Defensive Close-Outs and Drills... several drills for teaching good defensive close-outs (5-10 min). The ball handler (2) advances the ball and tries These 3 defensive drills are from Matt Monroe’s Hoops Roundtable site. The next offense. The offensive player on the weak side block will the same defender X1, back up the court Make sure it’s game pace! The coach then uses both visual and verbal cues to instruct players’ to perform defensive movements. winners stay on the court. Players shouldn’t be leaning forward when in defensive stance. Defensive players start under the basket and must sprint out and close out on each of the four offensive players spread around the three-point arc. How it Works: progression in the drill is to begin awarding points if you are seeing excessive fouling and hand coach, manager, or other players pass. drill is a must! For example, when running a defensive sliding drill, you need too make sure each player continually maintains a wide base, keeps their hands out, maintains good balance, keeps their butt down, and so on. The ball can be skipped and players are allowed Each player has a basketball. Opposite Direction - While the drill states to perform it clockwise, throughout the drill you should change the direction people are rotating at some stage. Force Turns Prior To Half Court - If you want to make the drill really challenging for the full court the defender as it emulates what will happen during a game. 3v3 defensive drills are also great because it's Not only is this a great defensive drill, but it also helps ball handlers learn how to … You can also use the shell drill to work on specific defensive techniques. 1-on-1 Drills... half-court and full-court (cut and pressure) drills, defending in the open court (5-10 min). Limited Dribbling – Limit the dribbles the offensive player on the wing is allowed to use before taking their shot. One player with a basketball on the strong-side slot position. The offensive player on the wing must wait for the new defender to sprint to them and then the one-on-one starts with the offensive player getting open using a v-cut on the wing. Make sure all defensive footwork is done well since this is a very important part of the drill. Players are spread out in the half or full court in a defensive stance an even distance apart from each other. Your defense is at a constant disadvantage and it forces them to hustle, communicate, and rotate. This version of shell drill includes … a stop. 4 offensive players or coaches spread around the 3-point arc. There is only one defensive player X2, and he/she is in a defensive position on O2 (on the left wing). These drills are from defensive expert Jim Huber. In order to have a great defense night in and night out, you must be able to defend Time Clock / Limited Dribbling - You can also have dribble limits and time clocks, so the offense the ball handler go to practice rotations. The defense's goal is to get a stop. and necessary effort. This process of the offensive player immediately transitioning to defending the opposite wing continues for the amount of time given to the drill. scramble to guard someone. object of the game is to keep the ball from There offensive player ready to play defense. If you don't have great defensive close outs, it doesn't matter how great your help defense is when When pressuring the basketball, the defender should trace the basketball with one hand and keep the other hand low to poke away a dribble. defensive players (numbers), with a coach up This drill can also be done as a 5 on 4 type of drill. By Coach Brian Williams on July 31, 2015. The You’re going to improve 1on1 defense, close outs, help positioning, rotations, communication, transition defense, and more. Depending on the amount of players you have, run this drill for 3 – 5 minutes. The coach will start the drill by passing to one of When the defender forces the dribbler to pick up the ball, he should close up or "belly up", on the player and try to prevent a good pass. the dribble drive or pass. Transition Defense Drills ChangetoGo 1 3 2 4 5 x1 x3 x2 x4 x5 CHANGE DRILL: Offense executes offense vs 5 defenders (tryingtoscore). Improve on-ball defense (drills 1 and 5). Loser Stays On Defense - If the offense scores, the defender must stay on defense until they get Players are spread out in the half or full court depending on how many players are used. More Drills and Dvds on www.basketballxchange.comFacebook https://www.facebook.com/basketballxchange/?ref=bookmarksstephen stephen curry, … 4 on 4 Scramble Drill. For the drill to work effectively, the pass from the top to wing must be made at the right time. After two slides, they back-pedal to the rim. This forces defenders to maintain intense ball To make the defense get two consecutive stops or a three-stop total before they rotate out. It’s also a great warm up drill to use for games or practice. to score. and forcing the defender to stop the player one on one. Players must drop step and then slide that direction. Multiply by taking a three point shot that hits the rim. baseline and start over. A defensive drill that focuses on the fundamentals of individual defense while incorporating in conditioning. Lateral slides east and west - Point the direction you want them to slide. you have the players interchange positions from tougher to defend the entire court with three players than with five players like during a game. checking to stop the penetration. Is There a Need for Learning Defense Drills? Additionally, he won the Nike Global Challenge with Team USA West. end, they will hand off to 4, who will be facing Defense, X1 and X2 start under the basket. help position, stopping dribble penetration, etc. scrambling, you go "live" and the offense looks "goalie" and defend the lob, seeing cutter and You can have four or five offense and defense play basketball. Sprint - Motion forward with hands. screens, ball screens, back screen, staggered screens, horns sets, Princeton sets, etc. offense's goal is to score. court. The following is a listing of all posts in the category of defensive drills for our site. ​Players must remain in a low and wide defensive stance during the entire drill. 1 in black could not pick up X1. game, except the only way to a point is to the in house (paint area) and force a contested jump X2 is picking it up in the diagram. https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/huber-defense.htmlThis is a video clip from our Man to Man Defense 4-DVD set with Jim Huber. Fouling The coach stands out front of the group to be seen clearly at all times by all of the players. No Paint Defense Drill. Line Hops … On the rebound call, players must jump up and down three times as high as they can simulating getting a defensive rebound. Also, you can get a bunch of reps in a short amount of The coach demonstrating the drill is John Becker of Vermont. The first movement is a sprint and then close out to the cone in front. to beat the defender (X2). The rest of the players underneath the basket. And think about this, you can have anywhere between 100 to 250 close outs per game. passes the ball back out to a perimeter player. A coach or manager is positioned at the top. You position four or five offense players on the court. This means that the After a certain amount of time, swap the offensive players with the defensive players and continue the drill. By Coach Brian Williams on November 20, 2013. In the game of basketball, there are many situations where you have to scramble and match up third and final time. You now instruct, "Live!" The offensive player should be looking to attack immediately on the catch. You have the ball handler start on the baseline. Warn players that if they extend their arm-bar and push, it will be a foul. 3 is the last ball handler. It really … Get used to doing it for games. corner to wing when you instruct, "Interchange.". "Beat Them" means that you drive baseline to The goal for the defense is to prevent the pass to the wing player while the offensive player attempts to make 3 catches in a row. Improves defensive footwork and technique required to successfully guard a player with or without the ball. His team also led the Nike EYBL in defensive points per game which features the best high school players in the country! Progression 2: The offense goes "live" Live 1-on-1 – After the pass is made, you can allow the players to play one-on-one until a score or a missed shot. Defender X4 will hang back and become Offense Takes 1-2 Dribbles - After closing out and pressuring the basketball, the offensive player takes one to two dribbles either left or right and the defender must slide with them to stay in front. "live" 3 on 3 situation. to dribble penetrate in their areas (but are When you instruct, "Pass." on the ground. The rest of the players form a line at the top of the key each with a basketball. In this video clip from the Man To Man Defense System - How To Build It Step By Step, Jim Huber instructs how to do this drill. This drill is perhaps one of the essential basketball defense drills. Drill Setup. You can practice all of your defensive concepts in a team situation. Both Sides of the Floor - Since there are only 3 players involved at one time in the drill, run it on both sides of the court and also at the opposite end of the court if you have enough players. From a big picture perspective, you can struggling with a particular offensive action, you can break it down and make sure your players If you score on offense, you stay on the court. At the high school level, he’s trained NBA players such as Michael Porter Jr, Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, and Semi Ojeleye. Different Course - You can easily change the course by differing the placement of the cones. Cones Instead of Players - If all you’re doing is closing out and retreating, consider using cones to close out to instead of players. you are at a constant disadvantage, the offense is going to score a lot. Click the blue link to read the individual post. with players; like rotating out of help defense and in transition. The coach skip-passes to player O3 in the corner. After the score or defense takes possession, the offensive player immediately closes out on the opposite wing and they play 1-on-1. Defensive Specialist is a continuous drill that works on the different defensive movements players will make on defense including closeouts, defensive sliding, back-pedalling, and sprinting. Shell Drill... a favorite used for teaching man-to-man principles of deny, helpside, etc (10-min). them a "touch" of the hand. them to transition to offense by getting a defensive stop. It forces defenders to learn how to defend in a game-like environment. Pass Out.". Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter to receive three free eBooks with over 270 pages of content! You can practice defending basket cuts, backdoor cuts, flare cuts, down next to you. 5 Advanced Basketball Stats Every Team Should Track, How to Play 21 in Basketball (Instructions and Videos), 5 Basketball Agility Drills to Improve Footwork and Body Control, King of the Court (Fun Basketball Game and Drill), 5 Basketball Defense Drills to Lock Down Any Opponent, How to Create a Youth Basketball Practice Plan, Parents: Please Stop Ruining Youth Sports, Zone Defense is Terrible for Youth Basketball, 21 Life Lessons Kids Learn Through Youth Sports, How to Win Every Youth Basketball Game (8 Terrible Tactics), 1-3-1 Zone Defense – Complete Coaching Guide. This drill starts with four defensive players and four offensive players. When the first defender slides past the line, that triggers the next player in line to start the drill. Once the player who was back screened gets It's not playing smart. So Jim knows a thing or two about defense.. Let’s get to the drills! Since it’s hard to explain where the cones and movements are by writing, I encourage you to take a look at the image associated with this drill for better comprehension. "Pass" indicates that you pass to the person The and offensive actions. Have your entire team stand with their backs to a bench, bleachers, or a row of chairs. On the whistle, the offense will set the ball down This is one of the best drills at eliminating penetration into the paint! After the third catch, the players swap positions. baseline drive routine as progression 3. After each possession, the defense turns to managers, or other players act as passers. Even if you play half court or quarter court defense, this should be a staple for every coach. A coach or another player then instructs the team to complete different defensive movements that players must follow as a collective group. up. This drill works on your defenders' ability to scramble and pick up a different player when a game Each time the offensive player catches the basketball, they immediately pass back to the player in the slot and the drill continues. Each pair has a ball. When in denial position, the defender should have their chest facing the offensive player and have their arm out looking over their shoulder. The following is a beginner progression for teaching the shell drill. The team that sets the ball down (in black) must You work on ball defense, Usually it’s best to allow 3 dribbles for youth players and 2 dribbles for advanced players. You start with five offensive players and five. is nothing better than improving on ball defense by putting the defensive player out on an island handler from advancing the ball. keeps the intensity at the level you want. One defender guarding one of the wing player. 3-Point Shot Hits Rim - A progression would be to add that the offense can score another point with the defensive players. Charge - Cross arms at chest. Now the defensive player should be in a parallel stance with both arms extended as high as possible to force the lob pass. This is a fast-paced drill to practice in order to get better at closing out, contest shots, and prevent more positions and situations. The drill is set up with 4 offensive (black) and 4 One offensive line and one defensive line. Instructions: The first player in line sprints out to the first offensive player in a clockwise direction and closes out on the ball. shot, then block out and hunt the rebound. Defensive Basketball Drills . Improve closeout defense (drills 1 and 2). As the ball is passed, defenders have to leave After you get the hang of rotating and Two players compete 1-on-1 from the wing. The 4 offensive players all have a basketball. The shell drill is a great tool for teaching your defense. This is one of the most important basketball defense drills as most offenses start with a top to wing pass. Players fall backwards simulating taking a charge and then get straight back up into pitter patter. The drill is set up with 4 offensive players on Players behind must communicate with the player in front of them. X1 is now the next ball handler. The offensive player can perform a v-cuts and utilise changes of speed but must stay on the line between the wing and the basket. Defensive Drills. Rebound - Jump up with two hands. quickly teach your players exactly what your team defense should look like. This drill starts out as 4 on 3 scramble drill and then adds the 4th defender. Also, this can be a similar strategy to use against teams that lack effective ball handlers or if you It's also great because it allows you to be efficient with your team. The drill starts with the offensive player walking the defender in and exploding out looking to receive the pass from the player in the slot. This drill is about building great 1on1 full court defense habits and transitioning into a half court Players should be sprinting and back-pedalling hard on every closeout. Defender X2 follows the pass with a hard close Progression 1: The offense is not allowed to go The primary purpose of this drill is to work on closeout technique. Then they check the ball on the capability to transition into help defense in a team setting! As soon as they finish, the top line passes to the opposite wing and then fills the free wing. Arms must be out to the sides throughout the entire drill. This is one of the best drills at eliminating penetration into the paint! X2 starts the drill with a pass to 2 on the wing. V-Cuts to Start - In this variation the top doesn’t pass immediately to the wing. who was guarding the ball), has to pick the ball O3 passes into the post O4. Beat Them. of protecting the paint and not letting anybody get in there. Make them stop the ball with their feet moving, not their hands However, you need to have the Yow Close-Out Drill The coach C (or an assistant) starts with the ball on top (diagram A). Since this drill covers all the most frequent movements players will make on defense, it’s one of the best basketball defense drills to get them used to these different movements. situation forces them to do so. The defender (X1) is standing in front of the Defensive Stance - Chair Drill. Receive 72 drills, 32 plays & 7 shooting workouts! Make sure to keep the team's baskets the same, though. also has to practice good offensive habits. Now you instruct, "Pass. They then put pressure on the offensive player for 2 - 3 seconds before back-pedalling until they’re within the charge circle and then sprint out to the next player. Players must have enough space between each other. Five offensive players are across the baseline. Purpose: This drill emphasizes the swing step, also known as the defensive drop step. The player then back-pedals around a cone directly behind them, and then slides across to the other side of the court. time to solidify their learning. The defense will jump to the ball and work to and putting people on the free throw line is unacceptable. They’re not going to be enthusiastic if you’re not. This is the same as progression 1, except now If they don't get a stop, a new group of The 1-on-1 play is fantastic for development. number (like 3) makes it really competitive and Two offensive players and two defensive Too early and it gives the offense too much time. against you. "Skip" indicates you pass to the player two The ‘Pride Drill.’ Teach gritty defensive play with a drill that exercises more than a dozen different … As 3 receives a pass from 2, defensive player 1 jumps to denial position on the player he is guarding (#2) As the ball is swung to #4, #1 jumps to the help spot. Encourage players to be loud on close-outs, charge calls, when back-pedalling, etc. After the ball handler (2) makes it to the other A fast-paced and competitive drill with focus on attacking the defender off a close out and being able to guard the opposition in isolation. You can also get a free PDF of the seven defense drills and four BONUS drills that are not included below. Someone on defense (anyone but the player setting. Poor close outs can destroy your defense which will lead to the offense scoring more points Coach starts drill with a pass from the top. change directions. their player, scramble to cover the ball or be in a improve your ability to scramble and match up. The defense attempts to constantly deny the pass to the offensive player on the wing. Since youth basketball is normally decided by which team makes more layups, this is a basketball drill you must use often. ball. Rotate defense to offense after a predetermined goes back to playing defense straight up. One basketball starts at the front of the offensive line at each end of the court. Even zone defense coaches use drills like these because of the tremendous benefits that they for teaching how to defend down screens and back screens. In this 4 on 3 situation, someone will always be open, but with good positioning and effort you can It really develops a mentality concepts. rebounds. predetermined screen. Diamond Agility Drill Overload Defense Drill Overload Drill - Baseline Drivers Defensive Challenge One on One Moves Drill Top One-on-One Wing One-on-One End of Game Drill Video - Sampson's Defense Charge Drill Go, Go, Go! The offensive player (2) tries to beat the Pay attention to the footwork of both players. The offensive players should practice getting open by establishing a higher foot than the defender and then exploding out to the wing. Thanks, simple easy to implement drills. Many teams will use the 2-3 zone against athletic teams to limit their drives to the rim and force them to take shots from the outside. An offensive and defensive player start by playing 1-on-1 from the wing. You take the defense through the same Drill Setup. Drill: The Team Blitz starts with a line of players along each sideline (team 1 and team 2). You can change possession on points scored Players perform this defensive course one-by-one. (in the paint), turnovers, and defensive If defense rebound, they outlet pass to coach and go again. Defending cuts, screens, getting into The Shell Drill – Most Safe Basketball Defense Drills. up the player that was guarding them. scenario. Too late and the offensive player won’t be able to attack on the catch. Excessive Fouling - You want our players playing hard on defense, but playing smart. After one repetition, you can go to the next The offensive player from the previous 1-on-1 immediately closes out and they play compete until a score or change of possession. If you don’t know Jim, he’s trained some of the best youth and high school players in the world. produce. The first player in line sprints out to the first offensive player in a clockwise direction and closes out on the ball. You will require four D-men or cones for this drill. have some superb 1 on 1 full court defenders. weak side elbow. Offense passes the correctly, the drill can be moved to a "live" All you need is the right motivation and work ethic to become a better athlete. Home > Coaching > Drills > 2-3 Zone Defense. In this drill, each player has a partner (opponent) that he/she goes against 1-on-1. If the defense gets a stop, then the offensive player will transition to defense like usual. Simply subscribe to our monthly newsletter and receive: 72 Basketball Drills & Coaching Tips - 136 page eBook, 21 Basketball Tips & Tricks for Players - 20 page eBook, 32 Winning Basketball Plays - 96 page eBook, Over 200,000 players, coaches and parents subscribed. Offense must be in the triple threat stance and protecting the basketball from the defender. X1 is now "out of the hole" and you rotate to the force help. This is a great way to get players defending players are set up on the opposite end of the He has coached for 18 … The drill can also progress to allowing the This is Oftentimes, when coaches talk about focusing on skill development in practice, they are referring to working on offensive skills like shooting, passing, ball handling, and finishing. ​Players must be sprinting and sliding at 100% effort throughout the entire drill. reaching. On the coach’s call, the offensive player being defended starts the drill by v-cutting to get open for the pass from the top and then competing 1-on-1 until a score or change of possession. If offense rebounds, play to score. Skip. Back-Pedal - Pointing behind the players. Different Spots on the Floor - The drill can also be run making a pass from the wing to the corner or from the wing to the top of the key. "live" until the defender closes out and gives Specifically, footwork and staying on balance. There is also SPECIAL bonus that shows you exactly how to develop your defense better and faster. Each change of direction is worth one point. You can practice defending all types of cuts, screens, Once they reach half court, it Coach starts the drill with a pass to the elbow. the players at the elbow. Additionally, it's great for conditioning and building mental toughness. towards player 3. Being able to defend the ball in a one on one situation is vital. Example, One defensive player on the wing guarding the offensive player. that over the course of a season, you might have 2,000 to 10,000 close outs per season!! Once a defensive team accomplishes this, the drill is over and the other two teams do push-ups (or run). Basketball Drills: 3 Defensive Drills. You can rotate the offensive player each repetition. You don't even have to start in a Add Passer - So the defender doesn't know when the pass is going to occur, you can have the The offensive player has a maximum of 2 - 3 dribbles before shooting. 1-on-1 Drill. That way, if you're Two members of Team 2 start in the opposite lane from Team 1 and are ready to defend. It's also a great all around defensive drill for practicing proper defensive habits. dribble penetration. All defenders must learn how to play good 1-on-1, on-ball defense. top with the ball. Can be a great drill to use when you’ve got a large group of players. Offense gets a point for penetrating the paint on If there's not enough space for the entire team, split the team in … He posts a new article daily and has a lot of really good articles that he has written as well as contributions from several other coaches. You look for correct help positioning, number of "stops" by the defense. set a back screen for their teammate on the It can be a very effective zone defense, because it still covers the 3-point arc as well as the inside game. Have post players paired up with post players, and guards paired up with guards. You can also see progressions You have the defender guarding them. Drop step slides - Point diagonally behind them. penetrating the paint (lane). The next player in line begins once the first player has closed out, retreated to the charge circle, and starts sprinting to the next player. You position a defender guarding each offensive player. Communication is a must in this drill and your players will be forced to improve. It's just a like a regular half court Coach is up top with the ball. If the shot is taken they must box out their player and rebound. If your players are good at defending it, it will take a lot of teams out of their offense and confuse them. The first team to 3 wins. Each game of 1-on-1 can’t cross over to the opposite side of the court. The 2 defensive players must play on their player and adjust / react to the ball movement. If you believe that penetrating via the pass or the dribble is one of the best offensive weapons, this Vary The Passing Position - You can also pass from different positions on the floor to close out All players begin in a straight line on the baseline. progression. pressure. It not only improves your 1v1 full court defense, it improves overall athleticism and conditioning. Being able to deny the pass to your opponent is one of the most important skills in a traditional man-to-man defense. Additionally, the offense learns how to handle the ball under pressure and improve passing. from different angles and positions like you would during a game. © Copyright 2021 Breakthrough Basketball, LLC. mostly stationary early on as you learn rotation). offensive players. Get your FREE Ebook - 11 Basketball Defense Drills & Special Bonus! Hold the close out for a second or two before moving on. half court setting. This drill works on several components, sprinting to a close out, contesting the shot, blocking out and the push step. Here are seven of our best drills for improving defense from one of the best defensive experts in the world. If you have 15 players, you can also run this drill 5-on-5-on-5. The offensive player can receive the backdoor pass for the layup if the defender is overplaying them. Basketball defense drills can be run by the coach, the parent, and even the player.