Baseline Drive

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Team Shooting During this first variation, we are trying to get a baseline drive and drift. Then we want to get that drift to one more. We want a clean reversal from one side of the floor to the other, and then we hit the one more pass for the trailing shot. The goal is to shoot for doubles (each drill you can shoot for singles, doubles, or triples). A double is when two shots and two makes occur on a rep of the drill. 1. The drill starts with three lines of players. 2. The middle line starts with the ball. 3. The middle line should be behind ½ court. 4. Player 1 pitches ahead to Player 2. 5. Player 3 drifts to the coffin corner. 6. Player 2 drives the baseline and passes to Player 3. (Diagram 1) (Diagram 2) 7. Player 1 runs to the wing for the one more pass. 8. Player 3 executes the one more pass to Player 1 who shoots a 3-point shot. 9. Player 4 passes to Player 3 for another 3-point shot attempt. (Diagram 3) 1. Player 3 can make a shot fake before passing to Player 1. 2. The goal for Player 2 is to puncture the lane, getting into the lane, before passing to player 3. 3. Getting into the lane allows the opposite side to drift out for the three. 4. Have players rotate after every possession. 5. Wing line goes to the passer line. 6. Passer then sprints up to the guard line. 7. Guard goes to the wing line. 8. The goal of the primary break out situation is to force long closeouts. That is why the one more pass is so effective. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Drag Screen Team

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Shooting We start with a point guard, strong side wing, and big in the four spot. The passing line stands out on the weak side wing spot. We will simulate using four out one in spacing. These drills are samples of what can be done and how to build the drill for your offense. 1. Player 2 sprints to the corner. 2. Player 5 sets a drag screen for Player 1. 3. A drag screen is set by the player trailing the action in transition. 4. Player 1 dribbles off the screen toward the basket. (Diagram 1) (Diagram 2) 5. Player 5 rim runs. 6. Player 1 passes to Player 5 for a layup. 7. Player 2 drifts up and receives a pass from Player 3 for the lift. 1. The point guard has to make a decision based on the defense. 2. If Player 5’s defender switches, then Player 5 should be available on the rim run. 3. If the wing’s defender helps on the post rolling, the point guard can use a hook pass to the wing lifting. 4. The 2nd passer, Player 3, is simulating a point guard making the hook pass. 5. Place every player in every position, so all players learn all the positions for development. 6. All of the shots should be done on the move. No shot is stationary. Everything is live and game-like. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Navy Transition

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Many teams only scrimmage from a perfect start. Possessions begin with perfect spacing and the ball checked up top. That is not the game. Navy Transition simulates game randomness and trains players to recognize situations quickly. This is also a great drill to build IQ as well as competitiveness. Each team has 5 players on the floor. The coach has a ball to start. 1-5 are on one team; x1-x5 are on the other team Coach rolls out the ball to anywhere on the court Whichever team gets the ball is on offense going to the far side of the court (Diagram 1) Play goes from there Stress that players need to communicate as soon as the ball is put in play. In particular, the team that ends up on defense must be sprinting, pointing and talking as they get back on defense. The player who gains possession of the ball should immediately get their head up and scan. This allows them to see if there is an advantage somewhere on the floor. The player who gathers the ball should do so in a power position. This gives them strength and balance as they survey the floor. The other 4 offensive players must immediately get to their spacing spots. Consider giving the offense :05 to get to the correct spots on the floor once they gain possession. If they don’t, it’s a turnover. To add challenge to the drill, allow the team that gathers the ball to go either direction. This challenges them to scan both ends of the floor and decide where their best scoring opportunity is. If you do this, tell players that as soon as they start in a certain direction they cannot change. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Around The Cones Transition

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Being able to convert in transition is a must for good teams. This drill allows you to create various game-like situations to work on converting (and defending) in transition. Place 3 cones even with the top of the key. 1 cone is at the top of the key. The others are even with the wing spot. Have 3 even lines on the baseline. A player in an outside line starts with the ball. Play is live when 1 starts dribbling. All 3 players sprint around the cone in front of them (1 dribbles). (Diagram 1) After circling the cones, it’s live 2v1 against x1. Add a second defensive line (x2). The cone that the 2nd defensive player sprints around is positioned closer to ½ court. (Diagram 2) This variation involves a coach who passes to one of the offensive players after the circle the cone. (Diagram 3) This simulates attack after catching a pass in transition The dribbler must dribble with their inside hand. This makes the pass less likely to get deflected. The offense gets 1 shot and 1 pass. This simulates the fact that the transition opportunities evaporate quickly in 5v5 action. The defender should get back to the front of the rim. Their job is to not give up a layup. Encourage the defender to stunt at the dribbler to try and create in decision. The dribbler should attack until the defender gets between them and the rim. That’s their cue to pass. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Butler Disadvantage Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

The offensive team has 4 players on the court. They are positioned on the wings and in the corners. The defensive team has 3 players who start in a triangle around the lane. The 4th defensive player is at half court. The coach starts with the ball. (Diagram 1) The coach passes to any of the offensive players. The 3 defenders in the key practice their shell defense rotations. The 4th defensive player sprints to the opposite baseline and then back into the play. The offense moves the ball but cannot move or shoot until the 4th defender recovers. Then it’s live. During the 4v3 shell, the defense must communicate. The ball side should be covered and 1 player should split 2 on the weak side. Players should not cover 2 passes in a row. Defensive communication must be loud, early and continuous throughout the drill. If the defense is rotating properly, the 4th defender should be filling in to the weak side when they come back into the play. The offense should use pass fakes to move the ball quickly during the shell portion of the drill. You can progress the drill by allowing the offense to shoot during the time they have the 4v3 advantage. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

5v3 + 2 Fast Break Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Drill begins with "Annie Over", Coach says "Go", we rebound, pitch out and we run our break. The two defenders at midcourt have to wait for the ball to cross half court, then sprint to the middle, touch hands and hustle down to join the defense. (Diagram 1) You can reset after every possession or run the drill continuously back and forth, with players running on and touching half court every time. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Marquette 3v3 Full Court

Video by BreakthroughBBall

This drill is a great drill to emphasize no middle principles, angles, outer third mentality, and positioning. It focuses on on-ball defense, as well as one and two pass away positioning. When it becomes live 3-on-3, it reinforces low man/X man positioning, ball-you-man, and hitting and getting. 3 offensive players line up across the baseline. 3 defenders match up. (Diagram 1) The middle offensive player (1) starts with the ball. If the ball starts in the middle thirds, the defenders goal is to force the ball handler to the out thirds, preferably forcing them to dribble with their weaker hand. Player one has two dribbles to punch the gap between two defenders. Defender three must provide help defense and then quickly recover to defend. (Diagram 2) Because Defender 2 is two passes away, they must drop back so he can always be in a ball-you-man position. When Player 3 passes the ball back to Player 1, the defenders must rotate back to the correct position. This occurs throughout the drill. Once the ball crosses half court, it’s live 3v3. When a defender is two passes away, the defender must be ahead of the ball and be able to see the ball and man. Ball pressure is a must. Playing with only three defenders full court makes this a challenging drill for the defense. (Diagram 3) We want our defense to move as the ball moves. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Press Breaker Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Instructions: 1. You can use different variations. Hereare a few examples: -3 on 2 -4 on 3 -7 on 5 In the diagram to the right, we use 4 defenders and 3 offensive players. 2. Have the offense take the ball out of bounds. From there, the offense tries to break the press and score. If limited on time, we will have the offense start the drill over as soon as they pass half-court. You can vary the press between full-court denial, full-court, or 3/4 court (or anything else you think of) to adjust to the types of pressure you will face. This is a very simple, yet extremely effective concept. Sometimes, when you face pressing teams, it can feel like 7 or 8 defenders are out there on the court. Why not practice like that? If your offense can successfully break pressure against 7 or 8 defenders, they should be able to break most pressure. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Charge To Scramble

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Getting players to take charges can be difficult. Many players fear getting hurt. This drill helps teach players how to properly take a charge. It combines that with forcing defensive rotation, making your defense scramble to get a shot. At the same time, your offense works on maintaining their advantage. Position 3 offensive players on the wings and at the top of the key. A defender matches up with each offensive player. The defenders start in man to man with defenders being 1 pass away and in the gap to take away the drive. (Diagram 1) Defenders should have a no middle stance. Players start playing 3 on 3. Player 1 can throw it to either Player 2 or 3. The defense works on rotating to the correct position and staying low. (Diagram 2) (Diagram 3) The offense swings the ball around the perimeter to the other side. Player 3 drives to the baseline and the opposite defender tries to draw the charge. That player falls down selling the charge. At this point, the offensive player kicks the ballout and live play begins. Use both ends when possible to double the amount of reps. Ifyou want players to take charges in games, you need to practice this skill. The defender should take the charge outside of the lane. The defenders need to guard the ball and the basket at all time Points of Emphasis Stay low and in stance Communicate Iron out the next threat (Diagram 4) The offense should look to keep the ball moving and not let the defense recover. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

Disadvantage Drill

Video by BreakthroughBBall

Transition offense and defense are best worked on in a variety of ways. Throughout a game, your team will see various situations - 2v1, 3v2, all the way to 5v4. This drill incorporates all of those situations and more, allowing you to work on general transition principles while also coaching the specifics of each situation. Split your team in 2. 1 team starts with one player out (1) who has a ball. The other team has 2 defenders waiting at the opposite end. (Diagram 1) Other players wait on the sideline/baseline at their end. Player 1 speed dribbles down the court and shoots a free throw line jumpshot. After that possession ends, x1 and x2 are on offense going back (Diagram 2) (Diagram 3) 1 is on defense After that possession ends, x1 and x2 go back on defense 1, 2, and 3 are on offense After that possession ends, 1, 2, and 3 go back on defense (Diagram 4) (Diagram 5) x1-x4 are on offense After that possession ends, 1-5 are on offense x1-x4 get back on defense After that possession ends, x1-x5 go on offense 1-5 are on defense (Diagram 6) (Diagram 7) It is 5 on 5 from this point on Defensive goal is to force the offense into a jump shot PG should take one dribble toward the side they are passing to in order to create abetter passing angle. Bounce passes should be encouraged as they are less likely to be stolen Only inbound the ball on this drill when they are at 5v5. Once the ball crosses half court, the offense is only allowed as many passes as there are defenders. In other words, 1 pass in 2v1, 2 passes in 3v2, etc. This simulates the fact that advantages disappear quickly in 5v5. The offense is allowed as many shot attempts as there are offensive players. This prevents the disadvantaged defense from being on defense for a long time because they can’t get a rebound. For example, in 2v1 the offense gets 2 shots, 4v3 they get 4 shots, etc. If the offense misses the last shot, they must transition back on defense. The defense should transition to appropriate formations when disadvantaged 2 defenders - line 3 defenders - triangle 4 defenders - box When it gets to 5v5, the defense must talk and match up. Made by Breakthrough Basketball

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.

Switch Up

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

Groups of three work a rectangle split at the halfway line: the player in the middle tries to dribble past a defender to reach a teammate waiting at the far end; once they cross midway, they pass, then immediately become the defender guarding the next pass back the other way. Since roles flip every single rep, it trains the instant transition from offense to defense that live basketball demands. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Staying Power

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A continuous full-court, small-sided scrimmage rotation with at least three teams: the team at half court challenges whichever team is waiting at either end, and whoever wins a possession — offense by scoring, defense by getting a stop or rebound — immediately pushes the ball to the opposite end to challenge the next team. Keeps players moving constantly between offense, defense, and transition for the full round, with the most total points at the end declared the winner. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

The Weave

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A full-court passing braid: three lines at the baseline weave the ball back and forth (pass right, run behind, pass left, run behind) with no dribbling allowed, finishing in a layup at the far end before the rebounder restarts the weave going back. Set a target number of full-court weaves and time how fast the group can complete it. Since the ball can never touch the floor and the rebound must be secured before it bounces, it doubles as a passing-and-catching precision drill under pace. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

Full-Court Shooting

Video by MOJO (yougotmojo)

A full-court weave variation that adds a shooting wrinkle: after the initial weave finishes in a layup at the far end, the two players who didn't shoot receive a pass and each take an elbow jumper as a brand new weave begins in the other direction. Time how long it takes to complete a full lap of the court and challenge the group to beat their previous time — combining the weave's passing precision with catch-and-shoot reps under fatigue. This drill comes from MOJO (yougotmojo).

2v1 Break

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A simple 2-on-1 fast-break read: the two offensive players attack with a numbers advantage, using a fake or hesitation to freeze the lone defender before finding the open man for an easy finish. Reinforces getting the eyes up in transition and delivering a lead pass instead of throwing it behind a sprinting teammate. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Tear Butt

Video by BreakthroughBBall

A live transition drill: the coach passes to any offensive player on the baseline, and that player's defender must sprint and touch the far baseline before getting back into the play, instantly putting the defense in a numbers disadvantage that can range from 5-on-4 down to 5-on-2 depending on how many defenders get sent. Offense attacks early in transition or flows into the secondary break; defense has to communicate matchups on the scramble back. This drill comes from BreakthroughBBall.

Lakers

Video by Teach Hoops

A continuous 3-player, full-court passing and layup drill. The first player outlets off the glass, passes to a teammate sprinting the wing, then follows the pass to fill that spot; the shooter follows the shot to fill the next spot. Everyone rotates through passer, shooter, and rebounder, alternating which side the ball goes to each trip. Coaches emphasize calling out teammates' names on every pass, sprinting the full length of the floor, and taking the ball out of bounds after a make, just like in a game. Swap the layup for a mid-range jumper to make it a shooting-and-conditioning combo drill. This drill comes from Teach Hoops.