When I tried to use a man to man with my relatively inexperienced team I found they wouldn’t stick to their guy, and just chased the basketball. It was a shambles. But this next basketball drill got them defending properly. Here’s how it’s done.

Split your group into two teams as if you were going to play a game. Then match each player on one team with an opposition player of similar ability. Let them play a game. The catch is that they can only play defense against the man they were matched up with. For example they can only try to steal or block that one player. If another player has the basketball they have let him go by if its not their man.

I found this helped my team really commit to their defense and put effort into tracking back down court.

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Two players stand 30 feet away from each other and you have a monkey in the middle player.  The middle player runs at the player with the basketball, under control, and hawks the ball with aggressiveness, yet under control too.  No fouls but big time aggressiveness.

The offensive man must pivot away from the defense for at least 5-7 seconds, not letting the defense tie him up.  No dribbling.

The offensive player then pivots and passes to the other player and it must be a good pass.  No lobs.  Must be a crisp bounce pass.

Defense turns around and runs under control to the other player and does the same thing.

Rotate whenever you like.  Give this a try and you will be amazed at the results!

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Full Court/Split Court 1 v 2

3 players: 2 defense, 1 offense

The basketball court is divided right and left.
Offensive player begins with the basketball at the baseline.
One defensive player positioned on ball, another stacked over the top in a position to trap.
The offensive player is challenged to score in the full court against the two defenders using only half of the available width of the floor. The defenders should dominate this basketball drill, but it is a good training exercise that will condition ball handlers to be stronger with the ball under pressure.

Individual Full Court Lay-ins

Beginning at midcourt sideline, speed dribble (2-3 max) and finish. Grab the basketball from the net (as to finish w/same hand as initial layin) and circle the elbows to finish again.
Grab the ball from the net drive full court to the other end–incorporate various techniques for scoring–jump stop, pull up jumper, hesitation, cross over, in and out, spin and/or combinations.

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We start with offensive player (A) with the basketball at the top of the floor between the three point arc and half court.  Defender (B) takes a defensive stance on the ball.  The basketball coach stands at the free throw line extended.  Player A makes a pass to the coach on the wing.  Player B immediately jumps to the ball, towards the coach, with arms out and the head on a swivel.  B is looking to stop the basket cut by player A.

After the pass, A steps away from the pass (looking to set up his basket cut) towards the opposite wing (two steps), then attempts to cut to the basket trying to beat defender B.  Once B has jumped to the ball, he is in good position to block the basket cut, stepping into the path of A going to the basket.

This basketball drill is over when B successfully blocks A from cutting to the basket.  Players rotate from offense to defense, defense to offense.

We run through this for five minutes at a time and it has really helped our our players.

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The wings were not cutting passing lanes very well, so we started doing this drill.  Start 5 on 5. Have the offense play any of your offenses. If your man catches the basketball on the wing without you tipping or stealing the pass you must run to the opposite baseline (or at least the halfline).  The offensive player that caught the pass is now wide open.  We have them drive to the basket to make sure our help side defense is in place and in good rotation.

The intensity on denying those wing passes has multiplied.  The JV basketball coach has even had his players run to the halfline in games (at least during the first 1/4); as you can imagine they get the picture and start denying wing passes very well. Just for the record after our JV tournament our JV is 9-1 with only a two point loss.

Usually the ballhandler is surprised to be so open and runs into trouble when our help rotates.

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Here is how it works:
The team is divided into two teams(green and white).

The ball starts at 1/2 ct with 5 offensive players spread out on the half and with 5 defensive players in total denial all over (basically you run the entire drill as if in dead ball defense-on the ball you are all over yelling “dead, dead, dead”. And off the ball everyone is “deny, deny deny”)!

You only use that half of the court for the entire drill.

The object is to force bad passes, 5 second counts, and get deflections in passing lanes.

For each pass completed the scoreclock keeper puts up 1 pt.(you will need a basketball coach calling out pts. because they will occur quickly if team is not denying well and especially when you first put in the drill).

You can not use a dribble and you can not pass back to the person that passed to you.  So offense has to cut to get open, screen off the ball, etc.  The first team to 50 wins ( not because they completed 50 passes, but because they kept their opponent from reaching 50 first).

If there is a deflection and the basketball goes out of bounds, we give it to the defensive team and they become offense for good denial.  To reward the offense for good cuts to the basket (away from the ball and backdoor cuts), layups off these cuts to the basket are worth 10 pts.

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The first basketball drill is called  4 on 1: You have 4 offensive players, but only one of them can shoot. You also have one defensive player. All players are allowed to cut and receive the ball, set screens for the shooter. The offense has to  keep moving at all times cutting and screening. The defensive is trying to get around the screens, deny the passes and refuse the shot, getting the rebounds.

The second drill is the Defense Man to Man Positioning drill.
We put three offensive players out around the perimeter.
Under the basket on the base line we have three lines. These are defensive players. The basketball coach passes the ball to one of three offensive players.  The three defensive  players attack in a defensive stance each picking up a man. The basketball goes live and continues until the shot is made or the ball is turned over. The defense then becomes offense and the offense gets back into the line under the basket on the base line.

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Here is how it goes:
Facing the court, the team lines up at the base of the right side of the foul lane.  The 1st player sprints up the foul lane and closes out to the elbow with the left (inside) foot and hand up to simulate the forcing of the offensive player to the sideline.  He then slides to the corner.  Upon reaching the corner, he swing steps to open up.  He then slides across the baseline to the opposite side of the foul lane from where the line started.  He will then sprint up the left side of the foul lane and close out at the elbow with his right (inside) foot up and then slide to the corner.  Again performing the swingstep to open up.  He will finish by sliding across the baseline to the near (left) side of the foul lane and return to the end of the line.

This basketball drill incorporates a quick sprint, closeout, quick change of direction, defensive slide techniques, and reminds the players to force the offense toward the sideline and away from the middle of which is one of our defensive philosophies.

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The next pair then go, etc. After everyone has gone, change the numbers around, e.g. if the 1’s were dribbling first then they will now defend. This is an effective way to get the defensive technique and footwork right!

TIP:  MAKE SURE that the person dribbling with the ball is using his outside hand to dribble up with! This is important and will help the player to dribble with the ball with the right hand. EG: If the player is dribbling to the right he must use his right hand and vice versa.

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• One line at the top (offense/defense) and one line on each wing (offense/defense).
• Two basketball coaches pass the ball back and forth, moving to different areas on the court and the players must adjust to the position of the basketball based on our defensive alignment principles.
• When a shot goes up they return to box out the offensive player.

All shots are misses, even ones that go in.  This basketball drill does not stop until there is a “high outlet” to one of the coaches.

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