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).

Narrow Lane 1v1 (Weak Hand)

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A constrained version of full-court 1-on-1: the ball handler is only allowed to dribble with their off hand the entire way up the floor (though they can finish with their strong hand at the rim), with the defense scoring a point if that rule is broken. Deliberately uncomfortable by design — it forces players to develop real weak-hand control under pressure instead of only using it when convenient. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Full Court 1v1

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A pressure ball-handling series with two live variations. In the first, a defender presses the ball handler the length of the floor; if the offense beats them before a marked line, they pause and let the defender recover before continuing live. In the second, the same setup plays fully live with no pause once the offense gets past the defender, and the space is narrowed to make the defense's job more realistic. Both variations restrict players to one side of the floor (using cones) so two pairs can run the drill in opposite directions at once. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Slide-Cross-Help Closeout Sequence

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A full defensive footwork progression that chains multiple techniques together in one continuous rep: stance, defensive slide, a cross step, a rotation into help position, and finally a closeout, all called out and executed back to back. Meant to be run as a daily warm-up sequence, with additional steps (like a backdoor slide, a snap-recover, or a skip-pass close) layered in once the base sequence is second nature. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Touch & Closeout

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Partners face off on a line with a ball each: on 'chop it up,' the defender chops their feet, touches the ball handler, then closes out under control. Coaches cue defenders to force the ball toward the 'outer third' of the floor (away from the middle) by leading with their head and inside shoulder, since knowing help is coming from a specific direction lets the on-ball defender play with more aggressive ball pressure. Rotate offense and defense with a new partner after each rep. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Three L's Closeout

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A live 1-on-1 attacking drill built around three closeout cues: Low (get shoulders below the offensive player's), Level (match up square with the first defensive step so there's no gap for a straight-line drive), and Lock (stay attached once engaged). The defender closes out from a help position, the offensive player attacks hard, and coaches specifically flag lunging on the closeout as the number-one mistake — it takes the defender out of the air and gives up the drive before they can even land. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

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.

Three-Line Closeouts

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Three lines are set up across the floor — left corner, middle, and right side — each representing a different closeout angle. A defender starts in a gap position (not lined up straight on their man), tosses the ball out to the offensive player, and closes out taking away two of three options (the three-point shot and the strong-hand dribble) while live-guarding the remaining one. The angle and starting position change by which third of the floor the defender is closing out in, so all three lines are run to cover every realistic closeout angle a defense will see. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Shell Drill with Down Screens

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Builds directly on the base shell shape by adding a down screen for the defense to navigate: as the cutter comes off the screen, the on-ball defender has to stay open enough to see both their assignment and the ball, communicate the screen to their teammate, and get through it in position to close out hard with hands high once the ball is skipped to the shooter. 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.

1 on 1 to 3 on 3 Full Court Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Starts as full-court 1-on-1 pressure defense; once the ball is entered into the half court, it becomes a live 3-on-3 possession requiring help rotations, fighting through screens, and defending cuts. Because only three defenders are covering the full width of the floor, the disadvantage makes regular 5-on-5 team defense feel easier by comparison, and the live possessions also sharpen passing, ball handling, and decision-making on the offensive end. 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.

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.

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.

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.

4 on 3 Overload Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Three defenders play against four offensive players in a half court, forcing constant scrambling, rotation, and communication at a permanent numbers disadvantage. Start in a controlled, stationary setup so players learn who to guard as the ball skips across, then let it go fully live with dribble penetration — the drill specifically rewards closing out hard and rotating on the fly, since a blown closeout at a numbers disadvantage gets punished immediately. 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.

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.