Skip to content
440 Football
Sign inStart training

Med Ball Rotational Throw for Football Players

Updated · Fact checked

Throwing a football, swinging into a block and kicking all start with the hips turning before the upper body. The med ball rotational throw trains that same sequence under load, fast enough to count as power work.

In 440's plans it replaces the forward scoop toss for quarterbacks, kickers and punters, the positions where rotation is the job.

How to Properly Execute Rotational Med Ball Throws | CrossFit InvictusCrossFit Invictus

How to do it

  1. Stand side on

    Stand sideways to the wall, an arm's length plus a step away, ball at the back hip.

  2. Load

    Shift onto the back leg and turn the ball toward the back hip.

  3. Rotate and throw

    Drive the back hip through first, then the torso, then the arms, and throw the ball through the wall.

  4. Catch and reset

    Catch the rebound, reset the stance and repeat; switch sides after each set.

Sets and reps
3 to 4 sets of 5 throws per side, early in the session while fresh.
Equipment
A medicine ball light enough to throw fast, A solid wall or a partner
Muscles and skills
Obliques, Hips
Used in these 440 plans
Quarterback

Coaching cues and common mistakes

Coaching cues

  • Load the back hip
  • Hips rotate first, then the torso, then the arms
  • Throw through the wall

Common mistakes

  • Arm-only throw
  • Stiff, square hips

Pick the right ball

Light enough to throw fast. If the rep looks slow or grinding, the ball is too heavy: this is power work, so speed beats weight. Use a ball that can hit a wall without bouncing back at your face, or throw it to a partner.

Where it fits

It goes early in the session, after the warm up and before heavy lifting, while you're fresh. For quarterbacks it pairs with knee throws, which groove the same hips, chest, arm order with a football. See the full plan on the quarterback training page.

FAQ

What does a rotational med ball throw work?

It trains rotational power through the hips and obliques: the hips turn first, then the torso, then the arms release the ball. That is the sequence a quarterback uses to throw.

More quarterback drills

Build my position plan

Tell 440 your level, measurables and schedule. Get a daily position plan with loads, timers and demo videos, adjusted for your equipment, training phase and readiness.

Build my position plan

Sources

  1. Effect of twelve weeks of medicine ball training on high school baseball players (Szymanski et al., J Strength Cond Res 2007;21(3):894-901, PMID 17685676), PubMed / NCBI (abstract via E-utilities)
  2. The role of rotational mobility and power on throwing velocity (Talukdar et al., J Strength Cond Res 2015;29(4):905-911, PMID 25436629), PubMed / NCBI (abstract via E-utilities)

Program numbers (benchmarks, sets, reps, loads, protein targets) are 440 Football's own prescriptions. For athletes 13 and older; check with a physician or a registered dietitian before major training or diet changes.