Basketball drills for technique defense

Requirements:

• players must individually be able to defend the man with the ball
• players must know how to defend the man without the ball

Goal: To apply individual defensive technique in a simplified game situation

Organization:

• attackers use a quarter of the playing field
• are not allowed to cross the lifeline
• play 2 against 2
• winners will attack on the other half of the field
• losers keep on defending on this quarter (when there are more than 8 players, turn in at the halfway line)

Teaching Points:

• emphasise what you have taught the players individually
• there is no help (this makes it clear who is not defending well).

Variations:

• let the defender keep their hands behind their back if you want to emphasise footwork In the picture:
• Defenders 1 and 2 have conquered the ball without allowing attackers 1 and 2 to score
• defenders 1 and 2 attack on the other half of the pitch
• 5 and 6 will enter as defenders and play against the winners of 3 and 4
• former attackers 1 and 2 wait for their turn to defend

Prerequisites:

players must know what help side defense and what ball side defense is

Goal: train early help and quick recovery

Organization:

• attacker 5 threatens with a drive outside, changes hands and attacks the elbow
• defender 1 starts with a foot in the bucket and needs to help early
• on the pass to the corner, defender 1 must recover his position with a sprint and close out
• defender 2 must drop far enough to stop a drive from 4
• the attackers must make a goal attempt within 20 sec - the waiting players count down
• you can only earn points in defence
• two stops in a row are one point
• if you score twice in a row, you may go on defense
• Losers turn out
• new attackers turn in
• play until the 3

Teaching Points:

• defenders must move when the ball is in the air
• the helper position is such that you can stop the penetration when the man with the ball passes his defender
• Anticipate the pass: take the first step towards your own man as soon as the dribbler picks up the ball
• Communication as agreed within the team
• close out = 2 sprint steps followed by minislides + lower hips + 1 hand up
• the helper position is below the line ball - you - man + chest parallel

• Get ready for the free throw with rebounders. 
  • 1 person shoots the free throw
• Rebounders try to catch the ball:
• Attack gets the ball trying to score on the same basket
• Defense catches the ball, tries to score on the opposite basket
• If a bucket is made, the scoring team may take a free throw.

This drill is meant to let the players work on speed, condition and a bit of footwork:

Start in corner A;

• The player will run in a row making sure that the fastest man/woman is in front, so that he sets the pace and can take the rest of the group with him.
• From point A the players will run over the blue line to the back line, then they make slides over the back line (the green line) until the bucket line, then they run backwards over the red line to the other back line, slides over the green line forward run over the blue line and again slides over the green line and backwards run over the red line.
• Then slides over the whole back line to point A.
• Every time you pass point A the exercise starts again, determine the number of repetitions according to the condition of the team and build it up as the training progresses.
• After a while you could also hang on to the exercise for example within 40 sec. 1 time. Are you too late? Push-ups, sit-ups etc.

On the picture below:

Blue = run forward

Green = slides

Red = Run backwards

Please note:

- with the slides, bend the knees, the important thing is that the movement is fast but above all is made good;

- let the players start with a few second intervals, especially when walking backwards they will get in each other's way;

- when running backwards look forward, as if you are looking at the man you are defending;

- that the lines are not cut off.

• A runs to middle and close out
• B step slide to angle to base line
• C runs to middle
• D step slide to other sideline
• Take E ball and dribble until cone
• F finishing with lay up
• G escape dribble
• H walk ball above head and put it in the basket
• I runs to end line

• A Jumping with 2 legs through the hoops
• B sprint to the cone and close out
• C look over shoulder and walk back to center line
• D back paddle to half cikel in the bucket
• E,close out free throw lin

• F step slide to sideline,

• A runs to middle and close out
• B step slide to angle to base line
• C runs to middle
• D step slide to other sideline
• Take E ball and dribble until cone
• F finishing with lay up
• G escape dribble
• H walk ball above head and put it in the basket
• I runs to end line

• Starting 2 player on baseline
• Spurts to the cone and do step slide to next cone
• The first player to take the ball does speed dribble to the other side to score. 
• The other player becomes defender

Set up 3x3. Ball in the middle, no dribbles. 

• Player with ball must pivot and protect ball. 
• Players without ball must run free, 
• Defenders splitvision to intercept the ball
• Pay attention to a good fit

• The players between the cones guard their terrain. 
• They must prevent the player with the ball from hitting their gate. 
• The player with the ball tries to dribble through the gate. 
• When he hits the other side, he may finish with a lay-up. 
• After the player is on the other side, everyone moves on. 

• Two rows on the side at the height of the center line. 
• Ball is on one side, attacker decides when he leaves and runs to the middle line, which he must cross all the way. 
• The defender also departs but only has to touch the centre circle. 
• Aim of the exercise is to come in front of the attacker as a defender. 
• When a goal is made, 3 push-ups for the defender, a miss is 3 push-ups for the attacker.