What it does
Sand Spit changes the weather to sandstorm whenever the holder takes a hit from an attack. That sandstorm lasts five turns, or eight turns if the holder carries Smooth Rock. The trigger condition is 'taking a hit' — not switching in, not using a move. If the opponent attacks you, the sand goes up.
Sandstorm does two things: at the end of each turn, non-Rock/Ground/Steel types lose 1/16 of their max HP. Rock-types also get a 50% Special Defense boost (×1.5) during the storm. Those two effects push you toward a specific team structure — minimize how many of your own Pokémon get sand damage, maximize how many of theirs do.
There's no limit on how many times Sand Spit can trigger in a game. As long as the holder stays on the field, every hit resets the sandstorm timer. If a sandstorm is already active, getting hit resets the duration rather than stacking on top.
Who runs it
Sandaconda is the standard Sand Spit user in Champions (18% usage), showing up almost exclusively in sand-team builds. Its physical bulk is decent enough that opponents usually want to hit it, which keeps Sand Spit firing. Sandaconda is Ground-type, so it takes zero chip from the sandstorm it generates.
The standard item is Smooth Rock: extends the sand from five turns to eight, giving your sand-boosted teammates more room to operate.
Typical partners are Pokémon that gain from sand: Sand Rush users that double their Speed, or Sand Force users that get a damage boost on certain move types. Sandaconda handles the setup; they handle the damage.
How to use it
The basic idea: put Sandaconda in a spot where it's likely to take hits, let the opponent set off the sand for you, and have your sand-reliant partner ready to move immediately afterward.
In doubles, this usually plays out as: Sandaconda leads, the opponent decides it's a reasonable kill target and hits it, sandstorm goes up on turn one, your Sand Rush partner immediately has doubled Speed. If the opponent doesn't attack Sandaconda that turn, you can use Glare to spread paralysis or Coil for self-setup while you wait for a triggered hit.
The main vulnerability is weather replacement. Any opponent with Drizzle, Drought, or Snow Warning can overwrite your sand the moment they switch in. Against weather teams, keeping Sandaconda alive is a priority — it's your weather reset button.
Tips & strategy
Sand Spit creates a weather tug-of-war. The opponent switches in a weather setter to overwrite sand; you get Sandaconda hit once to reset it. This cycle keeps the opponent spending resources on weather management rather than attacking.
Rocky Helmet is an alternative item worth considering: physical attackers take 1/6 max HP damage every time they hit Sandaconda, on top of triggering the sandstorm. It does mean losing Smooth Rock, so your sand only lasts five turns instead of eight.
Sand doesn't protect against special moves at all. Heavy special attackers bypass both the sand chip damage and the Rock-type Special Defense boost. Make sure your team can absorb special pressure before committing to a sand structure.