Basketball drills

• Set up players: 
  • 1 with ball on the head (pos 1/white), 
  • 1 in position 2 or 3 (blue), 
  • The rest on 4 or 5 (same side as the forward, red). 
  • A defender or pilon somewhere around the free throw line or closer to 1 (is the defender of 1)
• White passes to blue and immediately makes a cutting movement. 
  • Feint to the left and cut across the defender
• Blue passes the ball to white in its movement and takes position 1. 
  • First of red fills in the position of blue.
• White scores with the ball and the ball goes back to the new player in position 1. 
  • White follows red and becomes the last player in the red row.
• The exercise starts again.

• Two rows on the side at the height of the center line. 
• Ball is on one side, attacker decides when he leaves and runs to the middle line, which he must cross all the way. 
• The defender also departs but only has to touch the centre circle. 
• Aim of the exercise is to come in front of the attacker as a defender. 
• When a goal is made, 3 push-ups for the defender, a miss is 3 push-ups for the attacker.

Start with 1 ball, later on you can use two balls.

• 4 rows in 4 corners
• 1 ball in opposite corner
• pass to the man on the right, run straight ahead
• pass to the running man, and run straight ahead
• running man passes straight ahead, connecting behind the second row.

• Call out the name of the person you're passing to.
• after 5 minutes, switch sides and pass left

• With 3 men on the back line and the middle one has a ball.
• The middle one passes to a man and chases the ball.
• The receiver keeps the ball behind him and the one who passed first takes the ball and passes on.
• The person who has the ball behind his back runs behind the ball, picks it up at the receiver and passes on to the other side.
• They do this while running to the basket on the other side.
• If someone is close enough to the basket, the man plays a lay-up.
• Make variations on the passing lines

• Consider the pilons as the defense (players can also be used for this). 
• Player 1 (white runs) towards player blue. 
• Halfway through the run, player blue runs behind his defender and asks for the ball. 
• Player white passes to blue. 
• As soon as player blue catches the ball, player red sprints away behind his defender. 
• As soon as player red catches the ball player 2 sprints away from white behind his defender. 
• The makes the circle go round. This is an active exercise in which timing, passing and catching are a crucial part. 
• Because everyone is busy, this is also conditionally a good drill. 
• With younger players the distance between pilons is shorter. 

  
  

To improve shooting, the players practice the movement first without the actual basket. 

• They stand in position with knees slightly bent,
• hold a basketball with the strong hand under the ball and the other hand behind it. 
• The players bring the ball to the shot zone (in front of and above the head). 
• Next, the players push the basketball in the desired direction after which the hand and wrist move downwards (gooseneck). 
• If this goes well, the players can try to shoot in the direction of the basket.
• They can vary with place and distance.

The players practice the lay-up. 

• They divide themselves over 2 rows, 1 on the left side of the basket and 1 on the right side of the basket. 
• The first player of each row dribbles to the basket with the strong hand. 
• Then the player takes 2 steps, first with the strong leg, then with the weaker leg. 
• The player takes a jump with the strong leg and tries to throw the ball against the square on the board after which it ends up in the basket. 
• The player catches the ball and dribbles to the row on the other side and then ends at the back of the row to try it from the other side.

• Centers
• Starting from U16
• 2 or 4 centers
• 1 ball per pair
• a basket 

Aim:

• Defending a turn around jump shot
• box out after shot
• stimulate offensive rebound after shot

Organization:

• attacker turns around his axis and shoots
• Defender brings his body in front of the ball with a slide-step, as close as possible to the body of the attacker.
• keeps both arms straight up (= wall) so that the attacker has less view of the basket and has to adjust his shot slightly to shoot over the outstretched arms
• box out immediately after the shot
• A goal is 1 point
• offensive rebound is 2 points even after a goal
• each player defends 5 times in a row
• loser for each point difference: 2 push-ups

Teaching points:

• feet slightly wider than shoulder width
• knees slightly bent
• upper body and arms vertically
• NO batting movement towards the ball
• stand up against the attacker by moving towards the attacker (the upper body remains vertical)

Variant:

• attacker starts under the ring, with his back to the back line and gives a short bounce pass to himself
• attacker first makes a shoulder fake in the opposite direction just before the shot

Aim:

• Elbow shot
• Outlet pass after scoring
• overhead pass from low post to elbow

Organization:

• rebounding after shot and stepping directly over the back line and taking the ball
• always follow the ball and take the next position
• set a target; e.g. 30 shots

Teaching Points:

• In the final step, bring the ball over the head and turn the face towards the field
• tight overhead pass to the outlet
• ask high for the ball
• Pass the ball in the shooting hand

Variations:

• left and right
• Fill waiting time at forward position with fake passes
• Vice versa: After scoring, pass to the elbow and shoot from the corner

1. The players dribble to the pole and pass it with a cross over.

2. Then the player dribbles towards the bucket. 

3. The player finishes with a Euro step, passing the pilons. 

4. Possibly a defender can run in from the baseline, the attacker has to pass the defender.

1. The players dribble to the pole and pass it with a cross over.

2. Then the player dribbles towards the bucket and finishes with a floater. 

3. Pay attention to the balance and the footwork. 

4. The coach takes place in the middle of the bucket with the hands up. 

• Centers + Guards + Forwards - starting from U12
• 2 or more players
• 1 ball per pair
• two baskets

Requirements: 

• Performing a layup while running and receiving a pass

Aim:

• Speed dribble along the sideline because it is the shortest route to the other side
• pass and catch at speed 

Organization:

• player shoots a free throw and takes the rebound
• catch the ball as high as possible
• 3 sprints to the outlet position and calls
• passes with an overhead pass to the outlet
• the man with the ball dribbles along the sideline as fast as possible 
• the man with the ball passes to the one who shot
• gets the pass at full speed
• and makes the layup without a dribble

Teaching Points:

• Sprinting
• communication
• correct dribble start
• pushing the ball at speed dribble
• dribbler should see where the flyer is
• pass timing
• shooter catches his own ball
• Player that passes the ball sprints under the circle to the outlet on the other side
• calls
• gets the ball at the outlet position with an overhead pass
• Both players walk the same 2 to 0 break as on the way there
• but now on the other half of the field 

Variation:

• Put 1 defender at each basket
• Defender catches the ball and gives outlet pass
• and becomes a flyer
• shooter becomes defender

• rebounder (1) passes to outlet (2) 
• and runs behind the outlet along the sideline to the other side to get the ball back for a layup.
• Outlet (2) passes to a man in center circle (3), 
• He then dribbles to approx. the 3-point line and plays a bounce pass to (1) for lay-up.
• (3) takes the rebound and is becomes (1) at the opposite site of the field
  • With 10 persons or more, include one (4) in the far corner. 
  • In that case, (3) passes to (4), which then gives a bounce pass to (1) 
  • and then grabs the rebound and becomes (1).