Activity

Keep The Ball - Home Zones Teams

Set Up

This would be the approx. size playing grid we would start out with for 12 players (6 on each team). Adjust the size based on number and ability of players.

Reduce the depth of the Home Zones to make the activity more difficult and encourage more changes in possession.

Each team has a HOME ZONE. The objective of the exercise is for the players to have a ball in their HOME ZONE at the end of the activity. Every player that has a ball in their HOME ZONE wins a point for their team, the team with the most points wins.

If a player has the ball at the end of the activity but is not in their HOME ZONE they do not score a point for their team.

One rule is that if you dribble the ball outside of the grid you must give the ball to the player who forced you out of the grid.

Videos

Variations

Change where the team of players without the ball start. Also change which zone the players with the ball start, sometimes have them start in their home zone and sometimes in the opponents home zone.

Add two wide gates that the payers must dribble their ball through when they are trying to get back to their Home zone.l

Add one gates in the centre that the players must dribble their ball through when they are trying to get back to their Home zone.

Coaching Points

One of your main coaching points with this activity is trying to have the players without the ball identify who they should try and steal a ball from. Help them understand that we do not want two players without a ball chasing the same person to win a ball. 1 player tries to steal 1 ball.
Show players how to shield/hide the ball when they run out of space and get near to the edges of the zone.
Show the player how to shield/hide the ball and look over their shoulder to see when the defender is behind them and turn away from the defender so as not to show them the ball.
Show players how to turn away from the defender keeping their body between the defender and the ball rather than turning into the defender and showing them the ball.
Encourage players who have a ball to dribble to the space furthest from the players on the other team.

Coaching Questions

Q. What happens when two players without a ball try and go win the ball from the same player?

A. Only one player can get the ball and it leaves one of the other team with a ball under NO pressure.

Q. When you win the ball from someone where is the best place to dribble the ball to once you get in your HOME ZONE?

A. Dribble to the far corners or the back of the HOME ZONE so if the other player wins the ball they have farther to go to get back to their HOME ZONE.

Tips

Try and colour coordinate your HOME ZONES with the colour of your players teams (Shirts/Pinnies)
Adjust how long you play the game based on age and ability. Shorter time and more rounds for younger and lesser ability players.
Adjust your grid and make it bigger when you have more players and for lower ability players. Adjust your zone and make it smaller for less players or higher ability players.
You can also make your zone smaller to increase the difficulty or to promote more shielding and changes of direction as there will not be as much room to dribble to evade the defender trying to take your ball.
Allow players to go to the corners but they must face into the zone if they have no pressure on them.
Make players have to keep the ball moving and rolling at all times when they have no defender pressuring them this will stop them hiding in the corners.