Purpose
To work on team defense, communication and positioning
Drill Setup
- Four offensive players spread out around the arc – two players free throw lane extended, and two out on the wing
How it Works
- 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
Coaching Tips
- 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.