The Near Hand

Clean tackling built from the feet up — low body, flat hand, ball not arm, no fouls.

Gaelic football
U12
60 min
12–20 players
2 coaches
Effort 3/5
30x30m grid
tackling
near-hand-tackle
defending
1v1

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: 8 footballs, 28 cones, 10 bibs

Warm-up8 min

Thieves' Market

Setup: 25×25m square. Two thirds of the group are shoppers walking with a ball tucked under one arm; the rest are thieves in bibs, empty-handed.

How it works: Walking pace only. Thieves shadow a shopper and flick the ball loose with a flat near hand — no grabbing, no pulling arms. A robbed shopper picks up any loose ball and becomes a thief; the thief becomes a shopper. Two minutes walking, two at a jog. Anyone who fouls does five toe-taps on the spot and plays on. You are teaching the flick and the patience before you ever teach the contest.

What to say

“Thieves — flat hand, flick the ball, never the arm.”
“Shoppers — ball on the far side, body in between.”
“Walk pace is the rule because timing is the skill.”

Easier

Thieves may only strike when a shopper switches the ball between arms.

Harder

Shoppers must solo every ten steps — thieves time the flick for the drop.

Activity14 min

The Near-Hand Flick

Setup: Channels 10×5m, three players per channel: attacker with ball, defender waiting halfway along the side line, third resting and refereeing.

How it works: Attacker jogs the channel carrying the ball. Defender comes across, gets level, matches the jog, and knocks the ball out with the near hand — the hand closest to the carrier. Walk it first, then jog, then let the attacker change pace. Rotate the three jobs every two runs. When it looks tidy, allow the attacker one swerve, and score it: clean flick is 2 for the defender, reaching the end line untouched is 2 for the attacker, any foul is minus 1.

The technique, step by step

Close in and get level with the carrier, same speed, half a step ahead.
Drop low — bend the knees, not the back.
Lock your eyes on the ball in their hands.
Flick down and through the ball with the NEAR hand, fingers flat together.
Ball breaks loose — react first, scoop with two hands and burst away.

Common mistakes

Reaching across the carrier's body with the far hand — a foul, and you're off balance if they cut back.
Slapping the arm instead of the ball — that is frees against you all day long.

What to say

“Get level first — you cannot tackle from behind someone.”
“Low knees, straight back, short steps.”
“Eyes on the ball, not the swerve or the dummy.”

Easier

Attacker walks in a straight line; defender starts already level.

Harder

Attacker may bounce and solo freely; defender must win the flick inside the channel's middle 5m.

Activity12 min

Four Courts

Setup: Four 8×8m squares in a line, ranked bottom to top. A pair in each, one ball per square. Waiting players referee the top court.

How it works: 45-second 1v1s. The attacker scores by carrying over the far line; the defender scores with a clean flick or by forcing the attacker out over a side line. Whoever leads when the whistle goes moves up a court, the other moves down, split the difference on a draw. New pairings every round. Five rounds — by the end, everyone has defended against someone their own level, which is exactly where tackles get learned.

Rounds: 5 × 45s with 30s to swap courts and catch breath

What to say

“Don't dive in — steer them where YOU want them to go.”
“Short choppy steps as they get close; a lunge is a beaten defender.”
“Won the flick? Scoop it and burst — the tackle isn't over until you have the ball.”

Easier

60-second rounds at jogging pace; force-outs only, no flicks, for nervous groups.

Harder

Attacker starts with a two-step head start; defender must recover, get level and still win it.

The rest of this session is free — along with 3 more this week.

PitchPlans coaching team

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