Shuffle and Pass
The tosser alternates left and right, so the passer has to shuffle, stop and pass. Teaches players to beat the ball to the spot instead of reaching.
- Focus
- Moving to the ball before passing
- Level
- Beginner
- Players
- 2 per ball
- Equipment
- 1 ball per pair
- Time
- 8–10 min
Bird’s-eye view
Bird’s-eye view: the passer (blue) shuffles left, passes, recovers and shuffles right.
📍 Setup
The passer stands in the middle of a 4 m wide lane, about 4 m from the tosser.
🪜 How to run it
- The tosser throws the ball about two steps to the passer’s left.
- The passer shuffles (no crossing feet), stops with feet set, and passes back to the tosser.
- The passer recovers to the middle while the tosser catches.
- The next toss goes two steps to the right.
- Do 10 tosses, then switch roles.
🏆 Scoring
Count passes that reach the tosser without them taking a step. Try to beat your pair’s record.
🧑🏫 Coaching this drill
What success looks like
Feet stop before the ball arrives, and the platform faces the tosser even when the ball is wide.
Coaching cues
“Beat the ball there”“Stop, then pass”“Outside shoulder down, platform to target”
Common mistakes
- Passing while still moving. Fix: Get there early. Say “stop” out loud as the feet land.
- Crossing the feet on short moves. Fix: For one or two steps, shuffle. Crossover steps are for longer distances.
➖ Make it easier
Toss only one step to each side, and give more time between tosses.
➕ Make it harder
Toss three steps wide, or let the tosser choose the side at random.
When to move on
When 8 of 10 passes reach the tosser, move to Butterfly Passing.