Defensive zone: setting the wall

Setup

1. Cone the forward 50 m arc at one end. Five attackers start in the back half with the ball.
2. Five defenders: one presses the ball, three form the wall across the ground, one sits behind as the spare.

How it runs

1. Attackers try to kick and mark their way inside the 50; a mark inside 50 scores 1, a goal scores 2.
2. The wall sits 20–30 m in front of the ball and slides across every time the ball moves.
3. An intercept mark or a forced turnover scores 1 for the defenders, who then rebound to halfway.
4. Rotate the presser, the wall and the spare every 3 balls; swap teams after 10.

Coaching points

• The wall moves as one: slide together, keep 10–15 m between players, no gaps in the middle.
• The presser slows the ball carrier and forces the kick to the boundary side.
• The spare stays behind the wall and covers the long kick over the top.
• Talk the whole time: call the ball, call the slide, call who takes the lead.

Common mistakes

• Wall players chase their own opponent and leave a hole.
• The wall drops back too deep and gives away easy marks in front of it.
• Sliding late, after the switch kick has already landed.