5v4 Whistle Change

Video by BreakthroughBBall

This drill works on your defenders’ ability to scramble and pick up a different player when a game situation forces them to do so. This often happens in transition and rotating out of help defense. Communication is a must in this drill and your players will be forced to improve. (Diagram 1) You start with five offensive players and five defensive players. They are matched up five on five. You start playing five on five live. On the whistle, the offense will set the ball down on the ground. Someone on defense (anyone but the player who was guarding the ball), has to pick the ball up. X2 is picking it up in the diagram. When the X2 picks the ball up X2’s team is on offense. The team that sets the ball down (in black) must scramble to guard someone. They cannot pick up the player that was guarding them. Example, 1 in black could not pick up X1. Communicate! – Players must communicate in this drill. If they don’t, they will fail. Forcing players to talk and think on their feet as they scramble is making practice harder than what they will likely face in a game situation. Anytime you can do that in a drill, your team stands to benefit in the game. Stop the Ball – Even though players are matching up in the drill, they must be aware of the ball handler. The ultimate goal is to stop the offense from scoring, so help defense must be alert and stop the ball when necessary. Full Court – You can also play the game full court as a variation. You don’t even have to start in ahalf court setting. Make sure to keep the team’s baskets the same, though. Variety – Make sure to vary who has possession of the ball and the location of the ball when blowing the whistle. Keep Coaching Defense – Keep coaching proper defensive fundamentals throughout the drill. Make sure that they close out properly, maintaining good position, rotate on help, defend screens properly, etc. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

1v1 to 3v3 Full Court

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Being able to defend the ball in a one on one situation is vital. However, you need to have the capability to transition into help defense in a team setting! This drill is about building great 1 on 1 full court defense habits and transitioning into a half court setting. Then you work on all other aspects of your defense. Defending cuts, screens, getting into help position, stopping dribble penetration, etc. 3v3 defensive drills are also great because it’s tougher to defend the entire court with three players than with five players like during a game. Additionally, the offense learns how to handle the ball under pressure and improve passing. (Diagram 1) You have the ball handler start on the baseline. You have the defender guarding them. Two offensive players and two defensive players are set up on the opposite end of the floor. The defense’s goal is to get a stop. Their goal is to only allow one shot each possession. The offense’s goal is to score. The ball handler (2) advances the ball and tries to beat the defender (X2). Once the ball is dribbled past half court, it is a “live” 3 on 3 situation. After each possession, the defense turns to offense. Then they check the ball on the baseline and start over. Contain Ball – Your goal as a defender now is contain the ball. You do not allow straight line drives. You want to stay between your player and the basket! Wing Defenders Deny Pass – Defenders X3 and X4 are going to deny the pass on the wing and make it difficult to catch. Help And Recover – The defenders have to be ready to help and recover should the ball handler get past the initial defender. Help Across Not Up – If the ball handler beats the initial defender, the other defender, X3, is going to have to find a way to help slow the ball to give the recovering teammate time to get back. They should help “across” from their own player and keep the ball and their player in their line of sight. Try to stop the ball on the same level as your own player if possible. Helping “up” the court from your player in this situation will lead to the easy bucket on the lob ahead. Force Contested Jump Shots / No Lay Ups – Your Goal? Do not let the other team score! You do that by keeping the ball as far away from the basket as possible. Lay ups are NOT allowed! You want a contested jump shot as far from the basket as possible, with as much pressure and difficulty as possible. Force Turns Prior To Half Court – If you want to make the drill really challenging for the full court defender, you can reward them for the number of times that they force the ball handler to stop and change directions. Each change of direction is worth one point. Once they reach half court, it goes back to playing defense straight up. Also, this can be a similar strategy to use against teams that lack effective ball handlers or if you have some superb 1 on 1 full court defenders. Defense Stops – One effective tactic to get players to focus on the defensive end is to only allow them to transition to offense by getting a defensive stop. If they don’t get a stop, a new group of defenders comes in to stop the ball. If you score on offense, you stay on the court. Winner Stays – You can set up teams of three and play to a determined amount of points. The winners stay on the court. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

2v1 Tip From Behind

Video by BreakthroughBBall

This is a great drill to practice getting back in the play after getting beat. It also builds the offensive skills of speed dribbling and finishing under control while going full speed. 2 defenders start on the elbow. One offensive player is under the rim with a ball and the other is at the top of the key. The drill begins when 2 passes to 1 (2 is then out of the drill). 1 receives the pass and speed dribbles toward the other basket to score. X1 & X2 sprint on the pass and chase 1. Their goal is to tip the ball away from behind before 1 can score a layup. To minimize fouls, only the defender on the ball side should be attempting to tip. (Diagram 1) Tip: Only the player on the ball side should attempt to tip the ball. The player on the other side should sprint alongside the ball handler and be ready to tip if the ball comes back to that side. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Trap To A Tip

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Agreat drill to work on multiple traps and a sprint mentality. Player 1 starts with the ball. Player 2 is under the rim. Defenders X1 & X2 are trapping player 1. The drill begins when 1 passes the ball to 2. (X1 & X2 are not allowed to touch that pass.) 1 is out of the drill after making the pass. As soon as 2 receives the pass, they dribble hard up the opposite side, trying to score. (Diagram 1) (Diagram 2) X1 & X2 sprint out of the trap at good angles to cut off 2 down the floor. If X1 and X2 are able to catch 2, they will look to trap along the sideline. If player 2 attempts to cross over and split the defenders, they will then chase from behind just as in the 2v1 tip from behind drill. X1 & X2 will look to tip the ball away before 2 can score. (Diagram 3) (Diagram 4) Tip: This drill is great for helping players learn to take good angles when getting the ball cut off. If not, they’ll end up behind the dribbler. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Get Back Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

This is a very popular drill that many coaches use across the country. We use this dill to make sure we keep the ball in the outer thirds. We used this primarily in our “Rambo” situation. That is when we pick up the ball full court. The first way to do this is by filling the hole defensively on a pitch ahead. We then build up our wall and load up defensively which builds our help side. Offensive players are along the baseline. The defense is lined up against them. Coach initiates the drill by passing to any offensive player. (Diagram 1) The defender who is guarding the player that receives the pass must sprint and touch the baseline before playing defense. In this situation, the coach calls out, “Rambo”. Offensive players are along the baseline. The defense is lined up against them. Coach initiates by passing to any offensive player. The coach calls out a player who will be the “Rambo”. In this case, the coach calls out Defender 3. Immediately, Defender 3 responds and runs to defend Player 2 who received the pass from the coach. Defender 3 works to keep Player 2 to the outer thirds. The defender who was guarding the player that receives the pass still must sprint and touch the baseline before playing defense. 1. A defender must clearly declare the hole in this drill. 2. Players must communicate through ball screen coverages. They cannot assume. They must communicate. 3. It is so important to keep emphasizing the non-negotiables throughout this drill and every every drill. Do not be afraid to stop the drill for teachable moments. (Diagram 2) 4. Coaches must stay consistent in their language, terminology, and expectations during breakdown drills. 5. The focus for the drill is on defense and the non-negotiables, so the offense should be challenging the defense in those areas. 6. The more ball reversals there are, the more challenging it is for the defense. 7. After going down and back on the drill, switch up the defense and offense. 8. We usually run this drill twice a week. We challenge our players defensively by having two defenders touch the baseline before sprinting back on defense. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

B. U. Closeout

Video by BreakthroughBBall

This whole goal of this drill is to put players on an island against three different offensive players. We make it competitive by having a scoring system. Players who lose have some type of jumping or running drill afterwards. At the end of the day, the drill is about reinforcing our defensive philosophy: forcing outer thirds correct angles on closeouts hit and get low and X man rotations The drill begins with the defender holding the ball underneath the basket. (Diagram 1) There are three offensive players on the court, and he has to defend against them all one at a time. Player 1 now plays defense against Player 4. Player 4 is only allowed two dribbles in order to score. When Player 4 shoots, Player 1 must hit and get the ball. If the offensive player gets the rebound, they reset and play again. Now Player 1 passes the ball to Player 3 and plays defense against him. The same dribble limits and rebounding rules apply Now Player 1 passes the ball to Player 2 and plays defense against him. Player 2 is only allowed two dribbles in order to score. (Diagram 2) (Diagram 3) (Diagram 4) When Player 2 shoots, Player 1 must hit and get the ball. If the defensive player stops two of the three offensive players from scoring, he leaves his defensive position in the hole and the offensive player on the left baseline becomes the defender in the hole. A player in lines comes in to play offensive on the right baseline, and the other two offensive players rotate around the perimeter. If the defensive player does not get two stops, he remains playing defense in the hole. 1 point for offensive score 2 points if you get to leave the hole on defense 2 points for any charges taken 1. It is important for players to understand that sometimes they do things perfectly and opponents hit tough shots. 2. Coaches need to continually emphasize the correct angles and closeouts. 3. If there is a catch and shoot, we want to be the second jumper. We remain down with our hand up on our closeouts. This prevents fouling and possible pump fakes and blow bys. 4. Defense is about multiple efforts. A player's first effort is the close out. The second effort is using an angle to stop the drive. The second effort is the most important one. 5. Players must be careful not to over closeout. This allows for quick penetration. Defenders need to allow for some space on their closeout. 6. Defenders must KYP (know your personnel). If an offensive player is quicker, then allow for more space. If you have a size advantage, you can close out a step back. 7. Our goal is to only allow contested 2-point shot attempts. We are not giving clean threes off of drive and kicks. We are running guys off of the line. We are becoming second jumpers on contested two’s. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

1 on 1 Closeout

Video by BreakthroughBBall

If you don’t have great defensive closeouts, it doesn’t matter how great your help defense is when you are at a constant disadvantage, the offense is going to score a lot. And think about this, you can have anywhere between 100 to 250 close outs per game. Multiply that over the course of a season, you might have 2,000 to 10,000 close outs per season!! Poor closeouts can destroy your defense which will lead to the offense scoring more points against you. In order to have a great defense night in and night out, you must be able to defend the basketball in a one on one setting. This is a fast-paced drill to practice in order to get better at closing out, contest shots, and prevent dribble penetration. It forces defenders to learn how to defend in a game-like environment. There is nothing better than improving on ball defense by putting the defensive player out on an island and forcing the defender to stop the player one on one. Defense, X1 and X2 start under the basket. Each player has a basketball. The two offensive players are positioned on the wings. X2 starts the drill with a pass to 2 on the wing. Defender X2 follows the pass with a hard close out. The Defender’s job is keep the ball out of the house (paint area) and force a contested jump shot, then block out and hunt the rebound. Progression 1: The offense is not allowed to go “live” until the defender closes out and gives them a “touch” of the hand. After one repetition, you can go to the next progression. Progression 2: The offense goes “live” immediately on the catch. (Diagram 1) Sprint To Eliminate Offensive Advantage – Defensive players should sprint on the close outs. The quicker you can contest a shot and immediately get into a balanced position to eliminate dribble penetration, the less of an advantage the offense will have. Hands Up – Depending on your preference, either have one hand or two hands up to contest the shot and immediate entry passes from the offensive player. Position Appropriately – Whether you believe in getting the defender’s butt to the basket or forcing the offensive player in a particular direction, be sure to position yourself appropriately. Bad positioning will create easy driving opportunities for the offense. Practice Good Offensive Habits – Make sure we emphasis the little things in every drill. Is the offense coming forward to catch the pass? Or are we being lazy, standing still waiting on the pass? Just because the focus of a drill is defensive, don’t let little things slide with the offensive players. If you let little things slide in practice, you’ll end up getting beat by little things in games. Loser Stays On Defense – If the offense scores, the defender must stay on defense until they get a stop. You can rotate the offensive player each repetition. Add Passer – So the defender doesn’t know when the pass is going to occur, you can have the coach, manager, or other players pass. This will improve anticipatory skills and reaction speed for the defender as it emulates what will happen during a game. Vary The Passing Position – You can also pass from different positions on the floor to close out from different angles and positions like you would during a game. You can also have coaches, managers, or other players act as passers. Time Clock / Limited Dribbling – You can also have dribble limits and time clocks, so the offense also has to practice good offensive habits. Alternate Sides – Go side to side for efficiency. When one pair is running live, another pair should be ready to go on the other side. Make Drills Competitive – Make the drills competitive by having players keep score. Create accountability. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

4 on 3 Overload Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

In the game of basketball, there are many situations where you have to scramble and match up with players; like rotating out of help defense and in transition. This is one of the best drills to improve your ability to scramble and match up. Your defense is at a constant disadvantage and it forces them to hustle, communicate, and rotate. In this 4 on 3 situation, someone will always be open, but with good positioning and effort you can keep things under control. This drill can also be done as a 5 on 4 type of drill. (Diagram 1) You start with three defenders and four offensive players. The ball starts on the wing. As the ball is passed, defenders have to leave their player, scramble to cover the ball or be in a good help position. The ball can be skipped and players are allowed to dribble penetrate in their areas (but are mostly stationary early on as you learn rotation). After you get the hang of rotating and scrambling, you go“live” and the offense looks to score. Effective Close Outs – If you are not going all out on our close outs in this drill, you will be exposed pretty quickly. You are already down in numbers, if someone isn’t closing all out and under control, you are beaten before you even start. Sprint To Areas / Effort – Hold people accountable on effort. Make sure they are sprinting to areas. Progress To More Situations and Increase Difficulty – After you are satisfied with the concepts sinking in, you can allow the offense free movement, interchanges, screens etc. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

2 v 2 Shell

Video by BreakthroughBBall

We break this down to get reps with live movement. We are focusing on our long closeouts. We want them to think about their angles and their approach. We want our players “doing the work before the work”. This drill is a build up from 2-on-2 to 3-on-3. We do this drill with less bodies because it makes the closeouts longer and more challenging. It is more challenging to defend with fewer players which makes it easier when actually playing 5-on-5. This is a progression to our 5-on-5 live drill with a scoring system. Our focus is for our players to be in a ball-you-man position. The ball and the angles of the closeouts are constantly changing. The players are always in a long closeout situation. Offensive players start elbow extended. Defensive players start on the help line. The coach initiates the drill by tell the defenders to chop it up. (Diagram 1) The coach yells, “Stance”, and he defenders closeout on their man. The coach begins passing along the perimeter. The defenders position themselves to be on the ball and help defenders. They rush to close out. Off ball defenders must see ball and man at all times. It is imperative that players rotate from X man to low man depending on the location of the ball. The drill lasts for twenty seconds. The defense becomes the offense, and the offensive players leave the court. A new set of defenders enters the drill. (Diagram 2) 1. Players being able to self-correct is a huge part of a learning process. 2. If a you nger player is unaware of a mistake, you also hope your leaders will help and hold those you nger players accountable 3. Playing 2-on-2 lets coaches easily evaluate strengths and weaknesses of players. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Man In The Hole

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Even if you play half court or quarter court defense, this should be a staple for every coach. This is a great 1 on 1 transition drill that works on your ability to stay in front of a ball handler in the open court. You work on the shuffle, the quick turn, running, and the turn and sprint to recover. Additionally, it’s great for conditioning and building mental toughness. It not only improves your 1v1 full court defense, it improves overall athleticism and conditioning. When you have to shuffle, sprint, change directions over and over, you’re going to improve athleticism and reaction time. Even zone defense coaches use drills like these because of the tremendous benefits that they produce. The ball hander (2) has the ball on the baseline. The defender (X1) is standing in front of the offensive player ready to play defense. (Diagram 1) The offensive player (2) tries to beat the defender (X1) down the floor. The defensive player tries to stop the ball handler from advancing the ball. After the ball handler (2) makes it to the other end, they will hand off to 4, who will be facing the same defender X1, backup the court towards player 3. 3 is the last ball handler. X1 defends for the third and final time. X1 is now“out of the hole”and you rotate to the next defender. X1 is now the next ball handler. Stop The Ball – The number one goal is to stop the ball from advancing. Push Step & Sprint – The defensive player should push step (shuffle) and sprint to contain the ball handler. If the defender gets beat, they need to turn and sprint to a spot to cut off the ball handler. Offense Practices Good Habits – The offense also needs to focus on good habits of protecting the ball and using effective change of pace and change of direction moves. Go Back To Where Defender Was Beat – If the offense gets by the defender, don’t let them just turn and jog to the other baseline. Have the defender and offensive player go back to where they got beat. This will ensure focus and effort to stop the ball. Encourage Players – Encouragement and energy from the Coach can help keep a player going in a drill like this. Get involved and work with them! Split The Court – Be sure to split the court into alleys. You can set up three to four alleys on each court. This allows you to work the entire team with this drill. You can use cones or other lines on the court. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Sprint Closeout & Box Out

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A conditioning-style closeout series run through four cone spots (top of the key, wing, corner, and one more). The defender sprints hard to each cone, throws both hands up with weight back and feet chopping to contest, then steps in to box out before sprinting to the next spot and repeating. Coaches watch for a low base and active hands on every single rep, not just the first one, since fatigue is exactly when closeout technique tends to break down. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Man In the Hole Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A full-court 1-on-1 relay: the on-ball defender has to cut off the dribbler, force them under control, and chase them the length of the floor to the baseline, then immediately turn and defend the next ball handler coming back the other way. After two or three trips, a fresh defender rotates in. Builds staying in front of the ball, shuffle speed, quick directional changes, and the conditioning and mental toughness needed to guard in the open floor. Can also be run in a half-court version with a live dribble push. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

One-on-One (Half Court)

Video by Teach Hoops

A full-court 1-on-1 series run in three stages with a defender zigzagging back on defense. Stage one: defense starts behind and just tries to recover without fouling, ideally forcing a difficult shot or drawing a charge. Stage two: defense starts even and the goal shifts to forcing a jump shot rather than a layup. Stage three: defense starts ahead and must keep the ball out of the paint entirely. Between reps, both players zigzag back to half court, working closeout footwork (head below shoulders, hands active) and conditioning at the same time. This drill comes from Teach Hoops.

D Time

Video by Championship Productions

Rebel Drills

Video by Championship Productions