Netball: First Three Steps

Full court, 14 players, 1 umpire, 2 sets of bibs, 2 hoops, 8 cones.  A normal game situation is set up. 4 cones are set up down each sideline.  Players are to run around a cone, on the sideline, once they have passed the ball to a player. Once they have run around the cone then they can come back into play.   

Players run across the square to catch the ball and pass down the outside of the square. Use cones to start with but once the players understand its better not to use cones.

*AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON* 10+ players 2 stationary feeders, one on baseline and one around centre circle.  2 groups of 4+ players line up on either sideline.  2 players run from both sidelines, high five the opposite player in the middle of the court and then run out forming a "V" shape with their partner facing a feeder. Feeders pass to one of the pair facing them. Player that does not receive the ball cuts back and drives towards the other feeder, receive a pass from their partner. Ball is then passed on to the opposite feeder.   

Feeder starts with the ball outside of the diamond, 2m from the edge. Attacker and Defender start in the square. Attacker has to get free from defender and receive a pass from F at the cones of the diamond. Defender has to prevent A from moving, restricting her space. Work for 2-4 minutes with A moving to as many different cones as possible to receive a pass from F. Swap roles.

*AUDIO DESCRIPTION ON* Set up:  Four corners of about 2-3 players, 1/3 space, 2 balls. Balls start in opposing corners.  Balls and player will be moving in an anti-clockwise rotation.  Players from the corner without a ball drive on a diagonal into the third space and receive a pass from player with ball in front of them (corner to their right).  Ball is received then passed on to the player at next corner, in anticlockwise direction.  Player who drove joins the line they passed the ball to. The ball continues to rotate anticlockwise. 

Full court, 6+ players, 1 passer, 1ball. Ball starts down one end of the court with a passer to start the drill. 3 sets of partners set up down the court. Partner set 1 drives away from passer then forwards. Passer decides who to pass the ball too. The player who does not recieve the pass is to drive out and down the court.  Other partners repeat this process.

Full team lined up down the length of the court about 2 metres off the midline. 1.Ball starts down one end of the court. Players are to drive straight to reci 2. Players are to make a movement (i.e. dodge) before receiving the ball in the middle of the court. Players to turn and pass down the court. 2. Players make a movement before driving into the middle of the court. 3. First player in the line 'clears out', second player drives foward to receive the pass. Pass is given to the player who has peeled out and so on down the court.  

2 players; 1 feeder and 1 worker standing a metre apart. The worker must drive to the left before changing direction and running back to receive the ball in the middle where they pass back to the feeder. Repeat 10 times in total (5 times to the left and 5 to the right) before changing over.

Set up: one third space, one ball between two, cones (one between two). One partner to be standing on the third line with the ball facing the baseline. Other partner starts on the baseline, drives out to cone (about halfway down the third), turns and drives back to the baseline. Turns again and accelerates to partner who is holding the ball.  Play should recieve pass before the cone. 

Feeder starts with 2 attackers, 1 on each side. Feeder bounces the ball forwards and the 2 attackers race to grab the ball. Keep score, first attacker to 5 wins.

- The attackers start side by side about 4m away from the feeder, facing the feeder. - They slowly jog backwards together as a pair. - When the feeder shouts go they both change to running forwards and the feeder throws a straight chest pass to the middle of them for whoever is in front to grab. Challenge your players to be the first to 5.

Set up: Half a court, 10 cones, elastic bungy x10. Activity: Players line up on the baseline. On the coaches call they accelerate to the coned line.  Progression:Players lay face down with their toes on the baseline facing away from the cones. On the coaches call, players jump up, turn 180 degrees and accelerate towards the coned line.  Second progression: Players are in partners with a bungy cord. One player has bungy around waist, the other is resisting them moving forward. 

Split players into groups of 7/8 with 1 ball. Players stand into 2 lines facing each other with 1 feeder in the middle on their own at an angle. Player 1 starts with ball, throws to 'Feeder' who sprints forward to recieve the ball on the cone The receiver lands on 1 and releases the ball on 2 to the player waiting at the opposite queue. The receiving player then joins the opposite queue. The player at the front now with the ball repeats the process.

Add an extra feeder to the Follow ball part 1 practice and an extra ball as well - in each queue the 1st person should have the ball. Both players with the ball are working together as a team- and must not release the ball until each other is ready. Worker 1 passes to feeder 1 as worker 2 passes to feeder 2. Both receivers drive out to recieve a square pass back from their feeder. Worker 1 then passes to feeder 2 as worker 2 passes to feeder 1. They both drive to recieve a square ball from the feeders. They finally pass to the player working at the front of the queue and the drill continues.

In pairs. One person takes the lead and the other must follow as close as possible. On the command from the teacher the pair change direction and therefore change the leader.

10+ players, 5+ balls, half court area. 1. Half of the players stand in a star/circle shape, these are the feeders. 2. Each feeding player has a partner who stands next to them to start, these are the workers. 3. Each feeder has a ball. 4. Workers drive into the middle and recieve a pass from the feeder two people away. i.e. they skip a person. 5. Worker passes back to the line they have come from and drives towards the feeder who delivers a short bounce pass.  6. The feeder continues to drive around the worker and recives a long pass into the middle. 7. Worker passes the ball back out to initial feeder who passes the ball back. 8. Worker skips another feeder and passes to them, then joins the line.   

Split into pairs with 1 ball per pair. Worker (white 1) moves forward to receive a short pass and returns the ball. Worker then moves back to receive a high pass, leading with one shoulder and returns the ball to the feeder, repeat. The practice must be repeated leading with both the right and left shoulders so the high ball is received on both sides.

Set up: One third space, any number of players, 2 cones for each player.  Player practice "little feet" and body angles by moving in and out of the two cones they have set on the baseline.  Players move their feet in, out , in, out and then drive stright towards the third line and back.   

One team runs clockwise round the inside of the circle with the other team running anti-clockwise around the outside of the circle. In this example the defenders are red, and the attackers are red. When the coach shouts 'Jailbreak' the players inside the inner circle try to 'escape' to outside the 10m x 10m square (yellow cones). The inside team scores a point for each 'jailbreaker' - swap over. If you have an odd number of players give the defenders the extra man.

Players stand in a line spaced down the length of the court and the player at the end starts with the ball. When everyone is ready the next person in line runs out to receive the pass. The receiver then pivots and throws to the next person who has run out to receive the pass. Once the ball gets to the other side the ball comes back in the same way.