Kicking under fatigue

Setup

1. Cone a start line, a sprint cone 40 m away and a feeder cone just past it; two lead cones 35 m beyond the feeder.
2. A feeder (H) holds the balls at the feeder cone; two targets (L1, L2) take turns leading off the lead cones.
3. Kickers line up at the start in groups of 4–6, so each gets 40–60 s rest between reps.

How it runs

1. The kicker sprints 40 m, H handballs into their path and the kicker kicks on the second step to L1 or L2, who leads at 45°.
2. Score 2 for a kick that hits the lead on the chest, 1 for a mark at full stretch, 0 for anything else.
3. Six reps a set, 90 s walking recovery between sets, three sets; the kicker uses the other foot in the middle set.
4. The kicker follows the kick for 10 m, then jogs back to the start.

Coaching points

• Fast in, slow out. Shorten the last two steps so the kick comes from a balanced base, not a sprint.
• Eyes up before the handball arrives, pick the lead's outside shoulder, then eyes back on the ball for the drop.
• Hold the drop punt together when tired, guide hand on, a short drop from hip height and follow through at the target.
• Track the score each set; the aim is for set 3 to match set 1.

Common mistakes

• Kicking while still at top speed, so the ball floats or hooks off the side of the boot.
• The drop getting longer and higher as the legs tire.
• Leads standing on the cone waiting instead of leading at the ball.