FA Tesco Skills
WARM UP PACK
Introduction to the FA Tesco Skills Programme
The FA Tesco Skills Programme is an initiative set up by Sir Trevor Brooking at the FA to help
develop the football skills of players of all abilities within the 5-11 age groups.
The Skills Programme aims to help children develop better agility, balance and coordination, making them better at all sports. Coaching activities will help improve children’s
ability to work as part of a team, solve problems and make decisions, whilst building
confidence towards physical activity.
The 4 coaches in Suffolk have put together these warm up cards to help you develop the
physical literacy of children within the 5-11 age category. They can be used as a stand alone
warm up, or can be used as a basis of your lesson for invasion games.
Warm up cards
The warm up cards are themed at the top and have a purpose underneath.
Warm up activities should be
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Simple
Easy to organize
Involve all pupils
Use the skills, equipment and activities relevant to the area of activity
And most of all
FUN
Try and get the children involved in setting up the warm ups. By keeping them involved and
giving them some ownership they are more likely to participate both physically and
mentally in the lesson.
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Skills Card 2
Theming your warm ups
As you well know, children respond better when participating in something they are
interested in. Where possible, look to capture their imagination. Turn games into a story, or
a cartoon, or a nearby event like Christmas or Halloween. The cards within this pack can be
used as templates, and its up to you to bring them to life. Observe your skills coach and see
how they theme it.
Useful questions
The warm cards contain questions relevant to the game and will fall within either the
acquiring and developing, selecting and applying, or evaluationg and improving strands.
We have listed some below some questions you may find useful for the knowledge and
understanding of health related fitness strand.
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Why is it important to warm your body up before activity?
What happens to your heart when you exercise?
Why is exercise good for your health?
What happens if you dont exercise?
Can you find your pulse?
What happens to your heart beat during exercise?
Why does your heart beat faster after exercise?
Why do we ‘warm down’ after exercise?
** Ask teachers what questions they might use for cross curricular work eg biology
etc.
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Skills Card 3
STEP Process
All lessons in PE will include children with a wide range of abilities. Some may be very
skilful and will need to be challenged with harder activities. Others will be less able and
need simpler activities, or skills broken down into their component parts.
The STEP framework offers a format to help adapt activities so that all young people can
achieve success and have fun.
STEP stands for:
S
Space
where the activity is happening?
T
Task
what is happening?
E
Equipment
what is being used?
P
People
who is involved?
Space
Decision making can be made easier if the:
Decision making can be made easier if the:
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Space is made larger to give more time
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Space is made smaller to reduce
thinking time
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Space is made smaller to help with the
application of the skills
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Space is made larger to challenge the
application of skills
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Space is exclusive to one person to give
them as much time as possible
Task is made easier
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Task is made harder
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Equipment is easyto use
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Correct equipment for the activity is
used
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Goals or targets are large
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Total number of people is reduced
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Number of people on one side
outnumber the other
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Task
Equipment
People
Tip – ask the children how they might make the game easier or more difficult. They will
always come up with some good suggestions
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Skills Card 4
Resource Cards
Skills card 6
Stuck in the Mud
Skills Card 7
Cat and Mouse
Skills Card 8
Jungle Fever
Skills Card 9
Bulldog
Skills Card 10
Capture the Flag
Skills Card 11
Cops and Robbers
Skills Card 12
Buzzy Bee’s
Skills Card 13
Magic Mirrors
Skills Card 14
Dodge Ball
Skills Card 15
Hats and Bowls
Skills Card 16
Ghost Town
Skills Card 17
Space Jumpers
Skills Card 18
Attack vs Defence
Skills Card 19
Tag-a-team
Skills Card 20
4 Team Tag
Skills Card 21
Shark Attack
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Skills Card 5
Stuck in the Mud
To develop team work, agility and balance
Organisation: Bib 2 players to be the ‘taggers’
Rules: The taggers must tag as many people as they can within 45 seconds. Once a player has been
tagged s/he must ‘stick’ in a balance position. They can only be set free by a teammate using a high 5
Change the taggers
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Add more taggers
Vary the ‘stuck’ position
Change how they can be set free (crawl through legs, under arm, etc)
Only set players can free players
Include safe areas
Include a points system (1point for saving a team mate/ not getting caught)
Questions:
Word wall:
What do you need to be aware of in this game?
What ways can you avoid the taggers? How can
you help your team?
Teamwork
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Dodge
Space
Awareness
Skills Card 6
Cat and mouse
To develop team work, agility and balance
Organisation: 4 hoops, bib for each player and a playing area.
Rules: Reds have to try to take the blues tail. if they do that the blues are stuck (you can make the
players hold balance or be doing a task if stuck) Reds take the tail to one of the hoops and then try to tag
more tails. The blues that are not stuck need to take a tail from the hoop and give it to the stuck blue
then they rejoin the game Play the game for about 30 to 45 sec each time
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt
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Use points system
More/less hoops
Questions: Can you ask the players to try to be
clever and find the space away from the taggers?
Can the work as a team to try to unstuck the
players?
Word wall:
Movement
Space
Dodge
Awareness
m
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Skills Card 7
Jungle fever
Combining a technique whilst incorporating Agility and Co-ordination
Organisation: Set up three areas. A technical area, an agility area and a physical area
Rules: have different task/challenge for each area use as much equipment as you feel you need and
make sure the players get lots of goes you could add a point system or the players could play in pairs or
groups each section can me timed of the players can move on after completing there task/challenge
Adaptations: hoops = balance in each hoop cones = finding ways to get over them balls = keeping
the ball in the air as long as they can
Try lots of different skills with the equipment
Questions: How many different ways can you
move? Ask the players to hold a balance for a count
of 5?
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Word wall:
Balance
Agility
Coordination
Awareness
Skills Card 8
Bulldog
To develop speed and agility
Organisation: Have 2 safe zones at either end of a playing area
Rules: Players have to get from one zone to the other without being tagged by the
dogcatcher. If they are tagged they become also become dogcatcher. The winner of the
game is the last person to be caught
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Include safe areas between the 2 end zones
Dogcatchers have to link arms
Players have to dribble from one end zone to the other
Questions:
Word wall:
What skills are you using in this game?
SPEED
AGILITY
TEAMWORK (Defenders)
FA Tesco Skills Programme
DODGE
Skills Card 9
Capture the Flag
To develop teamwork, tactics, speed and agility
Jail
Jail
Organisation: Have 2 safe zones at either end of a playing area
Rules: Players have to get from one zone to the other without being tagged by the
dogcatcher. If they are tagged they become also become dogcatcher. The winner of the
game is the last person to be caught
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Include safe areas between the 2 end zones
Dogcatchers have to link arms
Players have to dribble from one end zone to the other
Questions:
What strategies can you come up with to win this
game? Do you need defenders and tactics? How
important is teamwork?
Word wall:
Teamwork Communication
Attacking
Defending
Speed
Agility
What
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Skills Card 10
Cops and Robbers
To develop teamwork, tactics, speed and agility
Organisation: Set up 2 shapes with a ‘bridge’ linking them together.
Rules: Nominate one player to be the cop (the cop can hold a bib). They have 10 seconds to
tag anyone. Whoever is tagged becomes the cop and takes the bib. Anyone leaving the area
becomes the cop.
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Include a ball in each shape. The cop cannot tag the player with the ball.
Questions: Ask the players about team work/roles
and responsibilities/tactics/any ideas to change the
game. How can they help someone being chased?
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Word wall:
Dodge
Space
Awareness
Skills Card 11
Buzzy Bee’s
To develop agility, balance and coordination
Organisation: Yellow bibs, cones to make small areas
Rules: Have a set amount of bumble bees, which run around trying to tag the other players
(flies). If tagged they have to hold their balance on one leg for five seconds. Players can use
the marked areas as safe zones, but only for five seconds.
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Encourage the children to decide on rules themselves (e.g. how many bees, how
long in safe zone)
Use different challenging stances for the children to make
when caught
Questions:
What are the best ways to keep away from the
bumble bees? Why is it important to change your
speed in this game? Can you move in different
directions?
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Word wall:
Dodge
Space
Awareness
Skills Card 12
Magic Mirrors
To develop - Agility, Balance, Co-ordination and Decision Making
To develop team work, agility and balance
Organisation:
Rules: Players move around the Fun House as Wizards and must get to as many mirrors as
possible but must travel to a gate to find a partner to balance/copy. Once they have done
that for 3 seconds they jump through and repeat the process at another mirror.
Introduce guards, who can only block guards by stopping players going through.
The game can be played for 30 seconds before alternating the guards.
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Use footballs to dribble for wizards and/or guards
Questions: What do you have to look out for in
this game? What other ways could you get to and
travel through another mirror?
Word wall: Decision Making
Teamwork
Dodge
Space
Awareness
Balance
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Skills Card 13
Dodge ball
To develop team work, agility, balance, throwing or kicking skills
Organisation: Split the players into two teams. Use 5 soft balls.
Rules: Each team has their own half. . Players can use hands or feet depending on ability.
Players cannot cross over line, and aim to hit opponents below knee height to catch them.
If caught, players must stand on opposite end, and can be freed if team mate throws the ball
to you and you catch it without a bounce
Adaptations:
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Can add more rules, e.g. limit amount of touches
If ball is caught, opposing player is out.
Questions:
Word wall:
Why is team work important in this game? Do you
need team tactics in this game?
Teamwork
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Dodge
Awareness
Skills Card 14
Hats and bowls
To develop team work, agility and balance
Organization: Organize group into 2 teams to play against each other. Scatter cones in a
central area and turn half up like a hat and half down like a bowl
Rules: On command, all the players run into the middle and turn their cones to their suit
(hats or bowls) Play for 30-45 seconds then get children to count balls and cones right side
up to declare the winner…Total wins the game!
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Alter the size of the area
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Players to dribble with a ball at the same time
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Use more hats/bowls
Questions: What ways can you help your team?
What strategies can your team come up with?
What techniques did you find best to get your ball
back to your home??
Word wall:
Dribbling
Team work
Running with the ball
Changing Direction
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Skills Card 15
Ghost Town
To develop Speed, Teamwork, Balance, Co-Ordination and Agility
Organization: Players move around the house {4 rooms as an example} and must get to as
many rooms as possible but must travel through a gate to get to the next room. The players
gain powers by getting through the gates and then in to a room. They can only travel through
an empty gate. Players get points / powers by getting through the traps and in to an outside
box home / room. Play for 30-45 seconds at a time
Introduce taggers in to the house. Taggers cannot enter the rooms unless the players are in
there longer than (for example 3 secs).If a player is tagged they become a ghost. Game is
played until there is 1 player remaining who tries to beat all the ghosts. They are declared
the winner.
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Better players can travel/dribble with a ball if they wish
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Increase number of taggers
Question:
Word wall:
How can you run faster in this game? Driving arms
and legs, body slightly tilted forwards, head facing
forward. How many different ways can you travel
through a gate?
Teamwork
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Dodge
Space
Awareness
Skills Card 16
Space Jumping
To develop agility, balance and power
Organization : Place several planets (footballs) in an area. Players are rockets/astronauts.Br
move around space jumping and squatting over the planets (balls). They practice taking off
and landing on 2 feet. They then progress to one foot and vice versa. Hand out points for
each successful landing and squat. Emphasize technique of jumping and landing and
squatting and where in football and sport we do this! Play for 20-30 secs each round.
Introduce aliens who become taggers. Astronauts are only safe if they are squatting over a
planet.
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Astronauts can travel around with their own planet
Questions: How can we land safer? Balls of our
feet and arms outHow can we push off better to
accelerate? Drive arms and legs at the same time
to give us power. What other directions can we
take off? Sideways, backwards, forwards.
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Word wall: Jump
Land
Balance
Teamwork
Dodge
Space
Squat
Awareness
Skills Card 17
Attack v Defence
To develop team work
Organisation: 10 (or more) cones are scattered around each half. Ask children to mark out a
‘base’ for their team.
Rules: The object of the game is to collect more cones than the other team. Players must try
and steal the cones and take them back into their own zone. If they are tagged in the
attacking half, they are sent back to their own half before they can attack again. Play the
game until all the cones have been collected or for a set time. Players are only allowed to
take one cone at the time.
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Children can carry or dribble ball, or travel in pairs linked with a bib.
Defenders are limited to certain movements (e.g. crabs/ hopping/jumping)
Questions: How many attackers or defenders do
you need? Which is easier? Can you change roles?
Word wall:
Teamwork
Dodge
Space
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Awareness
Skills Card 18
Tag-a-Team
To develop speed and agility
Organisation: Half an area and split class into 2 teams
Rules: One player from each team goes over to the other teams side and tries to tag a player.
When they are successful they come back and a different player from their team goes over
The objective of the game is to get all your players over and back first
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Increase number of catchers
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Change the size/shape of the area
Questions:
Word wall:
How can you improve the ‘changover’?
Teamwork
Dodge
Space
Speed
Agility
Communication
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Skills Card 19
4 Team Tag
To develop teamwork, tactics, speed and agility
Organisation: Split group into 4 teams and ask them to set up a base each within the playing
area
Rules: Nominate a team to be catchers. The catchers will try to catch as many people as they
can within 1 minute.
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
Teams can only tag certain teams
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E.g. Red Tags Blue
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Blue Tags Green
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Green Tags Yellow
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Yellow Tags Red.
If caught you are sent to that colours home, where you can only be freed by own colour.
Questions:
Word wall:
What strategy can you come up with to catch the
most number of people?
Teamwork
Speed
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Dodge
Space
Awareness
Agility
Skills Card 20
Shark Attack
To develop agility, balance and coordination
Organisation: Hoops are put down around the area. Bibs for players
Rules: Players are sharks (in blue) and aim to attack as many pirate ships (hoops) by putting
one part of their body in the hoop. Pirates (in red) try to protect their ships by tagging the
sharks. Pirates can only protect their own ship.
Adaptations: Using the STEP process look to adapt this simple game.
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Add more pirate ships/ less pirate ships. Add more/fewer pirates
Pirates must stay on the outside of their ships
Questions: Can you be sneaky to get into a pirates
ship? Can you use different body parts to touch
the ship? What is the best way to defend your
pirate ship?
FA Tesco Skills Programme
Word wall:
Balance
agility
Coordination
Awareness
Skills Card 21