Short-ball Sprawl

The coach drops short balls in front of the defender, who sprawls forward to keep them alive and gets back up quickly.

Focus

Sprawling and recovering safely

Level

Advanced

Players

2+

Equipment

Balls; knee pads and a clean floor

Time

6–8 min

Side view: a short ball drops in front of the defender, who sprawls forward and plays it up.

📍 Setup

The defender starts in the back court; the coach stands near the net and drops or tips balls toward the attack line.

🪜 How to run it

1. Start by practising the sprawl slowly without a ball: low step, slide onto the chest and thighs, arms reaching forward.
2. The coach tips a short ball in front of the defender.
3. The defender takes a long, low step and sprawls, playing the ball up with one or two arms (or a pancake).
4. Get back up quickly — push up with the hands and return to the start position.
5. Five balls per turn.

🏆 Scoring

One point for every ball kept alive and playable.

⚠️ Safety: Learn the movement slowly on a mat first. Wear knee pads, and stop if anything hurts — see a coach for technique.

🧑‍🏫 Coaching this drill

What success looks like

The defender gets low early and keeps the ball up without landing on the knees or elbows.

Coaching cues

Common mistakes

• Landing on the knees. Fix: Lower the body with a long step before going to the floor; slide, don’t drop.
• Going to the floor too late. Fix: Start low from the first step — the sprawl is the end of the movement, not the start.

When to move on

When the movement is smooth and safe, add pancakes and two-defender communication.