Figure 8 Around Cones

Video by Get Handles Basketball

With two cones set about twice shoulder-width apart, the player dribbles a continuous figure eight around them, varying hand position on the ball as it moves around the body — four or five loops in one direction, then the same going the other way. Builds comfort controlling the ball in different spots around the body rather than just straight ahead, while keeping the same low, wide stance. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

Front-Behind-Behind the Back (Stationary)

Video by Get Handles Basketball

A stationary combo move: dribble once in front, once behind the body, then behind the back, repeating continuously with feet planted wide. Key coaching points are giving the ball a firm pop rather than letting it drift or get carried, and keeping the feet spread rather than narrowing them for the behind-the-back — a common shortcut that makes the move less game-realistic. Also builds the pull-back transition feel that on-the-move ball handling depends on. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

Cross the River

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A three-player drill where the ball handler tries to advance from one end of a marked rectangle to the other without two defenders (stationed at the halfway line and the far end) deflecting or stealing the ball. A successful crossing scores the ball handler a point and they go again in the other direction; a takeaway scores the defender a point and swaps roles. Rewards changing speed and direction rather than trying to just outrun defenders in a straight line. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Team Dribble Knockout

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Two teams share a marked rectangle, everyone dribbling their own ball with two jobs at once: protect their own ball while tapping an opponent's ball away. A tapped-away ball scores a point for whoever knocked it loose; the player who lost their ball keeps playing without one, moving to open space and acting as a decoy or passing target for teammates. Team with more balls remaining after a short timed round wins. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Roadrunner

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Partners face off across a cone circle as 'roadrunner' and 'coyote,' with the coyote getting 15 seconds to chase and tag the roadrunner around the circle. Run it first with no balls, then with the roadrunner dribbling, then with both players dribbling, so players build the same chase-and-evade instincts whether they're the one being chased or trying to keep the ball under control while doing it. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Pac Man

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A line-restricted tag game: one or two 'ghosts' try to tag everyone else, but every player — taggers included — must stay on an actual court line (sidelines, half-court, free-throw line and circle, lane lines, baseline, three-point line) the entire time, moving forward or backward without ever stepping off. Tagged players become ghosts themselves, and the round ends once no dribblers are left. Doubles as a fun way to drill the exact court lines that separate in-bounds from out-of-bounds. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Dribble Knockout

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Everyone in the group dribbles their own ball in a shared space with two jobs: protect their own ball while tapping other players' balls away. A successful tap scores a point; the player who lost their ball simply retrieves it and keeps going. Play short timed rounds and challenge players to beat their score, reinforcing using the whole body to shield the ball from pressure on every side. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Duke Speed Dribble

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A speed-dribble variation where the ball handler switches hands on every single dribble while sprinting the floor. Switching every dribble removes any predictable rhythm a trailing defender could time a steal off of — the actual reason for the move, not just a ball-handling flourish — making it especially useful in the middle of the floor where there's no sideline to help protect the ball. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Front-to-Back/Side-to-Side Change Dribble

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A moving change-of-direction warm-up: players dribble front-to-back, then side-to-side, switching the pattern on the coach's call while staying square and facing up the floor. Run it both stationary and while moving down the floor, working both hands, and push the pace as players get comfortable so their hands have to get quicker to keep up. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Two Ball Resistance

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A partner drill for handling contact while dribbling: one player dribbles up the floor while a partner puts hands on their shoulders and applies steady resistance, forcing them to drive and control the ball against pressure before the partner releases and the dribbler explodes into a speed dribble. Watch for players leaning too far forward against the resistance — the goal is staying balanced with head and shoulders stacked over the feet even under pressure, not just fighting through it off-balance. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Mirror Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Two players face off, each with a ball; one leads and moves however they like (forward, back, side to side, low dribble, fast dribble), and the other has to mirror every movement in real time. Builds reactive ball handling and court awareness since the follower has to keep their eyes up on their partner rather than the ball, and speeding up the leader's movements is an easy way to raise the difficulty. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Between the Legs

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A change-of-direction dribble move broken into teaching steps: start with feet staggered (one leg forward) and work two dribbles between the legs, then one dribble, then a continuous back-and-forth. The two keys are snapping the ball through low and quick, and turning the hips and feet in the new direction as the ball crosses — not turning after the move, which slows the whole thing down. Finish by exploding the ball out front to actually beat the defender, and repeat with the opposite leg forward. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Spider Dribble

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A hand-quickness drill: players tap the ball twice in front and twice behind them in a fast right-left-right-left rhythm, keeping the ball centered under their body rather than letting it drift to one side. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Figure 8 Dribble - 1 Hand

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The same figure-eight dribble, now performed using only one hand for the entire pattern instead of switching hands as the ball crosses front to back. Practice with both the dominant and off hand. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Figure 8 Dribble

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The stationary figure-eight now becomes a live dribble around one leg in a figure-eight pattern; losing the ball is expected and fine — players just pick it up and keep going, then reverse direction. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Ball Slaps

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Sitting low in an athletic stance, players slap the top of the ball with alternating hands as fast as they can. A simple warm-up that wakes up the fingertips and nerve endings before any actual dribbling starts. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Finger Tips

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Holding the ball in front of the body, players pat it back and forth between their fingertips, gradually lowering and raising it as they get comfortable. Elbows stay locked out throughout to isolate the fingers and wrists. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Ball Circles

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The ball is circled around the head (not above it), the waist, and then the ankles, switching direction every five rotations at each level. Sitting low with eyes up the whole time builds body control along with hand quickness. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Ball Wraps - One Leg

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Sitting low with the seat down and eyes up, players wrap the ball around one leg, reversing direction periodically before switching to the other leg. Builds the same wrap-around ball control used in live one-on-one moves, without the pressure of an actual defender. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Figure 8 - No Dribble

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Staying low with the chest up and seat down, players pass the ball in a figure-eight pattern between their legs without dribbling it, working both directions. An unhurried way to build the hand-to-hand handoff feel the dribbling version of this move will need later. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Front To Back Toss

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Players drop the ball and catch it as it moves from their front to their back and back again, keeping their head up the whole time rather than tracking the ball visually. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

One Leg Dribble

Video by BreakthroughBBall

With one foot planted forward, players dribble the ball around that one leg, staying low and balanced with eyes up, then reverse direction before switching to the other leg. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Stunt Drivers

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Partners face off from cones and dribble straight at each other, executing a 'stunt move' — starting with a simple crossover — right before they'd collide, to get around their partner and reach the other side. Once the basic move is comfortable, add harder moves like between-the-legs or behind-the-back. Played as a one-minute race to see how many crossings each pair can complete. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Quick Draw

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Players line up in small groups at the top of three cone triangles; on the coach's directional call (left or right), the front player in each line dribbles to the matching cone and pulls up for a shot, then rebounds and passes to the next player in line. First basket on each turn scores a point, with the most points after a minute winning the round. Because the drill moves fast, keep reinforcing full shooting form — balanced feet, eyes on the rim, elbow in, full follow-through — even under the time pressure. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).