Finishing the Pass — From the J-Point

Game Description

This is the first rung of the standing-vs-seated passing ladder, and it starts at the end. The top player begins already past the jeopardy point — the j-point, the hip line, the last of the three lines a pass has to clear — with the near hand on the far hip. All that remains is to turn the advantage into a pin. Starting finish-first lets a passer feel what a won pass is before they ever have to earn one. That is the logic of running the ladder in reverse.

How to Run This Game

Setup: Bottom player flat on their back. Top player past the j-point, near hand on the far hip, hips down.

Top wins by sealing a pin — chest-to-chest or chest-to-back, held three seconds without the guard recovered. The cue is connection, not grip: settle the chest and take the space the bottom player needs to turn.

Bottom wins by getting any limb back between the two of them before the pin is confirmed — a knee, a shin, a frame.

Score: One point per confirmed pin or re-guard. Role rotates each reset.

Coaching Notes

This rung trains one thing: the difference between being past the guard and finishing past it. Most lost pins here are connection failures — the passer reaches for a grip, lifts the chest, and hands back the space. Watch the chest, not the hands.

Progressions

Move up the ladder once the pin is reliable. Passing the knee line asks the passer to clear the second line before they arrive here.