Pass Through the Wall: Interception Game
Two groups of passers at opposite ends of a rectangle try to pass the ball through a middle zone where three interceptors try to cut it off. Students practice choosing and faking passes, catching, and reading the ball on defense.
How to play
- Set up two 20 x 15-yard rectangles split into three strips with cones. In each, four passers stand in each end strip and three interceptors in pinnies stand in the 6-yard middle strip.
- Passers move along their strip and pass to the other group over, bounced, or between the interceptors; every completed pass scores 1 point for the passers.
- Interceptors may not leave the middle strip and try to block or deflect the ball with their hands.
- Whoever makes an interception swaps places with the passer who threw it, who becomes an interceptor.
- Every 4 minutes, add a second ball for 1 minute, and at the end compare which passing group scored the most.
Rules
- Hold the ball no more than 3 seconds, with no dribbling.
- Passes must be catchable, with no hard overhead throws.
- Safety: interceptors may not jump into a passer or enter their strip.
Variations
Easier
Use two interceptors and a narrower middle strip.
Standard
Four passers per side against three interceptors.
Harder
Four interceptors, and only bounce passes or jump passes are allowed.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student is a fixed passer in a corner of the end strip who is always open.
- Shyness: start as a passer next to a supportive partner.
- Fitness level: interceptors rotate out early if they have been in the middle a long time.
Learning goals
- Pick the right type of pass based on where the defenders are.
- Use a pass fake to open a lane.
- Read the ball's path to make an interception.
Equipment for a class of 25
- team handballs: 4
- cones: 16
- pinnies: 6
Teacher tip
If interceptors never get a ball, narrow the rectangle; if they get every pass, widen it. Ask for a fake before every pass.
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