What to Focus on When You’re Waiting for the Ball
PMU Playbook
Focus
Visualization
What to Focus on When You're
Waiting for the Ball
Waiting for the Ball
You're in the outfield. Or in goal. Or on the back row. The ball is nowhere near you and your brain has nothing to do. That's actually one of the hardest mental moments in sports — and almost nobody trains for it.
70%
of a game is spent away from the ball for most players
3 sec
is how fast your focus drifts when nothing is happening near you
1
simple mental routine that keeps you ready every single play
Round 1
The problem nobody talks about
Everyone practices what to do when the ball comes to them. Nobody really practices what to do when it doesn't.
If you're an outfielder, a goalkeeper, a back-row setter, or anyone who spends stretches of a game away from the action, you know the feeling. The play is happening somewhere else. Your brain starts to wander. You think about something totally unrelated. You lose track of what's developing.
Then the ball comes your way — and you're a half second behind. Not because you're slow. Because your brain wasn't ready. That half second is the difference between a routine play and a costly error.
The Real Issue
It's not a talent problem. Athletes who struggle in these moments usually weren't checked out because they don't care — they just never learned what to do with their brain during the waiting.
Round 2
What to actually do with your brain
The fix is having a routine for the waiting — something specific to focus on so your brain stays in the game even when the action is far away. Here's what it looks like:
1
Track the ball — always
Even when it's nowhere near you, keep your eyes on it. Know exactly where it is. Most athletes stop doing this the second the play moves away from them. If your eyes are on the ball, your brain stays in the game.
2
Ask yourself "what if it comes to me right now?"
Every few seconds, run through it mentally. Where would I move? What would I do with it? Who am I throwing to? This keeps your brain doing something useful instead of drifting. It's a simple question that holds your focus without wearing you out.
3
See the play before it happens
Picture it in your head. The ball coming. Your feet moving. Your throw or kick or set — clean and on target. Athletes who visualize the play before it arrives react faster because their brain has already rehearsed it. You're not daydreaming. You're preparing.
4
Reset your body every play
Weight forward, knees slightly bent, eyes up. Get back to your ready position after every single play — not just when you feel like it. The physical reset tells your brain we're still in this. It keeps you from going flat without even realizing it.
Your Between-Play Routine
Eyes on the ball. Every play. Even when it's on the other side of the field.
Ask "what if it comes to me right now?" Run the answer in your head. Where do I move? What do I do?
See the play before it happens. Picture your next action — feet, hands, decision — clean and confident.
Reset your body. Weight forward, knees bent, ready. After every play, not just when you remember.
Power Play Challenge
Stay locked in for one full practice
At your next practice, every time the ball is away from you, run through the routine: eyes on ball, ask "what if," see the play, reset your body. Do it every single play — not just when you remember. At the end of practice, check in with yourself: did you feel more ready when the ball actually came your way? That readiness is the routine working.
Final Whistle
The waiting is part of the game. Start training it.
The athletes who make the fewest mental errors aren't just talented — they stay ready during the moments everyone else has mentally left the field. Build the between-play routine, use it every practice, and watch yourself become the player who is always ready when it counts.