Adult Pre-Season — Fitness and Reactivation

5v2 rondo with the sprint-to-cone-and-back trigger on winning possession. Gets heart rates up within 3 minutes. Familiar format — no explanation needed for returning players. Scale: slow the sprint distance down for the first 2 rounds if players are clearly unfit.

Six numbered gates, 20 seconds on / 10 seconds rest, 6 rounds. Pairs competing side by side. No ball for the first 3 rounds, ball carry for rounds 4–6. Higher-intensity than it looks. Works well with adult squads because the competitive element between pairs drives effort without the coach needing to push.

90 seconds full intensity (both teams press, no walking) / 30 seconds walking rest. 6 rounds for the first pre-season session — increase to 8 in week 2. Call 'GO' and 'REST' audibly. The no-walking rule is the most important instruction: enforce it from round 1. By round 5 players will be breathing hard. That's correct.

15 minutes of free play after the intervals. No coaching, no bonus scoring, no rules beyond normal football. Players choose the intensity. This is the reward for completing the conditioning work. End the session here — don't add a debrief. Adults who've worked hard want to finish, not listen.