Basketball drills

Goal: Defending the forward in triple threat position

Organization:

• attacker makes an agreed number of different feints before shooting or dribbling to the basket
• defender must anticipate with a drop step when the attacker threatens to go over the front foot
• with a two-footed backward hop when the attacker threatens to go over the back foot
• when the attacker brings up the ball, the defender should quickly step towards the attacker, stand against him, feet wider than the attacker,
• Trace the ball with your hands
• When the attacker brings the ball back down, the defender returns to his/her original position with a slide step or a hop backwards (arm's length distance)

Teaching points:

• react quickly on the feet, before the attacker does
• Distance from the attacker: match the threat he poses.
• Shorten the distance to the attacker with mini-slides, so that you can react immediately

Variations:

attacker gives a pass to himself from the bucket edge

Starting exercise:

• defender starts at arm's length
• Square up = feet next to each other, chest perpendicular to the line of the ball-basket when the attacker is standing on the axis of the field.
• Left foot forward when the attacker is standing on the right half of the field and vice versa.
• Attacker fakes the shot
• Defender steps forward, hand on ball
• Attacker brings the ball down
• defender recovers arm-length distance
• attacker makes max 2 dribbles, left or right
• after the stop, the defender steps forward again, hand on the ball

Form of play:

• as above, but with shot + boxing out (= wall and rebound)
• 2 scores in a row (also from the rebound!!) OR 2 stops in a row = loser presses and change

Goal: defend the dribbler after stopping the dribble

Organization:

• man with ball passes to opponent when trainer whistles
• who takes 1 bounce and stops the dribble in 2 Count Rhythm (2TR)
• The trainer counts down 5 seconds and then blows his whistle as end signal
• The aggressive defender steps back to his starting position
• The roles are now reversed
• As soon as the trainer whistles you pass the ball to the other player
• go for it aggressively straight away
• Try to prevent the other player from passing by keeping your hand in front of the ball (trace the ball)
• Try to get your feet to the left and right of the pivot foot of the man with the ball so that he cannot turn

Teaching Points:

• avoid mistakes; do not hit the ball
• Go for the 5 seconds
• Get as close as possible to the attacker (but stay in your own cylinder)
• Move your feet closer to the attacker, but keep your position between the attacker and the basket.

Variations:

• a third man to whom the ball must be passed within 5 seconds. Choose a limited area in which the third man can run free (use lines on the court, or place pawns).
• Pass from under the board to the player on the block. This player must try to pivot past the defender and score. Winner becomes attacker on the block, loser passes from the back line.

Form of play:

• Ten ball on the half court, where the receiver of the ball has to make a dribble start with 1 bounce before he can pass the ball on.
• idem, but defence MUST double team the man with the ball.

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)

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Goal: securing the dribbler against the sideline after stopping the dribble

Organisation:

• defender passes to attacker on signal of the coach
• Attacker is NOT allowed to dribble, only to pivot.
• the trainer counts down 5 seconds

Teaching Points:

• Get as close to the attacker as possible (but stay in your own cylinder).
• Move your feet closer to the attacker, but keep your position between the attacker and the helpline.
• If the attacker allows you to have his back, move your feet forward.
• trace the ball
• defenders always one hand low and one hand high (Umbrella)
• the attacker is never allowed to step or pass between the defenders (only passes parallel to the sideline are allowed)
• avoid mistakes; conquer ball by 1) 5 seconds, 2) bad pass, 3) attacker's foot on the line

Form of play:

Two additional attackers running free outside the lane. A successful pass between the defenders is a point for the attackers. 5 seconds or foot of the attacker on the line is a point for the defenders. Play to the 2.

Goal: to defend one pass away

Organization:

• attackers use quarter of the field
• try to get free with in-out or cut
• first restore balance by occupying the 3 positions before cutting again
• defender overplays when his man is playable with one pass
• attacker can dribble
• a waiting player counts down 20 seconds

Teaching Points:

• hand in the passing line
• front foot in the passing line
• catch your man with your forearm
• 3/4 of your attention on the man, 1/4 on the ball
• NO help
• change after x stops

Form of play:

• each team gets 5x ball possession
• who makes the most stops

Requirements:

players must be able to play individually 1 against 1

Goal: train position of the defender to help prevent penetration (instead of passing over) + recovery

Preparation:

• the defender must first choose his position in such a way that he can help stop the penetration
• after matching the attacker, he takes up his position between the ball and the ring
• at the distance suited to the qualities of the attacker
• or at the distance requested by the coach
• the players play 1 against 1
• Attacker becomes defender.
• New attacker turns in

Organisation:

• the three defenders start in the bucket, with the ball
• defender 5 rolls the ball to 1 and defenders take up their positions
• attackers hold their position and pass the ball back and forth (also pass fakes!!)
• they may score with a drive or a dribble with jump shot
• a three-point is a point for the attack
• a two-point shot is a point for the offense, but
• if there is still a defender between the shooter and the basket at the moment of shooting, it is a point for the defense
• interception or defensive rebound is a point for the defense
• play until the 5, then change

Teaching Points:

• defenders have to take the right position immediately after the pass with an explosive step
• Anticipate the pass and take a slide step so that you can get to your defensive position earlier (in case of a pass fake, you have to take a slide step back quickly)
• one pass away = one metre from your man and one metre from the passing line, so that you can help with the penetration of the ball
• when the ball is 2 passes away, you have to stand with 2 feet in the bucket
• immediately after the shot, both defenders must look at their man instead of the ball and box out

Variations:

• offensive rebound is a point for the attack (if you want to emphasize boxing out)
• shallow cut from 1 after the pass + 2 rotates to the head
• shallow cut from 1 after the pass + 2 sets a screen for 1 under the elbow and then steps out to the guard position

Requirements:

players must be able to play individually 1 against 1

Goal1: Improve the position change of the defender between helpside and ballside defense

Goal2: boxing out after the shot

Organisation:

• one of the defenders passes the ball from under the basket to an attacker
• A defender on the ball side closes the way to the basket (close out).
• the other defender takes the help side position: one foot in the bucket if the ball is above the free throw line; on the basket-basket line if the ball is below the free throw line
• When the ball is passed to the weak side, both defenders must quickly adjust their position relative to their man.

Substitutions:

• make it, take it
• or two is too much (push up defenders after 2 consecutive scores)
• (if you have more than 4 players, let the other players practice shooting at the other basket)

Teaching Points:

• 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 shooter's face
• After the shot:
• immediately after the shot, both defenders must look at their man instead of the ball and box out
• put the forearm on the chest of the attacker
• box out with a front pivot or a reverse pivot and chase the ball

Variations:

• defenders may score from a rebound or interception
• the scoring team continues to attack
• play until the 7