4-on-4 Inside 50

Focus

Skills under pressure, Defensive, Contested ball, Front & Square, Decision Making, Goalkicking.

Skills

GoalKicking, Kicking, Handballing, Tackle, Shepherd, Crumb, Mark Contest.

Purpose

Although kicking to the hotspot isn''t seen much at AFL level these days, it''s still the most dangerous place for the ball to be delivered at local level. This drill teaches players to position themselves front and square of a kick to the hotspot, requiring judgement of the ball in flight, and sprinting ability to get there first.

Players

16⁺

Ages

13⁺

Balls

2⁺

Cones

Distance (max)

50m

Opp. tops

50%

Visible opposition strip: 50%

Setup
Players pair-up and form even lines behind cones (A), (B), (C) and (D), apart from 2 - 4 players who will compete in a marking contest at (E), beginning from the top of the goalsquare.
Step 1
Coach (H) kicks the ball high to a contest between players at (E). Meanwhile, the 4 competing pairs on cones (A), (B), (C) & (D) sprint to get to the fall of the ball.

If a mark is taken, the player can''t be tackled but must handball to a teammate

Coach can vary the length of the kick to alter the best crumbing position
Step 2
The 4 yellow players work the ball and attempt to score a goal, while the red players attempt to bring the ball back outside the 50m arc.

Red players can''t just kick the ball out of the 50m arc, they must retain possession until they are outside.

If there is no arc painted, make cones (A) to (D) the boundary.
Step 3
Once a shot on goal is taken, players collect the ball, return it to coach (H) and rejoin the next cone in sequence to which they started, e.g. if they started from cone (A) this turn, next turn they start from (B), and so on.

Remember pairs stay together, but rotate cones

Have an assistant behind the goal to collect kicks if possible