Handball - 1-versus-1 drills
1-on-1 drills to improve player's individual skills
During the course of a game there are countless situations that are won or lost through the individual skills of a player. Winning or losing a 1-on-1 situation can make the difference between being in majority or outnumbered against the opposing team. That should be more than enough reason for handball coaches to incorporate 1vs1 drills into their training session plans. Be it practicing juke moves, dribbling in a 1-on-1, or defending the pivot in a 1vs1. There are numerous exercises to improve the individual skills of your players. And the more you manage to improve the skills of your handball players, the better your team will be, which is the main challenge for Handball coaches.
1vs1 drills pose the ideal start for a training session. Based on your topic for that specific practice, you can start with a simple 1-on-1 drill and then step by step introduce variations that require more players. This will allow you to work on the individual fundamental skills of your players, and then put them into a team and game-specific context. When for example defending the pivot in a 1v1, the drill can start as a simple "get open against the defender"-drill. Once the pass and shot are successfully practiced, the setting can be used for a 3vs3 small sided game, where each goal from the pivot scores 2 points compared to 1 point for any other successful shot. Once you understand how to use exercise variations as a Handball coach to improve your training session, you will be one step closer to becoming the best coach you can be for your handball team. To inspire you for your next practice session, we have collected the best 1vs1 drills for different skill levels.
In our Handball coaching app, you can access all handball exercises through our public as well as the premium database. You can add all drills to your session plan and therefore keep a perfect overview of all your sessions. After each session you can analyze the performance of player's and teams and make sure that nothing stops you on the way to the top. Sign up now and test our handball online software for free!
1vs1 - Release and finish competition
Set Up:
Set up two cone goals (width 4m) on both sidelines at the height of the 9m line. Players line up in two rows (attackers & defenders) on both sideline stations. Set up another cone approx. 5m in front of middle line. Coach or pass player lines up at midfield with at least one ball. One goalkeeper lines up in goal area - Another pass player lines up at cone C in the corner of midfield and sideline.
Execution:
Have a look at the exercise drawing or animation (in our handball app) to get an idea of how this drill works. The first two players of the left station start the drill - Attacking player (blue) and defender (yellow) stand opposite of each other at the first cone. The blue player starts shuffling in between the two cones - The yellow defender has to react to these moves. On his on terms the blue player touches one of the two cones, turns around and runs towards the cone near midfield - The defender has to follow, after touching the same cone. The attacking player receives a pass from the pass player/coach at midfield and dribbles towards the goal. The defender has to play catch up, if possible. Blue player finishes against the GK. Drill extension for GK: Take the ball from the goal and pass the ball high to the pass player at station C. The next players start the drill after the GK's pass to C.
1-on-1 in the Dribble-Zone-Game
Set Up:
Use 4 cones to mark a 5m (width) middle zone (see drawing). The back cones serve as station A (Defenders with ball) and station B (attackers). Players line up on both stations - One goalkeeper inbetween the posts - Place balls near station A.
Execution:
See the exercise animation in our handball coaching app. This drill works on the dribble and positional play in a 1vs1 - Both, attacking and defending players can score points - Who has the most points after 4 rounds? The drill starts with the first defender and attacker in the middle of the 2-point zone. The defender passes the ball to the attacking player on his own signal and brings himself in a good defensive position. The defenders goal is to push the attacking player to the outside zones (1 point) or ideally even gain possession of the ball during the dribbling. The attacking player dribbles toward the goal and tries to beat the defender in a 1vs1 and score against the goalkeeper.
Points Attack: 2 points for goal from middle zone, 1 point for goal from outside zone.
Points defender: 1 point for unsuccessful throw from outside zone, 2 points for stealing the ball.
After the throw or loss of ball possession the next couple lines up in the middle zone - Rotation: Defenders line up at attacking station, attackers line up at defenders station.
ELEVATE YOUR GAME
1vs1 - Defending the pivot
Set Up:
Set up two cones at the middle of the goal area line (approx. 1m apart), Another cone on the half right position - The cones set up the action area of the 1v1 on the pivot. Three offensive players line up on the left half of the 9m line. In the action area (yellow background) the pivot and the defender line up for a 1v1.
Execution:
Have a look at the animation in our handball coaching app for an execution example. The attackers - Center Back (CB), Left Back (LB) and Left Wing (LW) - start the drill by passing the ball around the 9m line. The pivot always adjusts his position to be open for a pass. This drill aims to teach defenders the right positioning when defending the pivot. The defender needs to defend the direct passing lane between the ball possessing player and the pivot - Good footwork needed! Attacking players can pass to the pivot when possible - S/he can finish with a throw! 30 second load, then rotate players.
