3 x 3 Grid Tic-Tac-Toe Warm-Up | Sharpen Decision-Making and Speed

Overview

• Works with 6 or more players
• For all ages U12 and up
• Perfect as a warm-up or early in the session
• What you need: 9 cones (rough guide), a grid, a ball (for the later stages)

Objectives

• Train reaction time and decision-making at the same time
• Crank up the competitive edge and pull energy out of your players
• Sharpen sprinting and change of direction
• Get your players talking to each other
• Make it fun and game-like so everyone wants in

Setup

Split into two teams for a sprint race: the first team to line up three cones in a row on a 3 x 3 grid (nine squares) — across, down, or diagonal — wins.

１）Set up the grid and give each team three cones

２）On your whistle, both teams take off at the same time and start placing cones on the grid

３）Each player drops one cone per trip, then sprints back to the start

４）Once all the cones are down, everyone from both teams races back to the grid to reposition them

５）The team that makes a line — across, down, or diagonal — wins

６）Run it a few times