The Art of the Warm-Up: Effective passing activation for elite training sessions – Tactical Theory

For many teams, pre-season will be well underway, with top-level teams enjoying tours across the world.

Teams such as Scottish Premiership side Celtic, and Premier League teams Manchester United and Liverpool have already played a series of pre-season friendlies in the United States.

This tactical analysis focuses on passing activation exercises that coaches can use during their own pre-season training sessions.

Similar examples to those deployed in training sessions by the teams mentioned are described in this analysis.

This tactical theory will offer three examples of passing activation sequences that can be incorporated as part of the warm-up prior to the main body of the training session.

The exercises are designed to work on players’ passing abilities and off-the-ball movement with the key aim of preparing the players both physiologically and psychologically for the session that follows.

The exercises are all highly functional and are crafted to prepare players for specific technical components that may arise later in the practice, as well as improve players on those technical facets.

Combining With The “10”

This passing activation drill could be used in preparation for a session designed to work on playing with a “10” and one striker, or “9”.

Alternatively, it could be used by teams when developing their build-up play using a single pivot or “6”.