Netball is a team sport that requires precision, speed, and accuracy in passing the ball. To excel in netball, players must master different types of passes, including chest pass, overhead pass, and bounce pass. In this blog post, we will explore some of the best netball passing drills to help players improve their passing skills.
1. Chest Pass
The chest pass is one of the most commonly used passes in netball. It is a quick and accurate pass that requires good hand-eye coordination and strong chest muscles. Here’s a drill that can help players improve their chest pass:
1. Chest Pass Against Wall
This drill helps players improve their chest pass accuracy and speed. Here’s how to do it:
- Stand about 2 meters away from a wall.
- Hold the ball with both hands at chest level.
- Step forward with one foot and push the ball towards the wall using your chest muscles.
- Catch the ball with both hands as it bounces back from the wall.
- Repeat the drill for 10-15 repetitions.
Tip: To make the drill more challenging, increase the distance between yourself and the wall.
2. Overhead Pass
The overhead pass is used to pass the ball over the head of the defender. It is a high-risk pass that requires good judgment and accuracy. Here’s a drill that can help players improve their overhead pass:
2. Overhead Pass Relay
This drill helps players improve their overhead pass accuracy and speed. Here’s how to do it:
- Divide the team into two groups.
- Have one group line up on one side of the court, and the other group on the opposite side.
- The first player in each group holds the ball.
- On the coach’s signal, the first player in each group passes the ball overhead to the first player in the other group.
- The player who receives the ball then passes it back overhead to the next player in their group.
- The drill continues until all players have had a turn.
- The team that completes the relay first wins the drill.
Tip: To make the drill more challenging, increase the distance between the two groups.
3. Bounce Pass
The bounce pass is used to pass the ball to a teammate who is not within direct reach. It is a low-risk pass that requires good timing and accuracy. Here’s a drill that can help players improve their bounce pass:
3. Bounce Pass and Move
This drill helps players improve their bounce pass accuracy and speed, as well as their movement on the court. Here’s how to do it:
- Divide the team into pairs.
- Have one player from each pair stand at one end of the court, and the other player at the other end.
- The player at one end of the court bounces the ball to their partner at the other end of the court.
- After the pass, the player who passed the ball runs towards their partner at the other end of the court.
- The player who received the ball then bounces it back to their partner and runs towards the opposite end of the court.
- The drill continues until all pairs have had a turn.
- The team that completes the drill first wins.
Tip: To make the drill more challenging, increase the distance between the pairs.
4. Multiple Passes
Multiple passes are often used in netball to confuse the opposition and create opportunities for scoring. To execute multiple passes effectively, players must have good passing skills and coordination. Here’s a drill that can help players improve their multiple pass skills:
4. Triangle Passing
This drill helps players improve their passing accuracy and coordination, as well as their movement on the court. Here’s how to do it:
- Divide the team into groups of three.
- Have each group stand in a triangle formation, with one player at each corner.
- The player with the ball starts the drill by passing it to one of their teammates.
- The receiving player then passes the ball to the third player in the group.
- The third player then passes the ball back to the first player, completing the triangle.
- The drill continues with each player taking turns with the ball, aiming to complete as many triangles as possible within a set time frame.
- The team that completes the most triangles wins.
Tip: To make the drill more challenging, increase the speed of the passes and the number of triangles completed.
5. Game-Specific Passing
Netball is a fast-paced game that requires players to be able to adapt quickly to different situations. Game-specific passing drills help players improve their passing skills in situations that mirror those they may face in a real game. Here’s a drill that can help players improve their game-specific passing skills:
5. Game-Specific Passing Drill
This drill helps players improve their passing accuracy and speed, as well as their ability to read the game. Here’s how to do it:
- Divide the team into two groups and set up a small game, such as 3v3 or 4v4.
- Before the game starts, designate a specific passing type that players must use during the game (e.g. only chest passes or only bounce passes).
- Play the game, making sure players stick to the designated passing type.
- After the game, have a team discussion about how the designated passing type affected the game and what players could do to improve their passing skills in that situation.
Tip: To make the drill more challenging, increase the number of players on the court and/or designate more specific passing types (e.g. only overhead passes to specific players).
Conclusion
Improving passing skills is essential for netball players who want to excel on the court. By using these netball passing drills, players can improve their accuracy, speed, and coordination, making them more effective team members. Remember to focus on the fundamentals of each pass, such as good footwork and strong chest muscles for chest passes, good timing and accuracy for bounce passes, and good judgment and accuracy for overhead passes. Practice these drills regularly, and you’ll soon see an improvement in your netball passing skills!