Water polo: poor awareness of space and team-mates

Everyone chases the ball in a bunch; swimmers don't look up to find space or a free team-mate.

Activities that help

• Communication Calls – Teams agree a few simple calls – 'man on', 'free', 'switch', 'back' – and earn bonus points in a game for using them.
• Drive and Receive – An attacker swims a quick 'drive' towards goal to get free of a defender, then turns to receive a pass – learning to create space by moving.
• End Zone Ball – Teams score by passing to a team-mate who catches the ball inside an end zone – no goals or goalkeepers needed.
• Keep Ball Small-Sided Game – Three-a-side keep-ball in a small area with simple rules: one-handed, no contact, everyone touches the ball before scoring a point.
• Mini Water Polo – A short, modified game with small goals or targets, simple rules and an emphasis on passing, space and fair play.
• Pass and Move – In a marked area, small groups keep the ball moving with short passes and every passer must swim to a new space – teaching support play.
• Passing Count Game – Two teams in a marked area try to make five passes in a row without the other team touching the ball – a simple, low-contact first game.
• Positions Walk-Through – In shallower water, walk (or slowly swim) through simple attacking positions in an arc around the goal so players learn where to be before playing at speed.
• Shadow Partner Swim – One swimmer leads with changes of direction and stops; the partner shadows them a metre away – like marking a player in a game.
• Space Invaders – The pool is split into zones; attackers score by receiving a pass in an empty zone – teaching players to look for and move into space.
• Three Versus One Keep-Away – Three attackers keep the ball from one defender in a small area – passing under light pressure with no contact allowed.
• Triangle Passing – Three players pass around a triangle, then move to a new space after passing – combining passing, receiving and movement.