Shell Drill

To work on team defense, communication and positioning

Four offensive players spread out around the arc – two players free throw lane extended, and two out on the wing

The ball will start at the top of the arc and players will then swing the ball around on the coach’s command.
As the ball is swung around the arc, players will adjust their defensive positioning according to how many passes away they are from the ball:
On ball: on ball pressure, mirroring the ball with their hands
1 pass away: deny position, just up the line with a hand in the passing lane and staying in contact with their matchup
2 passes away: player in help position, 1 third of the way up the line between the matchup and the ball 3 passes away: player in help position, halfway up the line between the matchup and the ball

To ensure players are aware of everything happening on the court, they should be able to see both their matchup and the ball at all times – it can be helpful for players to point at the ball and their matchup and ensure they always keep them in their peripheral vision.
The most important aspect of a good team defense is communication, and this drill is a good chance to reinforce those habits – have players yell out their position and role as each pass is made – “Help!”, “Deny!”, “Ball!”
This is not an offensive drill! In fact to begin, you’ll want to make the offense wait for your cue before making a pass, as you will want to step in and ensure each player is in the correct position before the ball is swung further.
Once the defense has gotten the hang of the drill, you can make the drill live, but we still want to limit the offense to a maximum of 3 dribbles.