Overview

Small Box is a 4v4 game played in an endzone with one key constraint: any throw longer than approximately 10 metres is a turnover.

That single rule changes everything. Players can't escape pressure with a huck. They can't throw away a bad situation with a long reset. To move the disc, they have to create space through movement, clear quickly, and find combinations through short passes. The middle of the box becomes premium real estate — and the principles of clearing the middle and moving the disc become immediately visible when they break down.

This drill rewards teams that are well-spaced, communicating, and moving. It punishes teams that bunch, stand still, or look for a single hero throw.

Aims

Targeted Core Skills

• Short, precise throwing under pressure
• Reading and creating space in a compressed area
• Scanning quickly — options change fast in a small field
• Active Handler decision-making with limited field
• Timing of clears — when to leave so the next cut can come

Setup

• 4v4 in an endzone (mark corners with cones)
• Scoring: complete 5 consecutive passes without a turnover = 1 point, or use a target zone (far 3m of the box)
• Throws longer than ~10m are turnovers — the coach judges, or use a clear cone line across the middle
• No endzones required — scoring is pass-count or target-zone based
• One disc, start with a tap from one team

(Diagram to be added)

Execution

1. One team starts with the disc anywhere in the box.
2. Normal marking rules — one marker, no contact.
3. Any throw that travels more than ~10m in the air is called a turnover by the coach. Turnovers exchange possession. Players must keep playing unless the coach calls it. - this is not a decision for the defence.
4. Score by either completing 5 consecutive passes (call it out loud) or completing a pass to a target player in the far zone.
5. After a score or turnover, the other team restarts from where the disc landed.

Rotation: If running with 10–12 players, rotate two players off after each score. Subs enter from the sideline when the disc is dead.

Emphasis / Coaching Focus

Common Mistakes

Developments

Development 1 – Max 3 Touches

Objective: Increase tempo further by limiting time per player.

• Each player can only hold the disc for 3 seconds before throwing — no stall count needed
• The coach calls a violation and possession switches
• Forces even faster pre-catch reading

Coaching Emphasis:

• This is a more extreme version of the 2 Second Window — use it to exaggerate the habit

Development 2 – No-Return Rule

Objective: Force the disc forward and prevent easy escapes.

• The disc cannot be thrown back to the player who just threw it
• Players must find a different receiver, forcing better off-ball movement
• Creates more realistic pressure — in games, returning to the thrower is a low-value safety

Coaching Emphasis:

• Off-ball players must constantly reposition — standing in the same spot is not an option
• Connect to Dump Handler: the reset must come from a different position than the throw

Development 3 – Inner Box

Objective: Train cutters to attack a specific target space and force defenders to commit to their player rather than zone off.

Mark a smaller 20x20m box inside the endzone (cones at the corners) — this is the inner box, the target space for all catches and disc movement.

Rules:

• The disc must stay inside the inner box — all catches must be made inside it. Any catch outside the inner box is a turnover.
• Cutters do not need to stay inside the inner box between cuts — they can use the full endzone to work against their defender — but their cuts must be attacking the inner box as the target.
• Defenders must actively mark their own player at all times. A defender is not permitted to poach unless their own player is currently inside the inner box.
• If a defender leaves their player to cover the inner box while their player is outside it, that is a poach violation — the offence retains possession.

Coaching Emphasis:

• For the offence: attack the inner box with every cut — use the space outside it to lose your defender, then threaten the target zone. The disc must end up in the box.
• For the defence: you are responsible for your player. You cannot cheat toward the disc unless your player is in that zone. Commit fully to your matchup.
• This creates the clearest possible picture of what Free Poaching looks like and why it is penalised — the defender who leaves their player to help gives up an easy pass to an unmarked player entering the inner box.
• Connect to Protect The Middle - Coaches Notes: shape requires every defender to own their zone. One defender poaching leaves the whole structure exposed.

Progressions / Regressions

Regression:

• No defenders — 4 offensive players find short-pass combinations against no resistance, building spatial awareness before adding pressure
• Extend the distance limit to 15m to give players more options while they find their spacing habits

Progression:

• Reduce box to 15m x 15m — even tighter, even more spatial discipline required
• Add the stall count from 4 Second Game: stall 4 plus the distance limit creates maximum decision pressure

Coaching Notes

Related Drills

• 4 Second Game
• Timing Windows - Handler Flow
• Seattle