Netball: Defensive decisions

Work in pairs. Start back line. In turn for 30 secs. Jog forward. On whistle fast feet make diamond shape – defending jump at each point of diamond.

White player 1 initiates a move towards either ball( on a cone). Red player 1responds and tries to get to the ball before.

3 stage progression drill aimed at improving defenders ability to be first to rebounds. Players split into pairs. Stage 1 - attacking players starts behind defending player. On the coaches signal, attacker tries to get round the defender, with the defender using their body to prevent the attacker from reaching the ball. Attacker and defender switch after every go. Stage 2 - same as above but the movement is initiated by the defending player bouncing the ball. Stage 3 - same again with the movement starting after the attacker has taken a shot. The defender here is trying to be the first to claim the ball off the rebound.

Divide your players into 2 teams. The attackers (blue) have to try and keep the ball, passing from the left side of the playing area and taking it through the defender's territory into the 'restricted area'. Attackers must complete 10 passes before being allowed to enter the restricted zone - if they manage to do this they score a point. To prevent the attackers from scoring though the defenders have to use the 3 stages of defending to gain possession of the ball.

In pairs, one player moves quickly from left to right, using small side steps while their partner tries to keep up. Both players are facing each other.

One player has to stand with her back to the sun and move left and right. The other player has to try and stay on the shadow of the player moving. If there is no sun pretend that one player si looking in the mirror and has to try and stay opposite her image in the mirror.

Players run in pairs along the length of the court. The defender runs alongside the attacker, trying to keep the attacker on the outside edges of the channel by turning their body as the attacker jogs/ changes direction. Do this four times and then swap roles.

Set up: One ball, 5+ players. Set up two lines of players facing each other with one passer in the middle. Ball starts with front player in line.  Player delivers a pass to the stationary passer, receives it back in the middle and passes in front to opposing line. Player then joins back of the line.  Progression 1: Add in change of movement Keep the same set up. Instead of driving straight through. Players now drive out (away from stationary passer) and then change direction to drive towards passer and receive a straight pass. Ball then gets passed to opposing line, as before and player joins that line.  Progression 2: Add light defence Keep set up the same with the change indirection. Add in a defensive player to disrupt the area.  Progression 3: Increase defence Add in another defender of get the original defender to become more ‘active’.

In this game you have two attackers who are passing the ball between them with one defender who stands behind the attacker. The defender is the worker in this drill. The defending player should be constantly working, rotating around the GS using the snake-bite action. To start with the purpose of this movement is purely to distract the GS, with the defending players moving in front of the receiving player even when the ball is at the other end of the court.

In Pairs. Blue players stand in front of white. White players run towards one line, sudden change of direction and sprint back to try and lose the defence. Defence start as static defence, then become active.

2 Players facing each other. The idea is that each player has to try and touch the calves of their partners and at the same time ensure that they do not get caught.

Place some cones in a large circle, using more cones than players. Each player stands behind a cone. Moving on the balls of their feet with little steps your players should be running to the left and to the right of the cone simulating blocking without ever actually running in front of the cone. As they come towards the front of the cone players should use their outside hand to flash in front of the cone (as if blocking a ball). So if your player has run round the left of the cone they should use their right hand. Work for 30 second periods and on the whistle drive to any other cone and start again.