Water Polo Shot Blocking for Youth Players: Step-by-Step Guide to Better Defense (U10–U15)

If you ask high-level water polo coaches what separates good defenders from great defenders, one answer comes up over and over:

“They know how to shot block.”

For youth players (U10–U15 / beginners), shot blocking is often treated like a “bonus” skill—something you learn later, after swimming and passing. But in reality, shot blocking is one of the fastest ways to become valuable to your team, even if you’re still learning everything else.

In this blog, we’ll break down:

• Why shot blocking is so important in modern water polo

• The two main reasons you should always be shot blocking

• A step-by-step technique you can use from a zone drop or 5-on-6

• How to move over hips into the shooter

• How to foul without dropping your blocking arm

• How to reset back to the center quickly

• Simple water polo drills for kids to practice this with your team

You’ll also find:

• 🎥 A full YouTube breakdown:
  https://youtu.be/QG50ibL4QM8

• 🎓 In-depth course inside Waterpolo University: https://www.waterpolouniversity.com/how-to-move-overhips
  

Why Shot Blocking Matters So Much in Youth Water Polo

Shot blocking is important for two big reasons:

1. You physically block the ball.
   If you’re in the right position with a strong, stable arm, you can literally stop goals with your hand, wrist, or forearm. For goalies, that’s normal. For field players, that’s a huge advantage.

2. You get closer to the shooter.
   Every time you move into a proper shot block, you’re also closing the distance between you and the attacker. That:

   • Shrinks the shooting angle

   • Makes it harder for them to see the goal

   • Forces them to rush or change their shot

So a good shot block does two jobs at once:
You’re protecting the cage and putting pressure on the shooter.

For kids and beginners, this is perfect. Even if you’re not the fastest swimmer or the strongest player yet, you can still become a serious problem for the other team if you understand how to shot block the right way.

Basic Position: Your Legs and Hips Create the Shot Block

Before we talk about arms, we need to talk about your legs and hips.

Imagine this situation:

• Your team is in a zone defense.

• You are dropped in front of the center (set player), helping your defender.

• There is a perimeter shooter who might get the ball.

This is where many youth players just float, watch the ball, and react late. Instead, you’re going to prepare your body position in advance.

Step 1: Point your legs toward the shooter

While you’re dropped in front of the center:

• Your legs and hips should already be pointing toward the shooter who is most dangerous.

• This way, when the ball is passed to them, you can instantly move over hips toward the shot.

Think of your legs like a steering wheel. If your feet and hips are pointing at the wrong person, your shot block will always be late.

Step 2: Hips close to the surface

You also want your hips close to the surface:

• This makes it easy to move horizontally over hips toward the shooter.

• If you’re too low, you’ll waste time just trying to rise before you can block.

A good rule for youth players:

If your hips feel heavy and deep, you’re too low to be a good shot blocker.

Moving Over Hips: The “Helper” Shot Block

When the ball travels from the top or the wing to “your” shooter, you don’t teleport. You have to move into the shot.

This is where the over-hips movement and the helper shot block arm come in.

Step 3: Start moving over hips toward the shooter

As the pass is flying:

1. Immediately start moving over hips toward the shooter.

2. Your body should stay horizontal to the surface while you move.

3. Your eggbeater is strong and constant – no lazy legs.

This is not the final shot block yet; it’s the movement phase.

Step 4: Use the “helper” arm while you move

While you are still moving horizontally over hips:

• Use your front arm as a helper shot block.

• This arm is not your main high block yet, but it:

  • Protects the middle of the goal during your movement

  • Helps you stay balanced

  • Gets your body used to the blocking angle

Think of it like a “temporary shield” while you travel to the final blocking position.

The Switch: From Helper Shot Block to Full Shot Block

Now comes the most important part of the whole movement.

When you’re almost in front of the shooter, you must:

1. Switch from the helper shot block to the real shot block, and

2. Explode upward with a strong breaststroke kick.

Step 5: Time the breaststroke kick

Just before you arrive to the final blocking spot:

• Take a big breaststroke kick with your legs.

• This kick helps you:

  • Stop your horizontal movement

  • Turn your body vertical

  • Rise high out of the water

If you skip this kick, you’ll stay low and weak. You’ll reach with your arm instead of getting your whole body into the shot block.

Step 6: Raise the main shot blocking arm

At the same time:

• Raise your main shot blocking arm straight up or slightly forward, with:

  • A firm wrist

  • Fingers spread

  • Elbow slightly bent but strong

Now you are:

• Vertical

• Close to the shooter

• Covering the near side of the goal

This is where you can actually block the shot or take a controlled foul.

The Golden Rule: Never Foul with Your Blocking Arm

Here is one of the biggest mistakes youth players make:

They drop their blocking arm to grab the attacker…
…and then get scored on.

In shot blocking, there is one rule in big capital letters:

YOU CANNOT MAKE THE FOUL WITH YOUR SHOT BLOCKING ARM.

Your blocking arm must stay up.
If you want to foul:

• You use the other arm – the arm that is not in the shot block.

Why this matters

• If you drop your blocking arm to pull or hold, the shooter suddenly has a clear window to the goal.

• Even if the referee calls an ordinary foul or exclusion, the shot might already be gone.

So remember:

• Blocking arm stays up

• Other arm makes the foul if needed

This habit alone will save your team a lot of goals.

What If They Don’t Shoot? Resetting Back to the Center

Sometimes, the shooter doesn’t shoot. They fake, they hold the ball, or they pass it away. Many kids freeze here or sink.

Instead, you’re going to use your shot block position to reset quickly.

Step 7: Use the blocking arm to lift and rotate

If the ball leaves your area or goes back to the top:

1. Use the arm that is already up in the shot block to help you:

   • Press down a bit

   • Lift your chest

   • Start turning your body back toward the center

2. With your legs:

   • Make one strong backstroke kick

   • Then another

   • Use 1–2 big kicks to swim back to your starting position in the drop

Step 8: Return to the original drop

Your goal is to:

• Get back in the drop

• Re-establish the drop position

• Point your legs and hips again toward the most dangerous shooter

The faster you can go shot block → reset → shot block again, the more complete defender you become.

Second Situation: Dropped on Center, Coming Out to the Perimeter

Another common scenario:

• You start dropped on the center.

• The ball is on the perimeter.

• A dangerous shooter gets the pass on the outside.

Here the logic is the same:

1. Legs and hips already pointed toward that outside player.

2. Move over hips quickly.

3. Use the helper shot block arm while moving.

4. Big breaststroke kick to pop up.

5. Raise your main blocking arm and get close.

In some cases, you might:

• Switch arms (helper becomes blocking arm), or

• Stay with the same arm as your block.

Both options are fine, as long as:

• One arm stays high in the blocking line, and

• You never drop your blocking arm to foul.

The details of arm switching are easier to see than to read, which is why:

• 🎥 I strongly recommend watching the YouTube video:
  Shot Blocking & Over-Hips – Full Breakdown »

• 🎓 And then going through the Shot Blocking & Over-Hips course step by step:
  Enroll in the Shot Blocking Course inside Waterpolo University »

Simple Shot Blocking Drills for U10–U15 Players

Here are a few water polo drills for kids and youth that coaches and parents can use in training. These fit perfectly with the online water polo lessons and courses.

Drill 1: Drop and Point

Goal: Train legs and hips to face the shooter.

1. Put a center in the middle and a shooter on the perimeter.

2. Defender starts in front of the center in a drop.

3. Coach moves the ball around, but every time it’s near the shooter, defender:

   • Points legs and hips toward that shooter

   • Keeps hips close to the surface

No blocks yet – just body orientation and awareness.

Drill 2: Over-Hips into Helper Shot Block

Goal: Practice the movement phase with the helper arm.

1. Same setup: drop in front of the set, shooter outside.

2. Coach passes the ball to the shooter.

3. Defender:

   • Moves over hips toward the shooter

   • Uses helper shot block arm while still horizontal

4. When they reach a cone or marker, the rep ends.

Again, no jump yet – just the travel + helper arm.

Drill 3: Full Shot Block with Breaststroke Kick

Goal: Connect movement and explosion.

1. Same setup.

2. Defender moves over hips with helper arm.

3. At the last moment:

   • Uses a big breaststroke kick

   • Switches into full vertical shot block

4. Shooter takes a controlled shot:

   • First at 50% power

   • Then at 75% as defender improves

Remind the defender of the golden rule:
Do not foul with your blocking arm.

Drill 4: Block and Reset

Goal: Learn to recover back to the drop.

1. Shooter receives the ball, defender moves into full shot block.

2. Coach either:

   • Has the shooter fake but not shoot, or

   • Has them pass back out.

3. As soon as the ball leaves:

   • Defender uses the blocking arm to lift

   • Hits one or two strong backstroke kicks

   • Returns quickly in front of the center

Add time pressure (“be back in 2 seconds”) to make it game-like.

Drill 5: 5-on-6 with Simple Rules

Goal: Use all of this in a live situation.

Play a half-court 5-on-6 and give your players clear rules:

• If the ball is in front of you → you are in shot block.

• If the ball is not in front of you → you are on the post with your hands on the post.

• When the ball moves to your player, you:

  • Move over hips

  • Use helper arm

  • Breaststroke kick into full block

This keeps the system simple and lets young players focus on great habits.

How to Use the Video and Course with This Blog

To get the most out of this article:

1. Read through once and visualize each step.

2. Watch the YouTube video with the movements slowed down:
   https://youtu.be/QG50ibL4QM8

3. Then, inside Waterpolo University:

   • Start with the “Start Here” / fundamentals module

   • Move into the Shot Blocking & Over-Hips course for detailed lessons and drills:
     Go to the Shot Blocking Course

4. At practice, pick 1–2 drills from this blog and repeat them until they feel natural.

5. Record yourself (or your child/team), then send the videos in if you’re on the premium membership for personalized feedback.

This is exactly how Waterpolo University is designed:

• Learn the concept → See the video → Do the drill → Get feedback.

Final Thoughts: Become a Defender Your Team Can Trust

You don’t need to be the biggest or strongest player in the pool to become a great defender. If you:

• Point your legs and hips toward the shooter,

• Move over hips with control,

• Use the helper arm while traveling,

• Explode with a breaststroke kick into a strong shot block,

• Keep your blocking arm up while fouling with the other arm, and

• Reset quickly back to the center…

…you will instantly become more valuable to your team.

If you’re a parent or coach looking for structured water polo training for kids, or you’re a young player who wants to understand defense properly, use this blog together with:

• 🎥 YouTube video: https://youtu.be/QG50ibL4QM8

• 🎓 Waterpolo University course: Shot Blocking & Over-Hips Course »

Keep practicing, keep sending in videos, and keep building those fundamentals.
Great defenders aren’t just born – they’re built, one good shot block at a time.