Team

Four corners A very useful exercise that can be repeated.in various forms. It helps players work on timing, passing and receiving on the run, changing direction, calling, court balance. A common problem is players moving too soon to take the pass, and players not passing into space. Encourage receivers to hold before moving, and encourage passers to let the ball go into the space. Initially encourage players to be in the air when they receive the ball and to land with their feet directly below their waist, in order to control their stepping. Team forms a square with roughly equal numbers of players at each corner. The ball is passed around the square, with players moving into the space between their corner and the next corner to take the pass. Variations: On a call, the ball changes direction. Try to ensure that the player who has just previously passed the ball is not the person who then receives the change of direction pass. - Players alternately receive the pass middle or side. For middle the player drives in towards the middle of the square, calling middle. The next receiver drives the side of the square, calling side, and so on. - Make every second pass a bounce pass. 

Pass and react Another very useful exercise for encouraging players to react as soon as they have passed, and also to change quickly from attack to defence to attack. Also shows up those players needing to work on their transition between attack and defence, their reaction speed and their ability to create and see space.

Two teams of three, both teams numbered 1-2-3. One attacking team, one defence. Attacking players have to pass to each other in numerical order (i.e. three passes to one, one to two and so on). Defence have to try to intercept. If defence intercept  they immediately become the attacking team. The limit of three players per team mean that as soon as a player has passed the ball she needs to react to look for or make space to move into for the next pass. This is a tiring exercise. 5 minutes on, 2 minutes rest. 

Number netball Two teams of 4, playing within one third. Each member in each team has a sequential number, i.e. 1,2,3,4. The ball must be passed in that order 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 etc. Defenders have to try to get the ball back, and then become attacking team. Coach can call an option of which number is allowed to shoot. General rules of netball apply. 

Diagonal pass and drive Players form two groups on diagonal corners of a court third. Player A starts just out from her corner, with the ball (after passing it she will drop to the back of her corner group). B and C drive outwards and forward from either side of the opposite corner. A passes to either B or C. If C does not receive the ball from A she continues driving to receive a forward pass from B. C then passes it on to one of two players, D or E, driving out from the opposite corner where A is. C carries on running to the end of the corner she is heading towards, whereas B drops back to her own line, and the whole process continues. Coaching points: excellent for speed and quick thinking, timing and passing/receiving on the run. Good for more experienced teams. 

Pass 1,2,3,4 Four players form a square, one player at each corner, each taking a number, 1, 2, 3, 4. Start without defence inside the square, just one attacker. Outside the square is the coach or another player who calls. The attacking player has a ball. On the call of a number, the attacking player passes to that corner and receives a pass back from that corner (NOTE: SHE DOES NOT HAVE TO DRIVE TOWARDS THAT CORNER TO RECEIVE OR TO PASS – having variety in using space makes players think more about space on court) Add one defender, then another. Coaching points: quick thinking, using space. 

Pass every corner Four players form a square, one player at each corner, and one attacking player stands in the middle with a ball. The attacking player has to drive, cut and use space around the square until she has passed and received from each corner player twice. She must not pass and receive to the same player twice in a row. Strongly encourage players not to drive towards the corner that they have just passed to in order to receive the return pass – they should try to create space through quick movements, pulling defenders into one space then driving out into clear space. Add one defender, then two.

Pass and cut team Players stand in a line perpendicular to the back line of the court. Passer A stands in the centre circle. B and C are the first and second people in the line, they drive out left and right. A chooses to pass to one of them (she then runs to the back of the line). Let us say she passes to B. C, who does not receive that pass, cuts hard back to the front of the line where she receives a pass from B. She then returns the pass to B who has driven to where A was originally standing. C goes to the back of the line. B is the passer. D and E drive out and so on. Coaching Points: a very good exercise for improving quick thinking, turning and passing. 

Top and bottom One line of players. Standing at driving and ball-passing distance from the line are two passers, one on each side. The two front players in the line drive out, one towards each passer, taking a pass. Either one of the drivers calls "Top" or "Bottom". "Top" means that she will be driving across in front of the other driver to get a pass from the other passer, and telling the other driver to go behind her. "Bottom" obviously means she will go behind the other driver. Each player takes a pass from the other passer then they repeat the action (calling "top or "bottom") once more to get a pass from their original passer. Lastly they get a small high lob from their own passer, and they then take over as passers. The two passers go to the back of the line, and two more drive out from the front. 

Dizzy passing Players stand in a circle with one passer (A) in the middle, and two balls, one on the outside (with B) and one with A. A passes to the player right of B and at the same time receives a ball from B. She keeps on passing one ball forward and receiving another until she has done two complete turns of the circle. Another then takes her place. Quick reaction and vision. 

Pass one way, move the other Players form a triangle, with equal numbers at each point. The player with the ball passes in one direction then runs in the opposite direction to the back of the line. The receiver can pass back to the player at the front of either line, but must always then drive in the other direction. Coaching Points – good for thinking and moving away from the direct play. 

Down the Line Team lines up down the court, evenly spaced, stationary. One player runs parallel to the line receiving passes in space from players, passing onto the next passer, until she reaches the last passer who then repeats the proces in the opposite direction. Runner tries not to jump as she receives the ball. Variation: Stagger the passers, i.e. two lines on either side of the passer who must change direction slightly without stepping or losing control. Coaching points: passing into space, timing, body control. This can also be done as a team game, with two teams, each player with a number. Coach stands at one end with two balls on the ground in front. She calls out a number, e.g. 4. Both No. 4 players race to pick up a ball, then go down the line passing it, then returning it to the coach. 

Forward Two lines parallel to each other. Front player in one line has ball, throws it high and diagonal in front of other line. Front player in other line drives out, leaps, turns, lands facing her own team, passes back to second player in her line who then passes diagonally for the first player in the other line to take a pass, and so on. Variation: Vary the type of pass, e.g. flat, bounce, lob.

Pairs / Small Group Exercises

Movement reaction practice Players face each other about 2 metres apart. Player A works at various foot movements, e.g. hop one leg, jump up and down, side step left and right a few steps, various jumps using various foot patterns and pivots etc. Player B tries to quickly copy partner’s movement. Exchange the lead. Coaching points: focus eyes on each other. React quickly without dropping focus to feet level. 

Signal reaction practice Player A stands still facing player B, 3 metres apart. Player B sprints around partner without contacting and responds to the call of Player A, for example, side step, change direction, sprint, turn left etc. Work high intensity 10 secs, jog 30 secs. Repeat several times, then change places. Coaching points: body positioning, speed changes and focus. 

See saw One ball, three players Two players place themselves at the horizontal points of an imaginary capital T. The passer is at the bottom of the T. The passer passes to the middle of the T, and one of the players drives in for the ball, passes back, then drives back to her spot. Immediately the other player drives to the middle to receive another pass, and so on. Variations – change sides, side slip out and run back in, as player moves out jump over a line. Coaching points: balance, quick feet, change of direction, passing. 

Quick feet, touch, return A stands with outstretched arms, B stands about 2-3 metres away. B, using quick feet (little, quick, light steps), runs towards B, touches her arm, turns and runs back to her spot, runs forward touches other arm, etc. B keeps watching A at all times. A lets her know if she is dropping her eyes. B tries to ensure that when running backwards she is not shuffling, but using angles, and that she is keeping a straight body and using quick feet. 

Quick, slow Two players running down court, passing between them. First time they run quickly, but pass slowly. The second time they run slowly, but pass quickly. 

Mirror Two players face each other. One initiates movement down court, the other player tries to match her (e.g. side slip, back angle drive, dodge, quick changes of direction). 

Reaction Hands One player passes quick short passes to another who is standing facing the passer with her hands relaxed and at her sides. The receiver must bring hands up quickly to catch the ball, pass in back to the passer and immediately return her hands to her sides. The passer varies the height of the pass, but passes must always be in reach of the receiver.Variation – same as before, but receiver must touch her hips between each pass.Coaching points: relaxed ready position, i.e. hands and arms not stiff, quick reactions. 

Reach One player passes (not quick) to another who is not allowed to move either foot, but must stretch with her upper body and hands to gather in the pass. Passer varies the height and side of the pass. 

Left and Right One player stands with back to (and about two metres away from) another player who has the ball. Player with the ball calls left, right or middle. The receiver must turn in the direction of the call to receive the pass (middle being a 180 degree turn).Variations: - call low left or low right – ball along the ground, call high left, high right for high pass. Start without a ball the first time this is done.Coaching Points: reaction, timing of pass, body balance when turning. 

Pass and Cut Two (or 3) players pass and cut (pass then drive to a new space) between them, for half a minute, then have 20 seconds rest, and so on. Encourage players to be inventive, trying turns, rolls, dodges and pivots to improve their pass and cut.Coaching points: understanding between players.

 Pass into space In threes, players take the shape of a square, missing one corner. The player with the ball faces the empty space and the player on the other side of the empty space moves into it to receive a pass, turns and passes into the empty space she has just vacated where the next player is moving into and so on. Once players are confident, one player can call change, to change direction. 

Target ball Draw chalk crosses on the ground at varying distances from a wall, or with another player (the catcher) behind the last line. Passer has to try to either bounce pass, hitting the crosses, or at some distance back put a high pass which lands on the cross.

Target spaces Draw a chalk four square, numbered (each square about 2m squared).

a) Three players pass to each other (vary the passes), moving into a square to receive a pass, then out again once passed.

b) One defence, one attacker, one passer. All three players well outside of four square. Passer names a square that attacker has to receive pass in. Defender tries various types of marking - side, front, cutting, to stop attacker from reaching the square or intercept the pass. Passer decides who 'wins' (e.g. if attacker is forced to stop or change direction more than three times, defender wins the point). You could start with a more passive defender, standing as a post.