Activities · practice · 8 min

Stop the ball, chest first

Cue

Chest in front of the ball, hips low.

Principle
First run, then chest, only then hands.

Set-up

Pairs in a lane about 4 metres wide (cones), baseline to half court.

Rules

The attacker dribbles forward in a zigzag. The defender stays in front of the ball: slide, and run when beaten. First at walking pace, then half speed, then live.

Where this fits

Period P1 · Transition & fullcourt

Cells P1 · layer 0 P1 · layer 1 P1 · layer 2 P1 · layer 3

Solves Positive aggression and contact Order

By layer

Layer 0Aware	Mirror game without a ball: stay in front of your partner.
Layer 1Control	The whole block; chest first.
Layer 2Shape your own	Absorb contact without fouling; steer the attacker to the sideline.
Layer 3Shape others	Short; then add help defence.

How do you coach it?

Short and precise, coach-led, at most about 10 minutes. Then back to play.

One focus point, said out loudcompetence
The 2–3 correction points you watchcompetence
- chest in front of the ball
- hips low, don't cross the feet when sliding
- beaten? turn and run, don't reach
Many good repetitions, no queuescompetence
An easier and a harder version readycompetence
Feedback names what you sawrelatedness

Autonomy is not the criterion here.

Works on

Chest first, run instead of reach, legal contact

Easier

Narrower lane; attacker at walking pace.

Harder

Wider lane; live, the attacker may score.

Question to observe

When beaten, does the defender reach, or run back in front?

Used in

Skills training · P1 week 130 Oct