The Extra Ball Protocol
Effort
Legend
- player
- coach / parent
- movement path
How it works
Train players to play out every point fully by removing the habit of letting balls go early or stopping when the point seems lost.
What you need
- tennis racket
- tennis balls
- court
Your focus
Juniors in the 14-18 range often concede points before the ball has actually landed out, or stop moving when they are out of position. This drill removes the psychological opt-out by penalizing early concessions and rewarding maximum play-out effort. The habit of playing every ball out is a measurable competitive advantage in tight matches.
Play live points; any time a player stops moving toward a ball that subsequently lands in (even if they would not have reached it), they lose the point plus a bonus point.
Coach acts as line judge on these disputed concessions; rulings are final and immediate to reinforce the lesson in real time.
Add the extra ball rule: after any point ends, coach may toss a second ball immediately into play, the player must be in ready position to earn the right to play it.
Track give-up penalties across 20 points; goal is zero give-up penalties in the last five points of the session.
Helpful cues
- Play it out, make them hit one more!
- Ready position after every ball, always!
- One more step could change everything.
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Remove the penalty structure and simply require the player to take at least two steps toward every ball before stopping.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Both players are bound by the extra-ball rule simultaneously, making recovery and readiness a shared competitive element.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.