Feet in cement
Why it works
Taking the feet away removes the thing a defender leans on and leaves only the thing he is bad at. A kid who can only reach learns where a belt actually is, and then keeps that when you give his feet back.
Run it
8 MINFour runners per defender, then rotate. Everybody defends at least once. Eight minutes.
Say this
“Hands out before he gets here.”
A rooted defender who waits has already lost; the reach has to start early.
“Reach for the belt, not the shirt.”
It is the habit that stops a penalty in a game.
“Turn your hips, not your feet.”
There is more reach in a rotation than most kids think.
Good looks like
- Hands are up and out before the runner is within two yards.
- The defender turns at the waist and covers more of the box than looks possible.
- Grabs land on the belt line, never above it.
- Runners have to actually commit to a side instead of walking through the middle.
The mistakes
Hands down at the sides until the runner arrives, which is what they do with their feet free too.
Say: “Hands out before he gets here.”
Grabbing jersey, which is a flag guarding call waiting to happen. Call it every single time here so it never happens Saturday.
Say: “Reach for the belt, not the shirt.”
Stepping, because it is easier. Stop the rep, reset, and make it cost a turn.
Say: “Turn your hips, not your feet.”
Shrink the box to three yards so the runner cannot get far away, and let the defender pivot on one foot.
Two runners through at once from different sides. Or make the defender call which belt he is going for before the runner moves.