Breakdown drills will help you teach the fundamentals and techniques required for solid offensive play.
Special Note: This play originally appeared in the March 2024 edition of The Coaching Clinic, a monthly publication published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. It was submitted by my dad, Jim Alfonso, back when he was a freshman boys coach (he is now recently retired after many successful years as a track coach, referee, and history/physical education...
Purpose: To work on moving without the basketball and getting open by use of a V-cut. Also works on catching and scoring via the shot or dribble. Drill: Player in corner, passer at top with a basketball. If this is a team drill, have a line in the corner and/or use multiple baskets. To begin,...
Purpose: To practice using and reading screens in a live, game-type situation with defenders. Drill: Two offensive players, two defensive players, and one coach or passer at the top. This is a live situation right from the start of the drill. The two offensive players can either downscreen or backscreen for each other in an...
Purpose: This basketball shooting drill for perimeter players also develops several other fundamental skills such as feeding the low post, moving after passing to the low post, communication, and shooting quickly upon receiving a return pass. Drill: One line of players on the wing with a coach or manager in the low post. In our...
Purpose: To introduce the pick-and-roll technique to your players. To develop the skill of running the pick-and-roll within your offensive system. Pick and Roll Off the Dribble Drill: This introductory drill to the pick-and-roll is a 2-on-2 drill. Two offensive players start out at the top with two defenders guarding. In this drill, O1 starts...
Purpose: To help the perimeter player learn to react when his defender slides below the high post player expecting the guard to cut all the way to the basket. Drill: O1 on the wing with the basketball; O2 on the weakside low block. If you need several players per basket, have a line at each...
Purpose: To teach the skill of executing a dribble handoff within your offensive system. To help players develop scoring ability in a two-man game. Drill: Form two lines as shown. O1 has the basketball. O1 dribbles low with the outside hand (right hand) toward O2s defender. When O1 gets about 5 feet from the defender,...
Introduction Why Coaches Hate the Dribble but Need to Embrace It Ive seen a lot of coaches who absolutely HATE the dribble and I dont disagree that over dribbling is an issue. The problem, however, isnt the dribble itself but how the dribble is used. The problem is that many players dont know how to...
Purpose: To teach how to follow your pass and set an on-ball screen. To learn to use an on-ball screen to create a shot opportunity. Drill: Form 2 lines anywhere on the court. The diagram shows one line at the top and the other line on the wing. If you want this offensive action incorporated...
Purpose: To teach players the proper offensive spacing, ball handling, and cutting for motion offenses. If you run a motion offense where you have a player follow and replace another player who has dribbled away, this drill will give your players a couple of options to score. Drill 1 (Give Back and Go): O1 begins...