NetballExplained
Drill Beginner

One-on-One Shadow Defending Drill

A paired drill for building defensive footwork and body position by shadowing an attacker's movement without a ball involved.

Written by Claire McDonald · Last updated

Players
2
Duration
10 min
Difficulty
Beginner
Equipment
Netball
Skills
Defending, movement

Defensive footwork is easiest to learn without the added complexity of a ball — this drill isolates pure movement and positioning first.

Purpose

Builds the footwork, body position and change-of-direction skills behind how to defend and how to mark, without the ball adding pressure or distraction.

Setup

Two players, an attacker and a defender, in an open space roughly 4x4 metres. No ball is used in the base version.

One-on-one shadow defending drill setup A square about 4 metres across. The attacker moves around inside it with dodges and changes of direction. The defender stays on the goal side of the attacker, below them in the picture, and follows a matching path. About 4 m A D Goal this way ↓
Setup. An attacker (A) and a defender (D) in a space about 4m square, without a ball. A moves freely — dodging, changing pace and direction (purple). D stays goal-side and matches the movement as closely as possible (grey). Swap roles after 60–90 seconds.

Instructions

  1. The attacker moves freely within the space — dodging, changing pace, cutting in different directions.
  2. The defender's job is to stay goal-side and match the attacker's movement as closely as possible, using change of direction technique.
  3. Swap roles after 60–90 seconds.

Common mistakes

Defenders often watch the attacker's upper body or eyes, which are easy to use as a decoy — encourage tracking the hips, which telegraph a genuine change of direction more reliably.

Progressions

  • Easier: Slow the attacker's movement, or restrict them to only changing direction on a coach's call.
  • Harder: Add a ball, with a feeder passing to the attacker periodically, requiring the defender to also respect the obstruction distance the instant the attacker receives it.

Progress to a defended version of the triangle passing drill once shadowing footwork feels controlled, to bring live passing back into the picture.

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

  • Start without a ball entirely so the defender can focus purely on footwork and positioning.
  • Check the defender is staying goal-side rather than square-on or trailing behind.
  • Introduce the ball only once the shadowing footwork looks controlled and consistent.