⚽ Pre-Season
Pre-Season Box
Modern pre-season fitness should be ball-led, not lap-led.
Pre-Season Box — full pitch view
The one cue that matters
Quality maintained as the workload builds
◆Why this drill works
Modern pre-season fitness should be ball-led, not lap-led. This drill builds aerobic capacity through high-volume passing in a constrained box, with periodic intensity changes. Players cover meaningful distance but always with technical demands attached — first touch, weight of pass, scanning. Coaches can dial intensity up or down through the call frequency, making it suitable across pre-season weeks 2–3.
▦The drill in three phases
1Setup
Starting positions — players, zones and equipment in place.
2Action
Movement begins — players run, dribble and create the pattern.
3Finish
The end action — pass, shot or outcome the drill builds toward.
Ball carrierAttackersDefendersPass / dribbleShot
▶How to run it
- Mark out a 20×20 yard square with a cone at each corner. One player starts at each corner; remaining players queue behind one of the corners.
- Player 1 passes clockwise to Player 2 and follows their pass at jogging pace — joining the queue at corner 2.
- Player 2 receives, takes a touch out of their feet, passes to Player 3 and follows. Continue clockwise rotation.
- Coach controls intensity through calls: 'normal pace' (default), 'sprint follow' (sprint to next corner after passing), 'two-touch' (technical demand), 'switch direction' (anticlockwise).
- Run for 4 minutes at normal pace, 2 minutes 'sprint follow', 2 minutes 'two-touch', 4 minutes mixing all three randomly.
- Add a second ball after 8 minutes if the group is coping well — doubles the fitness load and forces scanning.
- Cool the players with 1 final minute of slow walking-pace passing to recover.
✓Equipment checklist
✦Coaching points
Praise when you see
- Quality maintained as the workload builds
- Building intensity progressively, not going flat out too early
- Good habits and standards set from day one
Correct when you see
- Neglecting recovery between sessions
- Going too hard too early — pre-season builds progressively
- Letting standards slip — set the tone now
★Kit for this drill — top picks compared
| Pick | Product | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top pick | Agility Ladder | Build the base. | Check price → |
| Value | Marker Cones (50-pack) | Conditioning circuits. | Check price → |
| Upgrade | Training Footballs (6-pack) | Technical work. | Check price → |
As an Amazon Associate, SimpleDrills earns from qualifying purchases. Prices shown on Amazon at time of click.
?Frequently asked questions
What age group is Pre-Season Box suitable for?
This drill suits youth. Build the intensity progressively and scale the workload to the group.
How many players do I need for Pre-Season Box?
This drill works well with around 10 players. With fewer, reduce the groups or rotate players through; with more, set up multiple stations so everyone stays active rather than queuing.
How long does Pre-Season Box take?
Allow around 3 minutes to set up and 15 minutes to run it — about 18 minutes in total. It fits well as the technical or main block of a session, leaving time for a warm-up and a game.