Single leg balance with ball pass means standing on one leg while you pass a ball from hand to hand around your waist. Moving the ball shifts your weight from moment to moment, so your standing leg has to keep correcting, from the ankle all the way up to the hip, to hold you upright. It is a harder step than standing still on one leg, and it tends to appear in the later stages of ankle, knee and balance programs.

How to do the single leg balance with ball pass

Stand on a flat, non-slip floor next to a kitchen counter or in the corner of a room, so there is something to catch hold of if you tip. Hold a light ball in front of your belly with both hands. Wear flat shoes that fit well and grip the floor, not socks, tights or bare feet.
Shift your weight onto one leg and lift the other foot a little off the floor by bending that knee. Keep the lifted foot clear of your standing leg rather than resting it against it.
Stand tall with your eyes fixed on a point straight ahead. Pass the ball around your waist: take it to one side, swap it from hand to hand behind your back, and bring it round to the front with the other hand.
Go slowly for the first few circles. Once you feel steady, pick up the pace a little.
After several circles, change direction. Then put your foot down, rest, and repeat standing on the other leg.

What you should feel

Constant small adjustments in the ankle and foot of the standing leg, and effort at the side of that hip. Your middle works a little too as the ball travels behind you.

Common mistakes

Looking down at the ball, especially as it goes behind your back.
Resting the lifted foot on the standing leg for extra support.
Speeding up before the slow circles are steady.
Letting the standing knee lock straight or drift inward.

How often

Many programs use 2 to 3 rounds of about 20 to 30 seconds on each leg, changing direction partway through, once a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

You feel dizzy, lightheaded, faint or sick, or the room seems to spin. Hold your support, sit down and get medical advice the same day before you practice again. If you faint, it does not settle within a few minutes of sitting still, your vision suddenly blurs or goes double, or you cannot stand or walk steadily, call emergency services.
You nearly fall, or have to grab the counter to stay on your feet.
Sharp pain in the standing ankle or knee, or the ankle gives way.

From the clinic

With both hands busy on the ball, you cannot hold on, so set up where a counter or wall is close enough to touch the moment you wobble. He has nothing beside him in the video, but at home that counter matters, and so does a floor clear of rugs and clutter. If you wobble, let the ball fall and put your foot down, rather than trying to save it. If you have fallen in the past year, feel unsteady on your feet, have low bone density (osteoporosis), or take medicines that make you drowsy or dizzy, stay with single leg stance while holding a support for now. Ask your physio about a falls check before you add the ball.

A sudden loss of balance is different. Call emergency services straight away for any sign of a stroke, even if it goes away: sudden dizziness with unsteadiness or falling over, a face that droops on one side, an arm you cannot lift or keep up, slurred or muddled speech, weakness or numbness on one side of your body or face, sudden blurred vision, double vision or loss of sight, or a sudden severe headache.

Most programs get you steady on one leg with your hands free before the ball comes in. Once slow circles feel easy, faster passes make it harder, and a wobble cushion under the standing foot is a bigger step again, best left until your physio suggests it.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-26.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Single leg balance with ball pass