Tip drill
Why it works
Every tipped ball in a youth game lands on the floor, and half of them were interceptions that nobody was standing behind. The habit is two things at once: the front defender learns to tip backwards rather than swat down, and the back defender learns that a ball in the air is still live.
Run it
8 MINSix reps, then rotate all three positions. Eight minutes. Count the ones that hit the floor and say the number.
Say this
“Up and back, never down.”
A ball tipped down is a ball on the floor or a ball to the offense.
“Back man, eyes through him.”
You are watching the ball through the front defender, not watching the front defender.
“Both of you call it.”
One shout means the other one knows it is live.
Good looks like
- Every tip goes backwards and upward, none get swatted down.
- The back defender is moving before the tip, not after it.
- The ball is caught cleanly rather than juggled to the ground.
- You hear a call on every rep.
The mistakes
Swatting at it, which is the instinct and which kills the play for everybody behind.
Say: “Up and back, never down.”
Watching your team mate and reacting to his arms, which is always too late.
Say: “Back man, eyes through him.”
Silence, which is how two defenders both let it drop between them.
Say: “Both of you call it.”
Throw it slower and have the coach do the tipping, so the back defender only has the one job.
Do not tell them which one is coming: some balls are tips and some are catchable by the front man.