Defence drill · 10 seconds
Prevent The Middle Pass
A defending drill, from Sportplan, played in the attacking goal third. Three feeders stand in a triangle well apart from each other, one attacker works in the middle of it, and one defender has the single job of making sure the ball never gets to her. There are no cones: the players are the triangle. What makes it hard for the defender is that the two things she has to watch, the ball and the attacker, are almost always in opposite directions, so she is reading one over her shoulder while she marks the other. She stands between her attacker and the ball, moves with small quick steps rather than big ones, and swings round to the new ball side every time it travels. Most of the time the ball simply goes round the outside, and that is a good rep: a pass that never gets played is a pass defended. The attacker is trying to break that by leading one way, selling it, and changing hard the other, and a good one will beat her marker more often than not. That is the thing worth watching, because it is the reason the defender eventually has to stop chasing the drive and start reading the pass instead, which is when she wins one. It resets the moment the ball is back with a feeder, and nobody carries it anywhere. Five players, one ball, no cones, 10 minutes.
Instructions
- Three feeders in a triangle, well apart, with the attacker working in the middle of it and the defender on her. No cones, the players are the triangle
- The feeders are trying to get the ball in to the attacker. The defender is trying to make sure it never arrives. That is the whole drill
- Stand between her and the ball, and swing round to the new ball side every time the ball travels round the outside
- Small quick steps, not big ones. A long stride commits you, and a good attacker is waiting for exactly that
- Watch the ball and watch her. They are in opposite directions, and losing either one loses the rep
- The ball going round the outside is a win for the defender, not a dead rep. A pass that never gets played is a pass defended
- The attacker leads one way, sells it, and changes hard the other. Expect to be beaten more often than not
- Once she has beaten you twice, stop following the drive and sit in the lane instead. That is the one you intercept
- It resets as soon as the ball is back with a feeder. Swap the defender with the attacker and rotate the feeders in
Progressions
- Add a second defender, which makes it much easier for the defence. Add a second attacker, which makes it much harder. Or pin the feeders to their spots so the attacker has to do all the work.
Adapted from Sportplan, with the rules checked against the World Netball rule book.
Building netball lineups in seconds
Set your team sheet, plan the rotations, and share it with the squad before you leave the car park.
