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Basketball drills

slides-from-helpline

Goal: learn or improve side slides + condition

Organization:

  • all players on the helpline, facing the coach
  • when coach bounces the ball all players jump into defensive position
  • coach moves to the left or to the right, parallel to the backline
  • players must stay with their face right in front of the ball
  • increase the level of difficulty by changing direction and/or speed at random


Teaching Points:

  • feet at least shoulder width
  • knees at about 100 degrees (= sitting down deeply)
  • shoulders above the heels (= back straight)
  • Head upright (overlook the field)
  • Hand closest to the ball is low (to be able to tap the ball away on the dribble)
  • Other hand is above the shoulder (to intercept a pass)
  • push hard on the push-off leg to gain speed
  • Feet stay low to the ground (= slide, shuffle)
  • feet do not connect after a slide, but remain at shoulder width


Variations:

  • let the defender keep his hands on his back if you want to accentuate the feet and stance.
  • 1 slide and back to the sideline, 2 slides and back etc. until you reach the sideline; followed by a short fierce sprint back to the sideline
  • first a drop step and then slides backwards to the sideline + sprint back
  • idem, but first a little tap (quickly transfer weight from one foot to the other)

practicing-slides

Prerequisites:

players must know what the correct defensive stance is

Goal:

  • to reinforce good habits regarding defensive position
  • To increase speed and flexibility of footwork


Organisation:

  • always 3 minutes
  • back over the backline with sprint to the basket and then slides to the sideline facing the centre circle.
  • facing each other slowly - wax on wax off
  • faster - hold both hands
  • only the back hand
  • follower holds the leader's shirt
  • leader tries to get free by changing speed
  • follower tries to keep his head in front of the chest of the leader


Teaching points:

  • knees bent
  • shoulders above the feet
  • front foot pointing in the direction
  • hands: wax on - wax off

shell-drill-team-defense-1shell-drill-team-defense-1shell-drill-team-defense-1

Prerequisites:

players must understand the principles of help side and ball side defense

Goal:

To create automatisms in defence

Organization:

5 against 5 on one basket

Successively:

  • pass only
  • pass + cut + fill in
  • drive left + turn the wheel and the same player does a back up dribble + drive right + turn the wheel
  • then he passes and cuts to the weak side
  • the same with a skip pass after the two drives
  • centre comes in from the weak side = catching and forcing a cut to the back
  • both forwards cut in from the weak side in quick succession

Variation:

  • play with 4 out
  • allow the first pass to the centre
  • Defender of the center takes up his position between man and basket while the ball is in the air with a hop.
  • passer cuts past the post
  • centre passes out to the head


Teaching points:

  • all defenders move to their new position while the ball is in the air
  • cutting in after a pass = jump to the ball - catch with the chest and force the ball to be cut in behind you
  • cutting in from the weak side catch the player with your forearm and force him to cut behind you
  • recover immediately after you have helped and the ball is passed out
  • aggressive sprint + mini slides + sitting deep at close out after skip pass
  • centre passes to the head = his defender has to be 'up the line and on the line

recover-plus-slides-quarter-fieldrecover-plus-slides-quarter-fieldrecover-plus-slides-quarter-field

Requirements:

players must be able to defend the man with the ball individually (slides)

Goal: apply individual defensive technique in a simplified game situation

Organisation:

  • attackers use one quarter of the playing field
  • is not allowed to cross the baseline
  • plays 1 against 1
  • the defender may only step over the half-way line once the attacker has put one foot over the half-way line (the attacker may make feints, if the defender steps too early he must first put both his legs back behind the line)
  • the defender first has to sprint to get his position between man and basket, then stay with slides between man and basket
  • winner will attack on the other half of the court
  • Loser keeps on defending in this quarter (turning in at the halfway line).
  • the next pair starts when the predecessor takes the rebound.


Teaching Points:

  • make sure you overtake the attacker by a large margin and only then take the defensive position.
  • then immediately move backwards with slides
  • In case of a defensive fault, the attacker is the winner.


Variations:

  • let the defender keep his hands behind his back if you want to accentuate his footwork
  • You can give good defenders a handicap by having them start 1 or 2 steps behind the attacker
  • attackers can be slowed down by having them dribble behind their back in front of the 3-point line, etc.

overplay-the-high-postoverplay-the-high-post

Goal: high post permanent replay after pass between forward and guard

Organisation:

  • attacker 4 offers himself at the elbow at the moment of the pass
  • defender 3 passes with his back to the baseline
  • when passing back to the guard, defender 3 steps in front (here: right foot) and passes to the other side
  • attackers 1 and 2 try to adjust high post 4 on the elbow
  • if they cannot do so within 2 seconds, they must pass back to each other Each passis a point for the defender.
  • if 4 is matched, he gets a point and plays 1 against 1 against 3
  • the winner gets another point
  • play to the 5


Teaching Points:

  • feet on both sides of the high post
  • keep the elbow cylinder
  • prevent the pass on the high post with the other hand.


Variations:

passers parallel to side of bucket and center asks at the mid post

mtm-defense-help-sidemtm-defense-help-sidemtm-defense-help-side

Prerequisites:

players must know how to use slides and sprints to keep their position between man and basket

Objective:

to teach positioning in the help side

Organisation:

  • in the waiting line white and black take turns; offensive and defensive
  • stop at the side of the bucket, pass the ball backwards to the next player
  • closing the back and changing roles (attacker and defender).


Teaching Points:

  • forearm on the hip of the dribbler
  • sit deep
  • Keep your nose in front of the ball
  • Make sure you stay between man and basket until you get below the block


With two defenders on the help side:

  • The help side defenders start with one foot in the bucket.
  • As soon as the dribbler goes below the free throw line, both help side defenders step in until they reach the helpline.
  • when the dribbler passes his man, they close the way to the basket (under the block or above the elbow)


RECOVERY:

  • Â- as soon as the dribbler picks up the ball they sprint back to their position on the helpline
  • Â- if he passes the ball back to the guard line, then the help position side bucket


Teaching points:

  • defend close to the dribbler; don't leave room for feints
  • only really help to stop the dribbler after he has passed his man
  • but at all times prevent the dribbler from entering the bucket.
  • recover immediately after you have helped and the ball is picked up or passed to the passer
  • in the assisting position, your chest is parallel to the imaginary line between the ball and your man
  • Split vision: see the ball AND your own man
  • until you actually start to help Then you let go of your man and concentrate fully on stopping the dribbler
  • when the ball is passed out, all defenders move to their new position while it is in the air


Rotation:
dribbler 2 and his defender take the bottom positions is3
and 8 go up5
and 7 join the back row the
defenders on the weak side are always the same colour as the defender on ball side


Variation:

  • start with a skip pass
  • 4 starts from the helpline


Teaching points for the recovery and close out:

  • sprint two steps towards your man
  • then use minislides to reduce the distance to an arm's length while lowering your hips.
  • raise one hand to be able to block the shot

fundamentals-combo

Prerequisites:

players must master slides and a close out of the shooter

Objective:

  • to instill good defensive footwork
  • increase speed and flexibility of footwork, plus fitness


Organization:

always 3 minutes

A jump strength

  • start in defensive stance
  • take off with two feet, jump high over the cones (try to touch your chest with your knees)
  • land in balance, spring through the knees, feet at shoulder width
  • and jump directly over the next cones.


B close out weak side shooter

  • two explosive sprint steps, then lower your hips a bit + reduce step size
  • inside foot in front
  • outside hand in the face of the archer
  • Touch the pawn with your inside hand (= check that you are sitting deep enough)
  • take off with 2 feet and jump as high as possible with both arms stretched to block the imaginary shot


C help stopping penetration of the guard

  • two explosive sprint steps, then lower your hips a bit + reduce step size + turn a quarter
  • feet parallel
  • arms wide
  • quick step straight forward + pull in the back foot (in the game when the guard stops and shoots)
  • tap the pawn with your hand
  • push off with 2 feet and jump as high as possible with both arms extended to block the imaginary shot.


D defend the dribbler

  • land in defensive stance
  • powerful sllide steps to just in front of the pawn
  • arms wide
  • touch the pawn with your outside hand (= check that your seat is deep enough)
  • take off with 2 feet and jump as high as possible with both arms stretched to block the imaginary shot


E turn the hips

  • Face and chest parallel to the sideline.
  • walk crosswise towards the backline
  • alternately put the right foot in front of and behind the left leg
  • while doing so the pelvis rotates which increases the flexibility of the hips.

front-the-mid-post-1front-the-mid-post-1front-the-mid-post-1

Goal: Defending the mid post in front if it threatens to get into the bucket

Organization:

  • Forwards 1 and 2 may adjust a center. If they cannot do so within 2 seconds, they must pass to each other. They remain in place
  • as soon as a center has the ball in or near the bucket, they play 2 against 2 and try to score (but passing is allowed)
  • ball side defender plays denial defense
  • weak side defender stands with 1 foot on the helpline
  • as soon as the mid post on the ball side looks for a position on the edge of or in the bucket, defender 5 stands between attacker 3 and the ball
  • at the moment of the lob pass, defender 6 should stand in the back of attacker 3 and try to force the attacking foul
  • when attacker 3 passes to the high post, every defender looks for his own man
  • every pass from forward to forward or a pass from a center back to the forward scores 1 point for the defenders
  • a defensive rebound also scores 1 point
  • for every score from the bucket you lose 2 points
  • foul on a goalie = score
  • On a swing, the hig post looks for a position on the block.
  • Defender 6 stays between man and basket until the block.
  • steps around attacker 4 along the top of the block (top foot first, then step around the block with the bottom foot).


Teaching Points:

  • prevent the pass at the mid-post with 1 hand up
  • with the other hand, feel which way the mid-post is moving.
  • get as close to the attacker as possible (but make sure you can jump to intercept the pass)
  • When switching from denial defense to frontal defense, first move the foot closest to the basket.
  • then pull the other foot in


Variations:

put a defender at the forward to make the pass towards the mid post more difficult

Goal: frontal defense of the low post

Organization:

  • Players 1 and 2 may adjust a center. If they cannot do so within 2 seconds, they must pass to each other. They remain at their place.
  • The attacking centre asks the side of the bucket for the ball.
  • defender must cross between the attacker and the free throw line
  • and defend the attacker in front.
  • every pass from forward to forward scores 1 point for the defender
  • a defensive rebound also scores 1 point
  • for every score from the bucket 1 point is deducted
  • foul on a goalie = score
  • play until the 3


Teaching Points:

  • prevent the pass on the mid post with 1 hand up.
  • Push the attacker backwards with the other forearm (but make sure you can jump to intercept the pass).
  • face to the half way line

fogler-plus-transitionfogler-plus-transitionfogler-plus-transition

Goal: learn/improve defensive position (1 pass or 2 passes away)

Organization:

  • 4 attackers and 4 defenders
  • attackers may only pass
  • immediately after the pass, the passer must change position
  • 2 passes to 4
  • 2 cuts to basket
  • 6 defends the pass to 2 with a jump to the ball
  • defender 8 does not allow the pass from 4 to 2
  • Attackers 1 and 3 move up one position
  • Defender 3 goes from help to denial
  • ball is above the lifeline, so defender 8 moves from the lifeline to the side of the bucket

drop-step-and-slides

Goal: learn or improve drop step and side slides + condition

Organization:

  • place 5 cones as shown
  • vary distance and angle
  • players move with slides from one pawn to the other
  • at every cone they make a drop step and change hands from high to low and vice versa
  • Always face the back line where the player started.
  • between pawns 3 and 4, a short quick sprint (now with the face to the other back line)
  • at pawn 4, turn 180 degrees, assume defensive position, drop step + slides to pawn 5
  • in a quiet run back to the starting point


Teaching Points:

  • Feet at least shoulder width.
  • Knees at about 100 degrees (= sitting down deeply)
  • shoulders above the heels (= back straight)
  • Head straight up (overlook the field)
  • Hand closest to the ball is low (to be able to tap the ball away on the dribble)
  • Other hand is above the shoulder (to intercept a pass)
  • push hard on the push-off leg to gain speed
  • Feet stay low to the ground (= slide, shuffle)
  • feet do not connect after a slide, but remain at shoulder width
  • at the drop step, the foot closest to the ball moves backwards quite a bit; then the defender changes direction and the hands change from high to low and vice versa
  • intermediate sprint must be quick (= simulate recovery of defensive position after the dribbler has passed the defender)
  • take up position between pawn 4 and the basket and immediately with slides to pawn 5


Variations:

  • let the defender keep his hands behind his back if you want to accentuate his feet and stance
  • make bigger differences in the distance between the pawns and the angle they are placed to each other.

sending-the-dribbler-to-the-lane

Requirements:

  • players must be able to individually defend the man with the ball
  • players must be able to dribble


Goal: defender must keep the dribbler in the marked area, so that it crosses the center line in the lane

Organization:

  • waiting player takes the ball
  • and counts down 8 seconds
  • The dribbler has to touch the helpline at least once with his foot before he can cross the
  • the half way line.
  • the dribbler wins if he crosses the half way line outside the marked area (choose a line on the field)
  • defender wins if he allows the dribbler to cross the centre line inside the marked area OR at 8 seconds
  • loser has to defend in the next round


Teaching Points:

  • defender must keep an appropriate distance, taking into account the dexterity and speed of the dribbler
  • Defender must anticipate the changes of direction of the dribbler.