4v4 With Baseline Drivers

Diagrams

Diagram 1 - Setup

Purpose

• This drill is great for improving your team defense. Specifically, it improves your communication and your team’s ability to help and recover on dribble penetration. Your players have to give 100% effort and focus in order to succeed in the drill.
• This is a classic example of making practice more difficult than the games. If you can stop the opponent when you’re playing 6 on 4, you know that you can stop them playing 5 on 5. Since you succeed this during practice, you will have the confidence to lock down the opponents during games.

Setup

• There are four offensive players and four defensive players.
• Additionally, there are two designated baseline drivers (BD) who are positioned in the corners. They are not actively guarded.
• Baseline drivers can be coaches or players.

(Diagram 1)

Instructions

• You start the drill. The four offensive players try to score and the four defensive players try to stop them.
• The baseline driver can choose to drive or pass the ball immediately. If the baseline driver catches and holds the ball, no help is needed. If the baseline driver dribbles to the basket, the defense must stop the ball, communicate, and rotate.
• As your players begin to understand the rotations and are scrambling well, you can allow the offense to dribble penetrate, do interchanges, etc. This will make the drill much more challenging.

Points of Emphasis

• See Your Player and the Ball – You must see your player and the ball at all times. If you take your eye off either one, it can result in an easy scoring opportunity for the offense.
• Help Early & Quick – You must sprint to spots and immediately move once you see the players dribble drive to the basket. If you wait for a split second, it’s too late.

Coaching Tips

• Teach When NOT To Help – If one of the guarded players attack the basket, teach your players when they should and should not help. Some coaches teach to help the player when they have a straight line advantage to the goal. If the defensive player is positioned between the player and the basket, don’t help. If the offensive player is not driving directly to the basket, don’t help.
• Mix Up Drive & Pass – Encourage the baseline driver to mix up between shooting and passing. This will make it more game-like and keep the defense alert and challenge them more.

Made by Breakthrough Basketball