The Block

Brave, clean blocking — timing the hands to smother a kick or hand-pass without fouling, then winning the loose ball.

Gaelic football
U12
60 min
16–22 players
2 coaches
Effort 3/5
half pitch
u12
block-down
defending
timing
tackling

The PitchPlans coaching teamGAA Award 1 & 2 coaches

Kit: 24 cones, 10 balls, posts or a 4m cone goal, 16 bibs (2 colours)

Warm-up8 min

Shadow Hands

Setup: Pairs in a 25×25m square, one ball between two.

How it works: The carrier jogs and bounces or solos; the partner shadows a metre away, hands ready, mirroring without tackling. On BLOCK, the carrier makes a slow, telegraphed hand-pass and the shadow times a two-handed block to smother it — gentle, controlled, hands not arms. Swap every ninety seconds. It grooves the block shape safely before any speed.

What to say

“Hands together and flat, meet the ball, not the leg or arm.”
“Watch the ball leave the hand or foot — time it, do not dive early.”
“Stay on your feet — a block is a save, not a lunge.”

Easier

Carrier signals before passing; walking pace.

Harder

Carrier disguises the pass; block then win the loose ball.

Activity14 min

Block the Gate

Setup: A row of 3m gates, an attacker one side with a ball, a defender the other side, small groups so nobody queues.

How it works: The attacker tries to hand-pass or fist the ball through the gate to a target beyond; the defender times a front block to smother it as it is released. A clean block is two points, forcing the attacker to hesitate is one, a pass through is the attacker's point. Defender then attacks, attacker joins the queue. Short, sharp reps of the moment of the block.

What to say

“Close the space first, then set your feet — do not block on the run.”
“Big flat hands, block through the ball toward the passer.”
“Late and clean beats early and wild — trust your timing.”

Easier

Attacker passes on a signal; wider gate.

Harder

STEPR: attacker may dummy once; defender must win the loose ball after a block.

Activity13 min

Smother and Snap

Setup: A 20×15m grid, 2v2 in bibs, one ball, hand-pass only.

How it works: Two versus two keep-ball with hand-passes, but the only way to win the ball is a clean block — no grabbing, no wrestling. Block a pass down and your team gets it, and if you catch the blocked ball straight away that is a bonus point. It teaches defenders to press the passing lane and time the smother, and attackers to disguise their release. Reset on every block or every minute.

What to say

“Front up the carrier and get your hands in the passing lane.”
“Move your feet with them — stay square, do not reach.”
“Block it, then react first to the loose ball.”

Easier

2v1 in favour of attack; a block or an interception both win it.

Harder

STEPR: a three-pass minimum for attackers; a caught block scores double.

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

PitchPlans coaching team

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