How do I teach my team to read the play?

How do I teach my team to read the play?

I coach a team of U15 girls who vary in their ability. Our play from the baseline throw in is disjointed and the ball is often intercepted as a result. What is the best way to teach the girls to read each others play and operate as a smooth unit?

Danielle Bridgette SchoerCoach, Australia
TOP ANSWER
Lee-annes NetballCoach, Australia

Hi Danielle

there is no short term answer to this.  its about doing a lot of training so girls get to know each others breaks and moves.  its about teaching them to keeping the court open and not to get in each others ways.  how to offer a pass, and re offer a pass if they didnt receive it.  they are not 10 anymore.  they dont all need to be breaking and driving for the pass.  so they need to learn patience.  how drawing their players away from where the play is being made and then driving into the space they have just created, or opening it for someone else to drive into.  its teaching them to look for the space, not necessarily the players.  sometimes teaching them some set plays will help teach them how to open up space and that everyone has a place to be at a given time.  these set plays are good for a starting block....ie C to WA to GS to GA (who shoots the goal)  but dont let them get lazy in only letting them do them only, as they are very common set plays and easily read by opposition.  try weaving drills of them taking the ball down the court in groups of 3 or more where they must keep the ball moving at all times, teaching them split, break, and reoffer drills for back line throwins, set plays, the basic end to end bringing ball down the court with eveyone set up on the side line and only breaking in time to receive their pass down the center of the court.  there are a number of drill on here that will help with just get the ball down the court fast.  but generally the main reason balls get intercepted, is because players procrastinate over the pass, and the defence then gets time to read the obvious pass.  get the girls use to bringing the ball down with quick passes.  they will get better the more they play.

hope that helps. %3A)

ANSWERS
Lee-annes NetballCoach, Australia

Hi Danielle

there is no short term answer to this.  its about doing a lot of training so girls get to know each others breaks and moves.  its about teaching them to keeping the court open and not to get in each others ways.  how to offer a pass, and re offer a pass if they didnt receive it.  they are not 10 anymore.  they dont all need to be breaking and driving for the pass.  so they need to learn patience.  how drawing their players away from where the play is being made and then driving into the space they have just created, or opening it for someone else to drive into.  its teaching them to look for the space, not necessarily the players.  sometimes teaching them some set plays will help teach them how to open up space and that everyone has a place to be at a given time.  these set plays are good for a starting block....ie C to WA to GS to GA (who shoots the goal)  but dont let them get lazy in only letting them do them only, as they are very common set plays and easily read by opposition.  try weaving drills of them taking the ball down the court in groups of 3 or more where they must keep the ball moving at all times, teaching them split, break, and reoffer drills for back line throwins, set plays, the basic end to end bringing ball down the court with eveyone set up on the side line and only breaking in time to receive their pass down the center of the court.  there are a number of drill on here that will help with just get the ball down the court fast.  but generally the main reason balls get intercepted, is because players procrastinate over the pass, and the defence then gets time to read the obvious pass.  get the girls use to bringing the ball down with quick passes.  they will get better the more they play.

hope that helps. %3A)

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