Footwork Landing and Pivot Drill

Footwork is one of the most commonly infringed rules in netball, and it's best fixed with dedicated, slowed-down repetition rather than only in the flow of a full game.

Purpose

Builds clean, legal landing and pivoting technique — the specific skill behind the footwork rule — in a low-pressure setting where players can focus entirely on their feet.

Setup

One player with a ball, and an optional feeder to toss passes. A cone or marker can be used to give the player a target direction to pivot toward.

Instructions

1. Toss the ball to yourself (or have a partner feed it) and catch it, noting which foot lands first.
2. Hold the landing position for a full second to check balance and control.
3. Pivot on the landing foot to face the marker or target.
4. Reset and repeat, alternating which foot lands first each time.

Common mistakes

Rushing the drill defeats its purpose — footwork technique is built through slow, deliberate repetition, not speed. Save pace for later progressions once the base technique is reliable.

Progressions

• Easier: Practise landing and holding position without adding a pivot at all, focusing purely on a controlled, balanced landing.
• Harder: Add a light defender applying token pressure, or combine with the wall toss catching drill to add a reactive catching element before the landing.

Related drills

Pair with the triangle passing drill once footwork feels automatic, to bring it back into a passing context under light time pressure.