Get Open: 1v1 with a Feeder

In groups of three, an attacker tries to get free from a defender inside a grid to receive a pass from a teammate on the outside. It warms students up with changes of speed and direction and builds getting open and one-on-one defense in game-like situations.

How to play

1. Form groups of three with one team handball and one pinnie; mark a 6 x 6 yard cone grid for each group and place the passer outside, in the middle of one side.
2. Activation (2 minutes): the attacker fakes and changes direction inside the grid while the defender shadows without touching.
3. On the signal, the attacker has 5 seconds to get open and receive a pass from the feeder; a catch earns 1 point and the ball goes back to the feeder.
4. The defender tries to intercept or tip the ball in the air; if they do, they get the point.
5. Each attacker plays 6 attempts in a row, then rotate: attacker to defender, defender to feeder, feeder to attacker (about 6 minutes).
6. At the end, each group shares which fake worked best to lose the defender.

Rules

• The defender can't hold or push: they can only go for the ball.
• The attacker must catch inside the grid with two hands for it to count.
• The feeder can't pass until the attacker shows a target hand.
• Grids are at least 3 yards apart so passes don't cross.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: be a fixed feeder, or an attacker in a wheelchair with a defender who may only use their arms.
• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: the teacher signals by raising an arm and the feeder cues with a gesture.
• Lower fitness: rest one attempt in three and allow more time to receive.

Learning goals

• Use fakes and changes of speed to get free from a defender.
• Choose the right time and place to ask for the ball.
• Defend cleanly without illegal contact.

Equipment for a class of 25

• team handballs: 8
• pinnies: 8
• cones: 32

Teacher tip

Teach that an effective cut starts with a move one way and a quick burst the other way. Watch that defenders don't dive headfirst to intercept; if they do, remind them to stay balanced.

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