Centre pass plays
Ready when: Dodge, drive and hold (i1) to Shooting (i3) done.
What you are learning
Planned moves for the centre pass, which starts play after every goal: the Centre links defence and attack, and changing when the pass is released (about 1, 2 or 2.5 seconds after the whistle) makes the play hard to read.
Words on this card Court, Positions, Centre pass, 0.9 m rule, Contact, Free pass, Drive, Clear
- Court
- The court is split into three thirds: two goal thirds and a centre third.
- Positions
- Goal Shooter (GS), Goal Attack (GA), Wing Attack (WA), Centre (C), Wing Defence (WD), Goal Defence (GD) and Goal Keeper (GK), each shown on a bib.
- Centre pass
- The pass from the middle of the court that starts play and restarts it after each goal.
- 0.9 m rule
- A defender must stand at least 0.9 m from the player with the ball; closer is obstruction.
- Contact
- Touching or bumping another player in a way that stops their play; not allowed.
- Free pass
- A pass given to the other team after a rule is broken.
- Drive
- A fast run into space to receive the ball.
- Clear
- Ways of getting free: running out of a crowded space; holding a defender off with the body to keep a space; stepping up, then sprinting back.
Show it first for the one teaching
- Put seven players in their positions for a centre pass.
- Walk through one play: who drives, who clears, who receives.
- Show the timing: the Centre passes at 1, then 2, then 2.5 seconds after the whistle.
Your part while they practise
The coach calls the plan.
Step by step
- Centre pass options.
- Vary the release time of the pass.
- Run each play against a defence.
How much: 10 centre passes 15 min a session once a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Centre pass plays
The attacking team runs a called play from the centre pass against a full defence.
Who plays: a team of 7 against a defence of 7; the coach calls the play.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- The coach whispers a play and a timing to the attackers
- On the whistle, the Centre passes on the agreed timing
- Play on until a goal or a turnover
- 10 centre passes, then swap
- Fair play
- A team with more experienced players uses only one timing.
- Points
- 1 point for a goal from a planned play; 1 point to the defence for each turnover.
- Fouls
- A free pass to the other team
- A player starting in the wrong third
- Contact or obstruction
- A footwork fault
- Winning
- More points after both teams have taken 10 centre passes.
- 2 points for 1 star
- 3 points for 2 stars
- 5 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
No defence.
Full defence.
What you will see, and what to say
- the centre pass is predictable
Change the timing
Mix 1, 2 and 2.5. - players bunch
Spread through the thirds
One player per space.
Self-check
The team scores from 3 of 10 centre passes with a planned play.
Stop and get a coach when
Repeated knee or ankle pain.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains team attack, tactics.
awiseathlete.com/sports/netball/netball-a1