Cone Crossover Touch Drill

Video by Get Handles Basketball

Set two cones (or use a wall) more than shoulder-width apart. Dribbling low, the player touches each cone with their off hand behind their outside leg before crossing the ball over to the other side and repeating. Combines several fundamentals at once: an active off hand, a wide stance forced by reaching down to touch the cone, and a protective crossover move useful against a defender poking at the ball. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

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.

Retreat Dribble Cone Drill

Video by Get Handles Basketball

Using the same cone spacing, the player advances two cones, then retreats one, continuing up-two-back-one down the line — always stopping on the same foot each time and keeping the ball tucked behind the hip for protection. Builds the retreat dribble specifically: getting a controlled, single dribble back to the previous cone before immediately transitioning forward again, rather than losing momentum on the change of direction. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

Crossover Through Cone Gaps (On the Move)

Video by Get Handles Basketball

Five or six cones spaced about twice shoulder-width apart in a line; the player dribbles down the row, planting on the outside foot at each cone and crossing the ball through the gap to the other hand before continuing to the next cone. A moving version of basic ball control that also trains the footwork of planting and changing direction cone to cone. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

Kill Dribble Cone-to-Cone (Height Transitions)

Video by Get Handles Basketball

Dribbling in a line of cones, the player stops hard at each one with a low 'kill' dribble, then explodes the ball back up to a higher dribble (shoulder-to-hip height) before stopping on the next foot at the following cone. Trains quick stops off either foot along with a powerful, controlled transition between dribble heights — the cue is popping the ball firmly back up rather than letting the hand drift underneath it, and eventually eliminating the in-between dribbles so the height change happens in one motion. This drill comes from Get Handles Basketball.

3v3 Down Screen & Flare Screen Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The same screening concepts scaled up to 3-on-3 with a coach at the top, adding more space and a second action (a flare screen in addition to the down screen) so the defense has to decide between staying with their own assignment or helping on the screen. Emphasizes quick ball reversal after the initial action, a retreat dribble instead of picking the ball up on the baseline, and reading whether to attack downhill off the catch or reset and re-screen. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

4v4 FIBA Style Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A live 4-on-4 scrimmage that layers multiple screening and cutting actions together with FIBA-style rules: after a made basket, the new offense has to advance the ball beyond the three-point line before attacking (no shot clock enforced, just an emphasis on getting back to proper spacing quickly). With only three off-ball defenders trying to track a constant mix of down screens, flares, cuts, and reversals, the drill forces defenders to think about multiple actions at once — exactly the confusion the offense is designed to create in a real game. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

2v2 Down Screen Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A live 2-on-2 introduction to a screening-based offense: a wing entry leads into a sprint down screen (no switching allowed defensively) and a quick ball reversal rather than a slow reset, giving the ball handler a two-dribble window to score off the screen. Missed shots stay live for an offensive putback, reinforcing that a miss isn't a reason to stop competing. Coaches emphasize reading the defender's positioning on the screen — curling if the defender trails, fading if the defender goes over the top — rather than running one scripted cut every time. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

2v2 Defense

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A progressive 2-on-2 half-court read: the on-ball defender mirrors their assignment's feet and stays lower than them, while the off-ball defender sits halfway between their own man and the ball, forming a help triangle. Coaches walk through reading a pass (moving on the release, not after the catch) before adding a live drive, where the help defender has to seal the driving lane, then recover back out to their own assignment once the ball is kicked out. A foundational read-and-recover progression before scaling up to 3-on-3 and beyond. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Rebounding Battle

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A competitive rebounding and closeout drill: an offensive player stands on the block while a passer at the free-throw line delivers a crisp, on-target pass to any of several offensive spots; the moment the pass is thrown, the corresponding defender sprints out to close out and contest the catch-and-shoot attempt (no dribble or shot fake allowed). If the offense scores or grabs an offensive rebound they stay on; the defense has to secure a defensive rebound to flip to offense. Can scale from 2-on-2 to 3-on-3 with more players. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Pass the Rock

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Half the group stands inside the paint, each with a ball, while the other half spreads out beyond the three-point line without one. For 30 seconds, the ball-side group tries to complete as many passes among themselves as possible — one point per completed catch — while staying inside the paint the whole time. Swap groups and challenge them to beat the previous score. With so much simultaneous passing in a tight space, players quickly learn to make eye contact with a target before throwing. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Passing Tag

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

'Runners' try to avoid getting lightly tagged by the ball in the hands of 'passers,' who outnumber them and can only pivot (no dribbling) once they're holding it. Once tagged, a runner sits out until the next round. Because passers have to pivot to find an angle immediately after catching, it's really a pivoting drill disguised as a tag game, reinforcing that once the dribble stops, only a pass, shot, or pivot is legal. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

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).

Keep Away

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Three offensive players stand at the corners of a small square (one corner left open) while a single defender works the middle; offense passes around the square trying to keep the ball away from the defender, but can only catch a pass while standing at a cone. A defender's interception swaps them into offense with whoever threw the errant pass. Since there's always an open cone somewhere on the square, it trains players to recognize and move into open space before calling for the ball. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Endzone

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A football-inspired possession game: two teams advance the ball into an end zone on a marked rectangle, with the offense limited to three dribbles before they must pass. An interception flips possession instantly and the new offense heads the other way; reaching the end zone scores a 'touchdown.' Periodic huddles between rounds give teams a chance to talk through how to move the ball into space with fewer defenders. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Basketball Tennis

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Two players stand on either side of a cone 'net' inside a marked court and rap the ball back and forth like a tennis rally, each trying to place a pass that's hard enough to catch that their opponent drops it or misses entirely. A dropped or missed catch scores a point for whoever threw it; play it out with real tennis scoring. Trains players to make (and catch) passes that land in awkward, contested spots rather than only easy, in-rhythm ones. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Diamond Passing

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Four lines form a diamond around a center cone; the first player in each line dribbles to the middle, jump-stops, pivots to their right, passes to whoever's waiting at that cone, then joins the back of that line. Set a 60-second timer and count how many full rotations the group can complete. Isolates jump-stop and pivot fundamentals — landing balanced on both feet and staying low through the pivot — inside a drill that still has real passing pressure and a clock. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Closing Time

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A defensive-conditioning drill: defenders start bunched in the paint and, one at a time, sprint out to close out on a cone along the three-point line, chopping their feet and getting a hand up before recovering to the paint and repeating on the next cone. Each round adds another defender until the whole line is closing out simultaneously, and coaches time how long it takes the group to close every spot. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Jailbreak

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Dribblers start bunched in the paint and have eight seconds to break out past a ring of defenders spaced along the three-point line; defenders can't reach in and grab the ball, only slide to cut off driving lanes. Any dribbler who breaks through becomes a defender for the next round, continuing until just one dribbler remains uncaught. Also a good chance to work the off-arm as a ball shield against pressure. 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).

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).

Team Shield Steal

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Offense dribbles inside the paint while defenders try to steal or deflect their balls; every successful steal swaps that pair's roles (thief becomes offense, victim becomes defense). Coaches encourage defenders to hunt in pairs — two defenders working together on one ball carrier get results faster than one alone — while noting that in a real game, doubling up like that risks leaving somebody else wide open. 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).