Fox Tails

Develop dribbling with the head up and protecting the ball while doing a second job — chasing and dodging — so control becomes automatic.

Mark a 20x20 yard den with 4 cones. Every player tucks a bib into the back of their shorts as a fox tail (at least half hanging out) and dribbles a ball freely inside.

1. On 'HUNT!', every fox tries to snatch other foxes' tails while keeping their own ball under control.
2. You can only grab a tail while your own ball is within playing distance — wanderers' grabs don't count.
3. Snatched tails are held in your spare hand; the fox who lost one tucks their bib back in after 3 toe taps and rejoins — nobody is ever out.
4. After 60–90 seconds the coach calls 'DEN!' — everyone stops their ball dead and counts tails captured.
5. Play 4–5 rounds; the cunning-est fox each round picks the next round's twist (left foot only, slow motion, etc.).

• Soft touches like tip-toes — ball never more than one small step away.
• Eyes up between touches — find a tail and check who's hunting yours.
• Spin your body so your tail faces away from the nearest hunter.
• Change speed: creep up slowly, then burst to snatch.

• Players abandon the ball to sprint after tails — pause the game and re-show the two-step rule so the ball stays glued to them.
• Foxes back into corners and hide — award a bonus tail to anyone who escapes a corner with a turn.
• Heads stay down on the ball so tails get snatched from behind — praise loudly the first player you see scanning over their shoulder.

• Shrink the den so every fox is in traffic.
• Tails can only be taken from the side or front — forces foxes to turn and face hunters.
• Add one bib-less 'hound' with no ball who hunts everyone.

• Walking pace round first, ball in hands for the very youngest, then feet.
• Bigger den with more escape space.
• Coach is the only tail-snatcher for round one so players just practise dodging.

• No grabbing a tail if your own ball is more than two steps away — control first, hunt second.