Basketball drills for technique dribbling

• Centers + Guards + Forwards
• U12 and up
• 3 or more players
• 1 ball - two baskets

Prerequisites:

• players must be able to dribble and run a layup

Objective:

• train running line flyer
• build up speed
• finish break under pressure

Organization:

• player 1 dribbles the ball over the helpline to the other side and scores with a lay up
• both other players chase and try to prevent the score
• they start on the first dribble
• Players 2 and 3 take the ball from the backline after scoring
• and play 2 against 1 on the bucket at the other side
• defender 1 tries to prevent scoring with a lay up

Teaching Points:

• sprinting
• push the ball at speed dribble
• Instruct the defenders NOT to make unsportsmanlike conduct.
• defender takes the charge Â- OR forces the dribbler to the side
• tries to intercept the pass
• gives the shot away and punches out the shooter

• Centers + Guards + Forwards
• from U14
• 2 or more players
• 1 ball per pair
• two baskets

Prerequisites:

• players must be able to dribble a layup run

Objective:

• to increase offensive creativity in 1v1

Organization:

• player 1 passes the ball to 3 and gets it back immediately
• 3 moves backwards
• 1 dribbles straight at 3 and has to close the distance between both players
• Unbalance and pass the defender
• Full speed to the basket
• Loser will defend, winner will attack
• Play up to the 3 to keep the intensity high.

Teaching Points:

• attacker must aggressively close the gap
• Dribble straight at the defender.
• throw the defender off balance with a feint.
• Attacker should be unpredictable.
• only choose which side to pass on at the last moment
• Use feints in the dribble
• after passing at full speed towards the basket cut off the defender by dribbling ON the line of the defender
• basket
• after the pass, the defender has to sprint at full speed to pressure the lay up

Objective:

Reenact all the exercises, which the trainer is demonstrating.

Task:

The players stand in a (half) circle so that everyone can see the trainer. The trainer shows some exercises. The players mimic him/her. Keep the balloon in the air by tapping it up in the air. Try to clap your hands as much as possible between each tap.

• Hold the balloon in your left hand and dribble the basketball with your right hand. Successful? Try with your other hand.
• Now hold the balloon high above your head and look at the balloon. Keep dribbling with your other hand. Change hands after 1 minute.
• Dribble the basketball with your right hand and hold the balloon with your left hand. At the whistle, change hands without losing either one and without stopping dribbling.

Dribble the basketball with your right hand. Try to keep the balloon in the air with your left hand by tapping it upwards. Can you do it with your other hand?

The players dribble one by one in a zigzag fashion along the length of the playing field. When a player changes direction he/she bounces the ball under the legs and also changes hands.

The players practice the crossover technique. They start dribbling with their strong hand. Then the ball is bounced in a V-shape to the other hand. Make this exercise more difficult by running with the ball or a track.

The players try to dribble the ball behind their back. This works the same way as the crossover technique except the ball is not passed in front of the body but behind the back.

Player 1 dribbles across the width of the field, player 2 tries to tap the ball away. When this succeeds, the roles are reversed. Players are allowed to use several dribbling techniques.

The players stand around the bucket or on the free throw line and try to score in the basket. Vary their position and distance.

Players dribble from the center line to the free throw line and try to score from there within 5 seconds.

• After you make the lay-up,
• you catch the ball and
• pass the ball with a bouncing pass to a player without the ball in the line you came from

Half of the basketball players have a ball.

These basketball players dribble all over the room.

On the whistle they pass the ball to someone they first made eye contact with.

The pass they use to do so is up to them.

Choose the pass that is best in the situation.

If you are close to the ball, do not pass.

Requirements:
Players must be able to dribble away from the ball at an angle with one hand at the side

Preparatory exercises:

• with one, passing the ball in front of the body with a flat bounce from left to right
• Same with two hands, bringing the ball with the left hand from right to left and vice versa (so that the player is forced to bring the hand over the ball and exert force on the side instead of the top of the ball)

Objective:
practise speed and direction change with the ball behind the body and a 180 degree turn of the body

Organisation:

• players dribble zigzagging between two lines along the length of the field
• when they reach a longitudinal line, they make a spin dribble
• change direction and accelerate
• when the first dribbler reaches the extended free throw line, the next one starts

Teaching points:

• look over the ball and survey the court in front of you
• Stop in 2 TR
• Leg on the side of the ball is behind
• Hand over the ball
• First turn your head, then your trunk and then the ball
• Turn the trunk quickly
• back foot makes a turn of about 270 degrees

Variations:
Start left and right

Prerequisites:
players must already have good dribbling skills

Objective:
practice retreat dribble to get out of a kick

Organization:

• use the length of the field
• defender 2 forces attacker 1 to the sideline with slides
• defender 3 sets up the kick by closing off the sideline
• dribbler creates space with a retreat dribble
• dribbles between the legs
• and attacks the free shoulder of 2

Teaching points:

• put the body between the 2 defenders and the ball
• Feet perpendicular to the direction of movement
• Take off hard and make a jump to the back

Variations:

• AFTER retreat dribble with between the legs OR under the buttocks by changing hands
• if you cross the centre line without the ball being tapped away by a defender, you play 1 on 2 on the other basket
• OR if you only have a quarter court: from the midline back 1v1 on the basket you left.

Prerequisites:
Players should have a reasonable grasp of the basic technique of dribbling.

Objective:
players practice surveying the surroundings while dribbling

Organization:

• players 1, 2 and 3 stand about two metres away from a wall they dribble with their weak hand
• players 3, 4 and 5 throw a tennisball against the wall in such a way that it bounces in front of the strong hand of the dribbler
• the dribbler grabs it and throws the tennisball over his shoulder to his buddy
• change after one or two minutes

Teaching points:

dribble with strength from the wrist

Prerequisites:
Players should have a reasonable grasp of the basic technique of dribbling.

Objective:
To have players dribble by feel while having their attention focused on something else

Organization

• each player puts a ribbon in his pants as a tail
• dribble inside the three-points area
• take the tail of another player and hang it around your neck.
• the game is over when there is no player left with a tail

Variations:
dribble with the weak hand only

Prerequisites:
players must already have good dribbling skills

Objective:
to train the ability to oversee the field while dribbling

Organisation:

• pawns to mark the dribbling area
• player 2 is doing the Mikan drill
• the dribbler has to count the number of scores out loud and at the same time apply his dribbling skills
• (waiting players can practice their dribbling skills along the sidelines)

Teaching points:

• knees bent
• keep the ball low
• nose points to the ring
• always overlook the field, so no reverse on spin dribble

With defender:

• add active defender
• use several areas if necessary

With passes:

• defender 2 gives maximum pressure on the ball
• forwards 3 and 5 try to get free in turns
• 4 defends actively
• If the pass does not reach the forward in time, he/she steps back to the bucket edge.
• in case of a successful pass the forward plays 1 against 1 against 4

Rotation:

• defender 4 picks up the rebound and joins the back of the line
• the forward who just attacked becomes defender
• defender 2 becomes forward at the open position
• 1 starts defending the new dribbler

With extra defender:

• add extra defender, so there is less time for the dribbler to make the pass
• (players at the helpside are inactive)
• back through pass is allowed