Deny the Wing
Deny a pass to your player one pass away from the ball.
What this drill teaches
Defending a player who doesn't have the ball — the job defenders do most of the game. The denial stance, with a hand in the lane and eyes on both ball and player, only holds if the defender keeps adjusting as the wing moves.
In games: A team that denies the wing forces held balls, five-second calls and desperate lobs — and keeps the other team's best player from ever catching it comfortably.
- Hand in the passing lane, palm to the ball
- Head position seeing ball and player at once — pointing at both
- Defender staying connected as the wing works to get open
U12: walk the positioning first, and expect to get beaten backdoor — that's the lesson. U14–U16: expect live backdoor coverage and jumping to the ball on every swing.
Equipment
1 ball
Setup
A passer at the top, an offensive wing, and a defender.
Steps
- 1Defender gets in a denial stance — hand in the passing lane.
- 2See the ball and your player at the same time.
- 3The wing tries to get open; the defender stays connected.
- 4If the pass gets through, contest; then reset.
Coaching points
- Hand in the lane, palm to the ball.
- Point at the ball and your player.
- Move on every pass.
Why kids love it
Teaches the pressure defence that frustrates opponents and forces turnovers.
Variations
Walk through positioning with no live offense.
Let the wing cut backdoor whenever she likes, so the defender must open up and run with her.
Add a second passer and swing the ball, so the defender has to jump to the ball on every pass.