Passer Alley: Catch at Full Speed

A runner goes through a 30 m alley, catching and returning the ball to four fixed passers without slowing down. It trains catching and passing on the run, the most used skill in handball.

How to play

1. Set two 30 m alleys with 4 cones per side, 7 m apart; a passer stands at each cone (2 min).
2. Jog: the runner catches from each passer and returns the ball before reaching the next (4 min).
3. Half speed, catching with hands shaped like a funnel in front of the body (4 min).
4. Passers mix high, bounce and wide passes so the runner adapts the catch (5 min).
5. Group challenge: time the run; each dropped ball adds 2 seconds (4 min).
6. Final rotation and debrief: what did it take to keep your speed? (1 min).

Rules

• Passers lead the runner, never pass behind them.
• The next runner goes once the previous one passes the second cone.
• Catch and pass without dribbling.
• Rotate every three alley runs.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: always a passer, with a partner chasing loose balls.
• Students nervous with the ball: passers 3 m from the runner and a soft ball.
• Deaf or hard-of-hearing students: the runner raises a hand to ask for the ball and the passer answers with a signal.

Learning goals

• Catch on the run without losing speed.
• Lead the receiver with the pass.
• Adjust the hands to balls at different heights.

Equipment for a class of 25

• handballs: 8
• cones: 16

Teacher tip

Stress that the pass goes where the runner will be, not where they are. With 28 students, run four alleys of seven instead of two.

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