The calm before the storm – warming up before a hockey game
Today, I want to talk about how teams at any level can warm up before a game to achieve the best level of physical preparation and mental readiness. Warming up is a period where all players on the team don’t just run through habits but actively engage in routines with these concrete goals in mind.
I find the variety of way in which junior and senior hockey teams warm up quite interesting. Going beyond physical mechanics of muscle activation and injury prevention, warming up for matches encapsulates team bonding and an opportunity for individuals to prove their value in a team.
I will begin with some recommended material for the mechanics of warm-ups, before moving onto observations of my own regarding high level hockey and ideas I have collected for warming up teams.
Recommended material
You can’t go far wrong with this article from Scottish Hockey’s main page: Hockey Ready – a warmup to reduce injury.[1] Not only is this downloadable as a PDF, it gives explanations and progressions for a 20-25 minute warm-up.
‘Warm up for hockey’ is a very in-depth article by Victoria at ThamesPhysio offering some further exercise variations.[2]
Observations from senior hockey:
When I was looking into how teams warm up, I watched a men’s game between Surbiton and Wimbledon HC from last year via the Eurohockey channel. I have included a link to the game here although you will need to set up an account (no subscription needed!)
In the general context of coaching, I cannot recommend Eurohockey enough as a hockey streaming platform where you access not only ongoing tournaments live but also plenty of archived games free!
Regarding warm-ups that players on both teams engage in, I believe there are some key take aways for coaches:
Both teams’ warm-up using exercises similar to those produced by Scottish Hockey:
High knees (brining knees up to chest)
Kicking out their legs
Changes in tempo from jogging to sprinting
Onto stick and ball work, players transition to passing in pairs. They not only use a variety of passing techniques including aerials, backhands, forehand hits and slaps. They also focus on accuracy over speed.
When they receive the ball, they don’t just stop it and pass back. They lift their heads up and move the ball with the first touch, alternating between a forehand and backhand reception.
This is a dynamic and GAME REALISTIC way of warming up one’s first touch and passing.
Interestingly, the Surbiton players have a relaxed approach in that they pair up and pass however they want. Whereas the Wimbledon team get into groups of four/five and go through certain routines:
Player 1 passed to player 2 facing them who used first touch to control and manipulate the ball left or right before passing to player 3 (behind player 1). Player 1 followed their pass to the opposite group.
Player 1 passed to player 2 then posted up to receive closed, passing a second time back to player 2.
Same as stage 1 BUT this time player 1’s second reception and pass is open and back to player 3.
Both clubs have seen consistent success in the EHL and England club hockey; the routines and gameplay shown in this example reflect it. I believe the variation in ball reception and passing when warming up don’t just indicate considerable talent and hard work, but also a determination to win.
Suggestions for game warm-ups
For my recent coaching work with county age groups and adult club teams, I have used the following 30 minute structure for warming up which includes all the aspects discussed above:
5 minutes: Gather the team and line them up on the baseline facing towards the pitch for stretching and muscle activation, with suggestions below:
Hip swinging, 15-20 times each side
High knees/lifts whilst jogging
Hurdles (often colloquially known as ‘opening’ or ‘closing the gate’)
Calf stretch (often referred to as ‘shooing the chickens’).
Sprint variations
2. 5 minutes: Passing routines in small groups using the Wimbledon HC examples highlighted OR passing in pairs, with an emphasis on passing/reception variation.
5-10 minutes: Split the team into back 4 or 3. The backline takes one quarter of the pitch and practices quick, 2 touch transfer. If you want to add an extra challenge to this and prompt pre-scanning/verbal communication, you can add a second ball so they have to avoid passing to the ball carrier.
The rest of the team sets up a ‘shotbox’ in front of the goal. For this, gather some balls on the 23-metre line and form a square with a player on each of the four corners. Every player must touch the ball before one of the players on the edge of the circle takes a shot (forehand, backhand)
10 minutes: Split team into those involved with PCAs or short corners. The rest get into a small-sided possession game in a limited space of your choosing (a box formed of cones)
Final Thoughts
The warm-up sets the tone of a game and if the coach implements more structure into routines the players go through as well as showing enthusiasm, the greater the buy-in from players. Put simply, players should warm up to win – believing before the game has even started that you will be successful as a team is key!
Written By Barnaby | LMHockey
References:
[1] Tom Johnston, ‘Hockey Ready – a warmup to reduce injury’, Scottish Hockey, 31 July 2023, https://scottish-hockey.org.uk/hockey-ready-a-warmup-to-reduce-injury/ (accessed 06/02/2025)
[2] Victoria Dunne, ‘Warm up for Hockey’, ThamesPhysio, 17 October 2019, https://www.thamesphysio.com/new-blog/2019/10/17/warm-up-for-hockey (accessed 09/02/2025)