Medicine Ball Slams and Chest Passes

Students build trunk and upper-body power with two medicine ball throws: the slam into the floor and the chest pass to a partner. The focus is on driving force from the legs and throwing with control.

How to play

1. Explain the slam: ball overhead with arms extended, throw it into the floor in front of the feet while bending hips and knees, and pick it up in a squat (3 min).
2. Partner slams: 3 sets of 6 while the partner checks whether the back rounds or the legs are used (5 min).
3. Chest pass to a partner from 10 feet away, standing with a step forward, catching with bent arms (5 min).
4. Accuracy challenge: chest pass to a target marked with cones 13 feet away; each hit scores a point (4 min).
5. Quick partner rating with the card: three technique points for each throw (3 min).

Rules

• Use only medicine balls that bounce little or not at all for the slam.
• Never throw until your partner is looking with hands ready.
• Pairs throw side by side, all in the same direction, 10 feet apart.
• After the slam, pick the ball up with a squat, not by rounding the back.

Variations

Adaptations

• Wheelchair users: seated slam and pass with a light ball, brakes on.
• Visual impairment: the partner claps to guide the pass and a sound ball is used.
• Wrist or finger injury: slams only with a soft ball and no catching.

Learning goals

• Transfer force from the lower body to the upper body in throws.
• Throw and catch a medicine ball with safe technique.
• Observe and rate a classmate's technique using set criteria.

Equipment for a class of 25

• medicine ball: 15
• cones: 30
• cards: 15

Teacher tip

Check the balls first: very bouncy ones are not suitable for slams because they can rebound into the face.

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