No Paint Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A scored, competitive scrimmage built around one rule: the offense earns a point any time they get a foot in the paint, and another point for any three-point attempt that at least hits the rim — nothing else scores. Since points can only come from paint touches or contested threes, the defense is forced to keep the ball out of the middle and contest everything on the perimeter rather than sagging off. First team to a target score wins and the losing team runs. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Whistle Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A live 5-on-5 scramble drill: play runs normally until the coach blows a whistle, at which point the ball handler sets the ball down, and neither that ball handler's defender nor anyone already guarding them is allowed to pick it up — a different defender has to recognize the gap and step in while the whole defense re-sorts who they're guarding. A pure communication and scramble drill for handling chaotic, broken-defense situations. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

1 on 1 Close Outs Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A progressive closeout series: the passer calls out the receiver's name, delivers the ball, and the defender sprints out to close, touching the ball handler live on the first rep to build the habit before going fully live. The defender's job is to force the ball away from the middle (never a straight-line drive to the rim), stay down in a stance, and finish the possession by boxing out and securing the rebound. Run it in waves down one side, then the other, and once comfortable, skip the initial touch so the closeout is live from the first pass. Award points for stops to keep it competitive. 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.

Shell Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The foundational team-defense shape: as the ball moves, defenders learn their assigned positioning — on the ball, in a help/deny gap, or fully weak-side help — and communicate constantly ('ball,' 'help,' 'I got ball'). Start slow, walking players through where to stand on each pass, then speed up the ball movement (including skip passes) so players react and rotate in real time rather than just holding a memorized spot. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Monkey In The Middle

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A 2-on-1 passing keep-away game: two players work the ball back and forth while a defender in the middle tries to touch the ball carrier to force a live turnover attempt, using the passing windows around a tight defender (both hips, both shoulders, over the head) so the pass doesn't get deflected. Start with a passive defender who has to touch the ball handler before defense goes live, then progress to a fully live defender and keep a running count of deflections to make it competitive. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

1v1 Closeouts

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A footwork drill for the defensive closeout: players sprint out from a line, throw their weight back and chop their steps to gain control, then push-step laterally across before sprinting back to close out again from the opposite angle. Run multiple lines at once to keep reps high, and vary the pattern (a single closeout and recover vs. a full zigzag down and back) to keep it fresh. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Ball Handling With Defense

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Partners face off eight to ten feet apart and dribble toward each other with a live move — a stop-and-go, a stutter step, or a crossover — trying to get past their partner's chest-to-chest defense in a straight line. Run the same move on both the right and left hand before progressing to the next move, so players build the skill in both directions. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Ladder Shooting

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A competitive shooting range-finder: everyone starts at the rim, takes one big step back to set their starting spot, then moves a half-step back after every make or a half-step in after every miss (never closer than the original starting spot). Players quickly find their real shooting range through the game itself, and coaches can rotate players clockwise to a new spot for variety once someone's found a rhythm. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Rip & Go

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A live move-past-the-defender drill: the ball handler rips the ball below their knees to one side, takes a direct step in that direction, and dribbles by the defender in a tight, straight line, working the move both left-to-right and right-to-left. Progress from a defender with hands out but stationary, to a fully live defender once players are comfortable finishing the move. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Circle Layups

Video by BreakthroughBBall

An early progression for the one-foot power layup finish, done first without a ball: players jog in a circle, planting the inside foot and driving the opposite knee and elbow up explosively, before adding a dribble and finishing the shot to themselves. Isolates the footwork and jumping mechanics of a layup without the frustration of missed shots getting in the way. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

1v1 With A Chaser

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A speed-dribble finishing drill: one player attacks the rim at full speed while a defender starts a step or two behind and chases them down, closing space and contesting without fouling. Start the chaser further back so the attacker has early success, then move the chaser closer for a tighter, more competitive rep once players are comfortable. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Form Shooting

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Shooters start in a tight horseshoe with their head essentially at the rim, then take one step back to begin. The coach walks player to player calling out the shooting checklist — balance, eyes, elbow, follow-through — before letting players progress to coaching themselves through the same checklist on their own reps. Require a set number of makes from one spot before a player is allowed to take a half-step back, so form doesn't break down from rushing to shoot from further away. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Rock Paper Scissors

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Two players face off over a ball on the floor and play rock-paper-scissors; whoever wins rips the ball and attacks the rim while the loser sprints to recover on defense. A simple way to disguise conditioning and finishing reps as a game kids already love, with the added benefit of live, reactive defense from a player closing the gap from behind. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.