Name and Claim

Fun game

Build the habit of talking on offence — every pass has to be called for and called out.

8 min 6-12 Half court

PassingTeamworkU8U10U12

Game guide

6-12 · 1-2 balls, half court

Speed

Get everyone ready

● Player / attackGold: ball

Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Set up

Players spread out around the half court. One or two balls in play.

A coached example. In live play, players make their own decisions; the outcome can change.

Look for: Call early — a shout after the ball is in the air is too late.

Playback options

Pause between chaptersIllustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Coach’s notes & group organisation

Players spread out around the half court. One or two balls in play.

The receiver must call for the ball by name before it is thrown.
The passer must say the receiver's name as they release it.
A pass with no call, or a call with no pass, is a turnover and the team loses a point.
Play in two teams to a target of fifteen calls; loudest, clearest team almost always wins.

Suggested reset

On a missed call, apply the one-point penalty and give possession to the other team. Secure the same ball and reset spacing before restarting. Keep the running score to fifteen calls; do not erase the team’s whole score on a mistake. Rotate waiting teams between games.

Coaching cues

Call early — a shout after the ball is in the air is too late.
Use names, not 'here' — names are what work in a noisy gym.
Look at the person you are calling to.
Keep your voice up even when you are tired; that is the whole point of the game.

Adapt the challenge

Easier: One ball, and let the coach prompt the calls for the first few minutes.

Harder: Three balls at once, so players must listen for their own name among the noise.

Switch it: Receivers must call the spot as well as the name — 'Ava, corner!'

Defence on: Add two defenders so the calls have to happen under pressure.

What this drill teaches

Talking on offence as a habit, not a reminder. Because a silent pass costs a point, calling names becomes the way you win the game rather than something the coach nags about.

In games: Fixes the silent offence — passes thrown to players who never asked for them — and gives your team a voice that carries into noisy game-day gyms.

What good looks like

Names called before the pass leaves, not after
Passers making eye contact with the player they name
Voices staying loud even late in the round

U8: whispers and forgotten names are normal — the coach can prompt early on. U12: expect early, clear calls under defensive pressure, with the spot named as well.

Equipment

1-2 balls, half court

Setup

Players spread out around the half court. One or two balls in play.

Steps

1The receiver must call for the ball by name before it is thrown.
2The passer must say the receiver's name as they release it.
3A pass with no call, or a call with no pass, is a turnover and the team loses a point.
4Play in two teams to a target of fifteen calls; loudest, clearest team almost always wins.

Coaching points

Call early — a shout after the ball is in the air is too late.
Use names, not 'here' — names are what work in a noisy gym.
Look at the person you are calling to.
Keep your voice up even when you are tired; that is the whole point of the game.

Why kids love it

Coaches spend all season asking players to talk. This makes talking the actual rule of the game rather than a reminder, and U8s pick it up in one session.