch with Partners

After you are done with the dynamic movements, you can move on to getting some touches on the ball. This can be as simple as juggling the ball or playing two-touch with a partner.

Rondos and Passing Drills

Rondos are another great passing drill that is basically “monkey-in-the-middle.” For these drills, there are 3-5 players in a circle or another shape, like a square, with one player in the middle.

The objective is for the players on the outside to prevent the player, or players in the middle, from touching the ball.

Shooting at the Goal

Another important way to warm up before a match is to take some shots at the goal because this also warms up the goalkeeper. You can also set up passing patterns that lead to a shot towards the goal to combine with other parts of the game.

Small-Sided Games

Finally, the last thing you want to do before you warm up for a training session or game is to play some form of small-sided games. This activity keeps heart rates up, improves teamwork, and very closely resembles a full-sided game.

Depending on how many players you have, you can run different-sized small-sided games.

Final Thoughts

To summarize, soccer warm-up exercises are the best ways to prepare for a real game or practice session because they help players lock in physically and mentally. By following the seven warm-up drills outlined in this post—from myofascial release to small-sided games—you’ll ensure your body is primed, your nervous system is activated, and you’re ready to perform at your peak from the opening whistle.

Remember, the players who dominate from minute one aren’t always the best ones or more talented; they just showed up better prepared from the start, and now you know exactly how to do the same.

FAQs

How should athletes warm up for soccer?

Athletes should warm up for soccer by starting with myofascial release and fascia training exercises, followed by dynamic stretching like high knees, leg swings, and light jogging to elevate body temperature and heart rate. After dynamic exercises, incorporate ball work such as passing drills, juggling, and small-sided games to enhance coordination, first touch, and mental focus before an intense training session or game.

What are the benefits of warming up for soccer?

Warming up for soccer increases body temperature, elevates heart rate, and improves oxygen consumption in muscles, which enhances athletic performance and reduces the risk of injuries during intense exercise. A proper warm-up also activates your nervous system, sharpens mental focus, and ensures you’re physically and mentally prepared to perform at your best from the first whistle.

What is the best equipment to warm up for soccer?

The best equipment for warming up in soccer includes quality soccer balls for ball work, cones or markers for dynamic exercises and movement drills, and massage tools like spiky balls for myofascial release. Other useful training gear includes agility equipment for more advanced warm-up routines and portable goals for shooting warm-ups.