Here's a fun variation of "strikeout" — a queen's court 3-on-3 back-row attack game.
To run this drill, the coach must have a stopwatch with a set timer going and create parameters for the whole team while they compete in queen's court. If any player doesn't follow the parameters set by the coach, the whole team receives a “strike.” The drill either ends when the timer runs out (in which case the team is successful), or when the team reaches the number of strikes that the coach has assigned as a failed attempt or “strike out.”
In this example, University of Jamestown coach Jon Hegerle wants the emphasis of the drill to be communication, and the team must play queen's court for 2 minutes without reaching 5 strikes for a “strikeout.” Each time a player doesn't call for the ball, a strike is assigned. If a team isn't communicating effectively, they'll strike out before they reach the 2-minute goal. In this case the players weren't communicating, so they struck out. The coach now knows that communication is still a skill that this team needs to work on.
This drill allows coaches to create any type of parameter they desire. It keeps players focused on the fundamentals and working toward a common goal even while they're in a competitive setting. It also allows players and coaches to see where improvements have been made and areas they still need to improve on.
