Basketball drills

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

Prerequisites:

players must be quite proficient and in good shape

Objective:

concentration and energy in defense

Organization:

• 4 against 4 on one basket
• new defenders when the defence has made 3 stops (i.e. the defenders gain possession of the ball).
• after a score or a foul on the shot, the defending team returns one stop
• The exercise lasts 12 minutes
• and if you do not defend well, you are defending for 12 minutes.
• if the attacks take too long, the trainer will count down loudly: 5-4-3-2-1-0

Teaching Points:

• After 2 stops the whole defense steps up their game. When they make the third stop, they can start attacking.
• As a side effect, the attackers learn in a playful way who will hit the balls when it gets exciting, and who will not.

When you have 12 men:

• rotate with 4 men
• After every stop, score or foul on the shot, a new team of attackers enters the field (trainer determines if it is a foul).
• the team that causes the third and last stop goes to defend

Variations:

• three defenders, four attackers
• make 2 or 3 consecutive stops before being allowed to change.
• (with shot clock) 35 seconds of defense without scoring and without a foul. At a stop, the clock stays on and the attackers can try again. If the attackers score, or grab an offensive rebound, or if the defense makes a foul, the clock goes back to 35 seconds.

Prerequisites:

players must know how to apply help side and ball side defense

Goal: to learn each defense system

Organization:

• a team can get a point with a defensive stop, with a score from a fast break or with a three-pointer from the secundary break
• (stopping the break by capturing the ball counts as a defensive stop)
• winner is the team that earns the last point OR, if no one earns a point, the team that scores
• the winner may always go and defend
• new attackers enter the field

Teaching Points:

all aspects of team defense

Tips:

• defending the break is also part of this exercise. That is why the three-pointer from the secondary break is also a point. This forces all players to defend after losing the ball in the attack.
• If the break is not executed quickly, blow it off. This will improve the speed at which the players react.

Note: The illustration shows the situation after a score from a break. The defenders first made a stop and then scored from the (secundary) break. So, two points. They therefore continue to defend and new attackers have entered the field