Catching drill
Wall Reaction Catch
Sharpen reaction catching off an unpredictable rebound, alone.
- Time
- 8 minutes
- Players
- 1 to 2 players
- Intensity
- Medium
- Equipment
- Ball
- Space
- 2-4m from a wall
- Positions
- All positions
Setup
A flat wall and one ball. Stand 2-4m out.
How to run it
- Throw the ball hard into the wall at varying angles and heights so the rebound is genuinely unpredictable, then react and catch it before it hits the ground.
- Deliberately mix in low throws that come back at your ankles and high ones that come back over your head.
- Keep your hands up and your feet moving between throws rather than standing flat-footed.
- Do 5 rounds of 45 seconds with 30 seconds rest, and count your drops so you have a score to beat next session.
Coaching cues
- Feet alive between throws
- Hands up and ready before it comes back
- Vary the angle every throw
Common mistakes
- Throwing the same easy rebound every time, which trains nothing
- Standing flat-footed and reaching instead of moving your feet to the ball
Related drills
- Back and Forth Catch-PassHold catch-pass quality as fatigue builds, which is when handling errors actually happen.
- Support and PassDraw a defender and time the pass, in the smallest possible live decision drill.
- Self Throw and CatchBuild basic catching confidence and hand-eye coordination with nothing but a ball.
- Wall Pass ReboundBuild passing accuracy and reaction catching completely alone, off any flat wall.
- Solo Halfback Wall PassGroove the scrum-half clearing pass off the ground in one sweep, with no partner needed.
- Pass ProgressionBuild a smooth, rhythmic two-handed pass from static through to running pace.