Surprise Party

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

An advantage drill built around unpredictable timing: the ball handler places the ball on the back of the defender in front of them, and the moment they lift it off to start dribbling, the possession is live with the offense already a step ahead. Since the offense gets such a big head start, defenders are coached to stay in a low, weight-on-toes ready position so they can explode into the chase as fast as possible. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Tic Tac Toe

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A small-sided scrimmage layered on top of an actual tic-tac-toe board made of cones off to the side: every time a team scores, one of their players has to sprint over and place a marker in a square before returning to play. Forces players to think about two games at once — basketball and strategic square selection — while still communicating and playing solid team defense in between trips to the board. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Champions & Challengers

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A small-sided, defense-first scrimmage rotation with at least three teams: the team that gets a defensive stop stays on to guard the next team, while the team that scores stays on but switches to defense. Flips the usual incentive structure so that stopping the ball, not just scoring, is what earns a team more court time. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Buzzer Beater

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

An end-of-game scenario drill: set up a specific situation (e.g., 10 seconds left, offense down one) and let each team either run a coach-drawn play or call their own, then count down loudly as the possession plays out live. Reinforces that a game-winning 'buzzer beater' can just as easily be a defensive stop as a made shot, and gives players reps making decisions under a visible, shrinking clock. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Frequent Flyers

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Offensive players (outnumbering defenders by two or three) each start at one of five cones spaced around the three-point line, named after different cities; on the coach's call, they attack the rim one at a time, trying to beat a defender rotating out of the paint and score. Scoring from all five 'cities' first wins the round. Since defenders can only guard one attacker at a time, players learn to time their drive for when a defender's attention is elsewhere. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Flying Numbers

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

The coach stands at mid-court with two teams lined up on either side, bounces the ball, and calls out two numbers (like 'two, three') — each team sends out that many players to scrimmage live until a basket is made or the ball goes out of bounds. Calling mismatched numbers (like 3-on-2) works transition offense and defense with or without a numbers advantage, keeping every combination in play. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

1v1 or 2v2 Competition

Video by Coach Ashworth

A live, competitive finish to the workout: 1-on-1 with an even number of players, or 2-on-2/3-on-3 with a larger group, typically played to a set number of points with a dribble limit (two or three) to keep it realistic. The defense has to earn its own rebound to get the ball back rather than the possession simply ending on a miss, adding a defensive-rebounding component to what's otherwise a scoring drill. This drill comes from Coach Ashworth.