Pivot Poachers

Fun game

Catch, jump stop and survive five seconds of pressure using pivots and the ball alone.

8 min groups of 3 Half court
FootworkBall-handlingU10U12U14

Game guide

groups of 3 · 1 ball per group

Get everyone ready

Passer, receiver, poacherGroups of three. The receiver waits a few metres away; the poacher lurks behind. C1X

● Player / attack■ DefenceGold: ballGreen C: coach

Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×

Set up

Groups of three: a passer, a receiver and a poacher. Receiver starts a few metres from the passer.

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

Look for: Ball chin height with elbows out, or swept low past the knees — never dangling in front of you.

Playback options
Illustrated steps · 5 seconds per step at 1×
Coach’s notes & group organisation

Groups of three: a passer, a receiver and a poacher. Receiver starts a few metres from the passer.

  1. The passer feeds the receiver, who must land a jump stop.
  2. The poacher immediately pressures with active hands but no body contact.
  3. The receiver has five seconds to protect the ball using pivots and ball fakes — no dribbling.
  4. Survive five seconds for a point; a tie-up or a knocked-loose ball is a point for the poacher. Rotate every rep.

Suggested reset

Stop after the pass, tie-up, loss or five-second limit. Return the same ball to the passer and cycle passer to receiver, receiver to poacher, poacher to passer. Start after the three new roles are set.

Coaching cues

  • Ball chin height with elbows out, or swept low past the knees — never dangling in front of you.
  • Pivot away from the pressure and re-set your eyes upfield.
  • Fake with the ball and the eyes, not with the feet.
  • Poacher: mirror the ball, keep your hands moving, stay off the body.

Adapt the challenge

Easier: Poacher keeps hands high and passive; receiver only has to survive three seconds.

Harder: Two poachers, and the receiver must finish with a pass back to the passer.

Switch it: Receiver must catch on the move off a hard cut rather than standing.

Escape dribble: Allow one escape dribble, which must end in another jump stop.

What this drill teaches

Surviving the catch. Five scored seconds of live hands teaches players to land a jump stop, keep the ball out of reach with pivots and fakes, and stay composed instead of freezing when pressure arrives.

In games: Targets the most common U12 turnover — the player who catches, freezes and gets stripped — so pressure on the catch stops being an automatic steal for the other team.

What good looks like
  • The ball held at chin height or swept low, never dangling in front
  • Strong pivots turning away from the pressure
  • Eyes coming back upfield during the pivot, not down at the ball

U10: use the passive-hands version and celebrate three seconds survived. U12–U14: expect full five-second survival against live hands, ending with a clean pass out.

Equipment

1 ball per group

Setup

Groups of three: a passer, a receiver and a poacher. Receiver starts a few metres from the passer.

Steps

  1. 1The passer feeds the receiver, who must land a jump stop.
  2. 2The poacher immediately pressures with active hands but no body contact.
  3. 3The receiver has five seconds to protect the ball using pivots and ball fakes — no dribbling.
  4. 4Survive five seconds for a point; a tie-up or a knocked-loose ball is a point for the poacher. Rotate every rep.

Coaching points

  • Ball chin height with elbows out, or swept low past the knees — never dangling in front of you.
  • Pivot away from the pressure and re-set your eyes upfield.
  • Fake with the ball and the eyes, not with the feet.
  • Poacher: mirror the ball, keep your hands moving, stay off the body.

Why kids love it

The most common U12 turnover is a player catching, freezing and getting stripped. Five seconds of survival, scored, fixes it faster than any lecture.

Variations

Easier

Poacher keeps hands high and passive; receiver only has to survive three seconds.

Harder

Two poachers, and the receiver must finish with a pass back to the passer.

Switch it

Receiver must catch on the move off a hard cut rather than standing.

Escape dribble

Allow one escape dribble, which must end in another jump stop.

Related drills

Coaching notes that use this drill