Opposite Loop Disposal

Focus

Skills under pressure, Decision Making.

Skills

Kicking, Handballing.

Purpose

When a teammate calling for the ball is moving past at pace but in an awkward direction, players must overcompensate the trajectory to ensure the ball is put in front of their teammate.

Players

15⁺

Ages

8⁺

Balls

5⁺

Cones

Distance (max)

40m

Setup
This drill starts with handball and progresses to a kick. The inner circle should always have a diameter of about 15m. The outer circle is adjusted to be a decent length handball. Approx 25% of the squad start in the inner circle and each have a ball, remaining players spread out around the outer circle.
Step 1
Inner circle (A) start running at medium pace clockwise with their ball, outer circle (B) call for the ball running in the opposite direction. (A) must handball to a player in (B)

(A) must choose their target wisely - no point handballing an impossible handball to someone who has already gone past them

(A) mustn't handball sideways, instead turn their body to face the target

(A) must overcompensate moving in the opposite direction to the receiver by handballing even further in front of them
Step 2
(B) takes and continues running until they hit a target in (A) without a ball.

(B)'s call out to alert (A)'s they have the ball, as (A)'s likely won't know.
Step 3
Once (A) has had a while in the inner circle, when they next handball they can run out of the circle towards the player, who replaces them in the inner circle.
Step 4
You may wish to change the direction of the circle after a while.
Step 5
Then, progress to kicking by making the players take the outer circle cones and extra 15-30m out, depending on how challenging you want the kick to be.