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Defense drills

General tips

Suggestions and observations for coaches:

• Defenders should
  • ask themselves "where’s my player" and "where’s the ball" aim to intercept the ball
  • restrict their opponent’s movement
  • keep the ball away from their oponent
  • restrict the options available to throwers
  • watch the wrist action of shooter for direction of pass
• When changing your defence from the left to the right side (or vice versa) of an opponent do it in front of that player

From Col Evans

Triangle drill

Requirements: 4 players, one ball Place 3 players in a triangle 3-4m apart, one with the ball (thrower). 4th player (defender) stands opposite thrower, between and a little in front of the other two players (receivers). Thrower then makes chest pass to either receiver, defender must try to intercept. After five clean interceptions, players rotate.

Coaching points:

• Adjust distances according to skill/size of defender to ensure defender has a realistic chance to intercept the ball.
• Ensure good fast chest passes only, no overheads.
• Defender should react to ball, not thrower's eyes
• Defender should use correct technique to come around defender (outside arm)
• Ensure defender does not "creep up" on thrower.

Progression:

• Make defender stand back on or behind the line between the receivers.
• Widen gap between receivers

From Andy Dawson

Passing drills

Types of passes

Shoulder pass

Flat, hard pass. Step forward with left foot (if ball is held in right hand)with ball held high and push the ball straight ahead from the shoulder. Hand behind the ball and follow through with fingers pointing in the direction of the pass, eye on the receiver and head up.

Chest pass

Flat pass. Using both hands, fingers behind the ball, thumbs touching and with elbows in push through while stepping forward with either foot.

Overhead

High pass. Release ball from above head, while stepping forward (footwork rule). Power from wrist to the elbow.

Push pass

Associated with bounce pass. Starts at waist, hand behind the ball pushing from the waist and stepping forward, follow through with fingers pointing in the direction fo the pass.

Bouce pass

Low pass used over a short distance to feed the circle. Release is low, push towards receiver, fingers pointing to the ground. This pass should note raise above the ground.

Lob

Power and speed. Ball held high, step forward and push form the waist, angling the ball up.

from Col Evans

Roll drill

Two players, worker and thrower. Worker stands 3-4 metres in front of and facing away from the thrower. Worker rolls to the left to receive a pass, as worker rolls (s)he must quickly pick up the eyes of the thrower, only then can the pass be pushed off. Repeat on right side.

Progression:

• Vary passes, lob, chest, shoulder and bounce
• Vary side and length of pass (short left or long right), worker must run onto or up to attack the ball

Coaching points:

• Ensure worker pushes off with correct foot
• Arms out to attack the ball and pulls ball into the chest
• Move out to meet the ball at 45 degrees

from Col Evans

Reaction drill

Worker and thrower face each other approx. 2 metres apart. Worker need only move 2 steps to either side to retrieve a variety of passes in quick succession. Worker must pit-a-pat to ready to go in either direction.

Coaching points:

• Worker must attack the ball and pull it into the chest
• Eye to ball contact
• Stance is balanced, not too broad and ready to move

Progression:

• Thrower has two balls, one in either hand, passes are pushed back and forward with one hand (thrower’s right hand to worker’s left etc)  from Col Evans

Left, right, up and over

Thrower and worker standing about two metres apart and facing each other. Thrower delivers a pass to the left then right then up and up again and finally over the head and and behind. Worker must return the passes via a chest pass as quickly as possible and drive through to receive the final pass before it hits the ground.

Coaching points:

• Worker must drive onto the ball, not just a couple of steps toward it
• Worker must maintain eye contact with the ball and drives should be at 45 degrees                         from Col Evans

Figure 8

Worker has to run around two cones, set approx 3 to 4 metres apart, in a figure of 8. Thrower stands between the cones but 3-4 metres to one side of them. Worker receives a pass every time (s)he runs towards the thrower, must return the pass left or right depending on which direction (s)he must run.

Coaching points:

• Worker must maintain eye contact with the thrower at all times
• Ensure correct foot is used for push off

from Col Evans 

Box drill

Requirements: five players, four cones, one ball
Place cones in a square c. 10 metres on a side. Each player stands at a cone in order (player 1 at cone 1, 2 at 2 etc), except Player 5 who starts midway between cones 4 and 1, with the ball. To commence the exercise, player 1 runs towards cone 2 and player 5 passes ahead of him/her so that the pass will be received at the mid-point between the two cones. Player 5 runs to cone 1 immediately on releasing the ball. As soon as player 1 receives the ball, player 2 runs towards cone 3, and player 1 passes to him/her in a similar fashion, to be received at the midpoint between the cones, then runs on to cone 2. As soon as player 2 receives the ball, player 3 runs towards cone 4 and player 2 passes to the midpoint and runs on to cone 3, etc etc. When player 1 has returned to cone 1 this is one rotation.

Coaching points:

• Ensure players sprint out for each pass
• Pass should be to space into which receiver must run
• Watch for balance and proper use of feet on landing/push off
• Ensure good pass technique used

Progression:

• Walk through exercise at first, then gradually build up pace to full speed.
• Require varying types of pass (suggest start with chest pass, then overhead, then shoulder pass)
• Give target number of successful complete rotations at full speed, then reverse direction of players.

from Andy Dawson

Diamonds

Requirements : 8 or more players, two balls, four cones.
Place cones in a square. Two girls stand at each cone (more if more than 8 players). P1 and P2 are diagonally opposite each other. P3 and P4 are in front on the other two cones and have the ball. P1 and P2 run towards each other, in the middle, they each receive a pass from their left. P1 throws the ball to the player originally standing behind P2 and P2 to the player now standing in P1's original place. P1 and P2 each then run and stand behind the player they just threw the ball to. P3 and P4 then run. The cycle continues on the same. Players need to keep their eyes on the ball whilst keeping a feel of where other players are so there are no collisions.

Points to remember : Always receive the ball from the left and throw straight ahead. All girls always stay on the same diagonal they started on. If one player falls out of time, the whole drill is out.

Start by walking through it a few times then build up speed.

from Jennifer Robson

Fitness and agility drills

Star runs

Set out four cones on the perimiter of a 3-4 metre diameter circle and call them 1,2,3,4 (or North, South, East, West, or left, right, back front). A player stands in the middle and on command runs around each of the destinations but must face forwards. The player must have "fast feet" to start (pit-a-pat) and work as fast as they can. On GO the player uses fast feet and rounds the cone head up and eyes forward (open, closed defence) then return to centre to begin again.

from Col Evans

Reaction drill

This drill is intended as a large group drill, but can also be used with small groups or individuals.

All participants space out in one goal third (c.2m from each other in all directions) and stand facing the coach, who stands in the centre circle with a ball. On command, all participants start "fast feet" on the spot and watch the ball. Coach then moves the ball and all players must react, moving body and stretching arms in the same direction as the ball.

Progression:

• Start with simply moving the ball left, right, away (ball held out in front), towards (ball held over head to rear).
• Then add tosses of the ball to which players must react by jumping (up, left, right) or dropping the ball to which players must react by dropping hands to the floor (straight down, left, right).
• Coach can also drop ball behind, over head, at which point all players must sprint to the opposite goal third.
• As a variation, place players in centre with multiple coaches around them and include passes between coaches (players must turn to face the ball).

Coaching points:

• Ensure all participants keep feet moving and react promptly
• Ensure full extension in leaps and drops
• Ensure sprints are full speed

from Andy Dawson

Awareness drill

Six players 3 attacking, 3 defending in 1 third of the court with 1 ball.
Pass quickly and accurately in turn to each player not passing back to the player which you received the pass from.
Coaching points: watch for speed agility and accuracy and footwork.
When the ball gets intercepted by the defenders they then become the attackers and vice versa. Progression: Introduce another ball, then nominate one player with a ball to throw first, this player then throws to the player without the ball and the one who has just released the ball then gets free to catch the ball from the second thrower, who then gets free to catch the ball off the other player with the ball. When it’s intercepted or thrown out of the third it goes to the defending players.

This tends to improve awareness and agility to release the ball then have it straight back again, keeping their minds active at all times.

from Dave Hulme