NetballExplained
Drill Intermediate

Circle Feeding Under Pressure Drill

A drill combining circle movement, feeding and shooting against live defensive pressure — for feeders, shooters and defenders together.

Written by Claire McDonald · Last updated

Players
4–6
Duration
15 min
Difficulty
Intermediate
Equipment
Netball, goalpost, bibs
Skills
Passing, shooting, movement

This drill brings feeding, shooting and defending together in the area of the court where matches are most often won and lost — the circle edge.

Purpose

Builds decision-making for feeders under real defensive pressure, and gives shooters practice receiving and finishing from a live, moving feed rather than a self-started shot.

Setup

One feeder outside the circle (typically playing the Wing Attack or Goal Attack role), one shooter inside the circle, and one defender marking the shooter. A second feeder can be added to increase realism.

Feeding the ball into space in the goal circle Seen from above at the attacking end. The Goal Keeper marks the Goal Shooter from in front, on the side nearest the Wing Attack, who has the ball outside the circle. The Goal Shooter moves into the space on the far side, away from the Goal Keeper, and the Wing Attack places a lob pass into that space rather than at the shooter. Post GS GK WA 1 2 3
Feed the space, not the player. Filled circles are attackers; GK is the defender.
  1. The Goal Keeper fronts the Goal Shooter, on the side nearest the ball.
  2. The Goal Shooter moves into the space on the far side, away from the defender.
  3. The Wing Attack places the pass into that space — here a lob over the defender — so the shooter catches it on the move.

Instructions

  1. The feeder starts with the ball at the edge of the circle.
  2. The shooter works to create space inside the circle using front and back cuts or a dodge, while the defender marks them.
  3. The feeder reads the defender's position and delivers the appropriate pass — bounce under raised arms, or lob over a tight defender.
  4. The shooter catches, uses correct footwork, and shoots.
  5. Rotate roles after every 5–6 attempts.

Common mistakes

Feeders often default to the same pass type regardless of how the defender is positioned — deliberately vary the defender's starting position and arm height between reps to force genuine reads.

Progressions

  • Easier: Remove the defender, or have them defend passively (no arms raised) to isolate the feeding and shooting decision-making.
  • Harder: Add a second defender on the feeder, or reduce the time limit to simulate late-match pressure.

Follow with the shooting ladder drill to isolate and rebuild shooting technique if accuracy drops noticeably once defensive pressure is added.

About this drill: this is one of our own practice designs, built around the techniques explained in our skills guides, which are based on World Netball's Foundation Coaching resources. Adapt it to your players' age, ability and space. For World Netball's own practices, see its free Foundation Coaching cards and manual.

Coaching points

  • Rotate players through feeder, shooter and defender roles so everyone experiences all three perspectives.
  • Start with the defender at reduced intensity, then build to full live pressure over the session.
  • Encourage feeders to read the defender's arm position and choose the pass type accordingly, rather than always using the same pass.