Synopsis: Here’s a game you can use to concentrate your players on key coaching points executed within a game. It features a way to highlight how a player is disadvantaging the team by doing (or not doing) certain things.
Age/Skill Level: This game is for all levels.
Requirements: 2 teams, full court, 1 ball
Execution: This game is played in normal fashion. The variation comes when a player makes an error. That player is sent off the court to the penalty box (as in ice hockey) and may only come back when their team performs a designated play.
Variations:
- The error or errors which get a player sent to the penalty box can be anything the coach desires.
- Likewise, the play(s) used to get the player back on the court could be any number of options.
- You could replace the performance of a designated play to get a player out of the penalty box to a fixed number of points (either total or against their team).
- In a case where you are playing A team vs B team you could have different “fouls” and or player return criteria for each team to balance things out.
- This game is suitable for small-sided play.
Additional Comments:
- The larger the number of potential “fouls” you have which send players off, the faster they should be able to get back on. Otherwise, you could end up with severely depleted teams.
- Ideally, you should use the priority points you have designated for that training session to determine what’s a “foul” and how a player returns. For example, you could send a player off for not covering a hitter properly if that’s a focus point, and you could require a quick attack to get a player out of the penalty box if you’re working on the offense.
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