Netball Defense > Read the Pass

Focus

Fitness Conditioning.

Skills

Footwork & Agility, Defensive Moves.

Purpose

Defenders practice fast footwork in response to the intended movements of the feeder

Difficulty

Medium

Groups of

Balls/grp

Cones

Setup
Groups of 3 require 1/6 of court space. Trios choose feeder (A), token attacker (B), and defender (C).
Step 1
(A) has the ball and signals their intention to pass via one of 4 motions:-

Left side pass or right side pass - hold the ball to the left or right

Low bounce pass - lean forwards and hold the ball below the waist

Lob pass - hold the ball high
Step 2
Defender (C) responds to (A)'s action by using fast feet to skirt around (B) in the following manner:-

Less/right side pass - cover the left or right accordingly

Short bounce pass - cover the front

Lob pass - cover behind
Step 3
No throw is actually made, the main purpose is to practice footwork. (A) should hold the ball in position until (C) arrives in the covering position, then holds the ball in a different position

Normal obstruction rules apply, so defenders shouldn't be making contact.
Step 4
Rotate roles once players start tiring after 30-45 seconds.