Pursuit (Chase-down) Drill

The coach throws balls far from the defender, who sprints, plays the ball back up high and recovers. Builds the habit of never giving up on a ball.

Focus

Chasing and playing balls outside the court

Level

Advanced

Players

2+

Equipment

Balls, plenty of free space

Time

6–8 min

Bird’s-eye view: the coach throws a ball deep and wide; the defender chases it down and plays it back into the court.

📍 Setup

The defender starts in the middle of the back court. The coach stands near the attack line with a cart of balls.

🪜 How to run it

1. The coach throws a ball high and far — toward the sideline, the end line or out of the court.
2. The defender turns and sprints (no shuffling on long distances).
3. The defender plays the ball up high toward the middle of the court, using a forearm pass with the back to the net if needed.
4. Recover to the start position before the next throw.
5. Five throws per turn, then rest.

🏆 Scoring

One point for every ball played back into the court high enough for a teammate to play.

⚠️ Safety: Clear chairs, bags and benches from the free zone before starting. Rest between turns — this drill is tiring.

🧑‍🏫 Coaching this drill

What success looks like

The ball is played back high and toward the middle, giving a teammate a chance to play it.

Coaching cues

Common mistakes

• Shuffling instead of running. Fix: For anything longer than two steps, turn the hips and sprint.
• Playing the ball further out. Fix: Aim high toward the middle of the court, even if the pass is ugly.

When to move on

When the defender saves 4 of 5 long balls, combine with a teammate who must call and play the second contact.