Treading Passing Circle
Small groups tread water in a circle and pass the ball around one-handed, building ball control while staying upright.
- Stages
- Water Polo – Stage 8, Water Polo – Stage 9
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Treading Water, Passing, Receiving
- Equipment
- Water Polo Ball
- Age
- 8–99 years
- Group size
- 4–16 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Introduction / Warm-up, Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2, Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Deep water competence required; use soft, size-appropriate balls; circles well spaced.
What it develops
- Pass and receive over short distances
- Eggbeater to stay high and stable
- Pass and receive while moving
How to run it
- Groups of four or five tread water in a circle about two metres apart.
- Pass the ball around the circle one-handed, calling the receiver's name.
- Change direction on the teacher's whistle.
- Count how many passes are caught without the ball touching the water.
Teaching cues
- Call the name, then pass.
- Catch with soft fingers.
- Keep your legs going.
Make it easier
- Stand in shallow water or use a noodle.
- Allow the ball to land on the water in front of the receiver.
Make it harder
- Two balls at once.
- Make the circle larger.
Common faults
- Using two hands.
- Stopping the legs to catch.
Corrections
- 'One hand catches, one hand sculls.'
- 'Legs never stop.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Retrieve balls that leave the circle so swimmers don't have to swim away from the group.