Practice Drills

REDLIGHT-GREENLIGHT

Always dribbling. Green – go forward.  Left – go left. Right go right. Red – dribble in place.  As the level of play increases, different variations could be things like walking backwards, making it a race, using opposite hands.  Spread out.

HEADS UP

Minimum of two players spaced 5-8 feet apart (depending on age level).

Each player has a basketball and one has a wiffle golfball or ping pong ball.

Dribbling with your good hand (proper form required) you underhand pass the ping pong ball back and forth while dribbling. If you miss the ping pong ball dribble to get it and continue the drill.

Switch to your off hand and continue drill (5-10 min drill total)

GOPHER BALL

Players start at 1/2 court circle or free throw circle. Teach players to react quickly to loose ball. - Go quickly into Offense.

Players lay down on stomach with eyes closed. Toss ball into air and blow whistle. Players scramble for ball.

BEAN BAG GAME

Using half court place one team at center court, and one team at the corners of the baseline. Each team has one ball.

Place bean bags in key circle in a pile. On coaches comand one player from each team dribbles into the key, while still dribbling the players must bend down and pick up a bean bag each. They must then dribble back to their team while still dribbling deposit the bean bag and give the ball to their next team member. This process continues until all bean bags are gone, then they are able to steal bean bags from the other teams. After two minutes the team with the most bean bags wins. NOTE: Only one bean bag is able to be taken at a time.

BALL SCRAMBLE

On command, everyone drops ball and runs to half court or bleachers, etc. and returns. While the players are running, coach removes one ball. Player without ball is out. With fewer players, start to reduce area. 

QUICK

In a circle, coach in middle. The kids copy you running on the spot, jumping etc. When you say “quick” they get into the defensive position. However if you say “go” they continue to do what they were beforehand. They are only out if you see them.

HEADS UP DIRECTION CHANGE

Along the center court line space out 4 to 5 players facing you. You should be off the court at center court. Instruct your players to move while dribbling in whichever direction you move - side to side, forward and backwards. Change direction without words so they have to keep their eyes on you. As they progress change directions more quickly and move faster. Option: Do this drill without the ball for defensive practice

REDLIGHT-GREENLIGHT 2

Have a group of kids start at one baseline, don't bunch them too closely together. Each child in the group has a ball. When the facilitator shouts green light the children dribble forward, “left” and they dribble left, “right” they dribble right, and of course “red” they stop. All during this youth basketball drill the children keep dribbling.

SPEED LAY-UP DRILL

Coach times player for 1 minute; team counts aloud number of shots made and encourages player along the way.

Player with a basketball stands to the right of the basket, coach says 'GO' and player shoots a layup (using backboard) from right side... then miss or make goes to left side. She continues to alternate sides, team counts how many are made in one minute.

Coach may decide to give stronger players 45 seconds, weaker players 1 minute +.

SPEED DRIBBLE

Players start at 1/2 court or baseline. Each line or player has a ball. Objective is to reduce the number of dribbles.

Let the players cover the required distance and count their dribbles. Have them cover the same distance and reduce the dribbles by 1. Repeat and reduce by 1 again. Continue reducing until you have increased speed.

KEEP IT BOUNCING

While dribbling try to tap the other players ball out of bounds. Second dribble is not allowed. When your ball goes out of bounds you must do 10 dribbles with the opposite (weak-side) hand on the sideline, after you did that you can join the group again.

Make sure the kids keep there head up, use both arms.

The more the try to tap away other players balls (in stead of just protecting there own ball) the better dribblers they become.

LOOSE BALL DRILL

Form 2 line under the basket on each side of the backboard. The Coach gets in the middle with the ball and rolls (bounces) the ball anywhere in the half-court.

2 Players should go after the ball and anything goes. The player who controls the ball comes back to the basket and the player without the ball immediately becomes the defense trying to stop the player with the ball from scoring

CAT AND MOUSE

2 players: 1 off 1 def. O takes 2 dribbles and picks up ball. D (in correct def position) yells “ball!”. O moves ball around in air side-to-side etc and counts slowly to 3.  D must “mirror” ball movement with hands. After 3 count O takes 2 dribbles and repeats

1-ON-1  2-ON-2

For 1-on-1, O tries to advance the ball to a pre-set position (end-line or cone) on the floor.  D tries to prevent advancement. For 2-on-2.  Same thing except use passing skills.  (Don’t need to use basket for this drill)