Basketballexercises for u12

• Centers + Guards + Forwards - from U12
• 2 or more players
• 1 ball per pair
• two baskets

Prerequisites

• being able to run a layup at speed from the pass

Objective:

• speed dribble is along the sideline because the shortest route to the other side
• pass and catch on speed

Organization:

• player takes a free throw and captures the rebound
• catch the ball as high as possible
• 3 sprints to the outlet position and calls
• passes with an overhead pass to the outlet
• the man with the ball dribbles along the sideline to the other basket as quickly as possible
• defender over the axis of the field to the other side
• receives the pass at full speed
• and makes the lay up without dribbling

Teaching Points:

• sprinting
• communication
• correct dribble start
• push the ball at the speed dribble
• dribbler must see where the flyer is
• pass in time
• shooter catches his own ball
• passer sprints under the circle to the outlet on the other side
• calls
• receives the ball at the outlet position with an overhead pass
• both players run the same 2 on 0 break as on the way out
• but now on the other longitudinal half of the field

Variation:

• put 1 defender at each basket
• defender catches ball and gives outlet pass
• and becomes flyer
• shooter becomes defender

• Centers + Guards + Forwards
• from U12 - 2 or more players
• 1 ball per pair
• two baskets
• a pawn or pole

Prerequisites:
being able to run a layup from the pass at speed

Objective:

• train runner flyer
• Passing and catching at speed

Organization

• player 1 throws the ball against the board and catches the rebound
• catches the ball as high as possible
• 3 sprints to the outlet position and calls
• pass with an overhead pass to the outlet
• the man with the ball dribbles as fast as possible to the bucket of the other basket.
• defender sprints along the sideline
• receives the pass at full speed
• and makes the lay up without dribbling

Teaching Points:

• sprinting Â- communication
• correct dribble start
• pushing the ball at speed dribble
• The dribbler must see where the flyer is.
• pass in time
• Shooter catches his own ball
• passer sprints around the pawn
• calls
• receives the ball at the outlet position with an overhead pass
• both players run the same 2 teg

Requirements:
Players must be able to sprint and slide and switch between them Â- Players must be able to dribble

Goal: Press
the dribbler on the press

Organisation:

Have each player sprint fully along the drawn lines and always close off the touchline (set up cones) idem but now with slides idem with alternating slides - sprint - slides Â- attacker without ball. Defender must make slides as long as possible; sprint if necessary Â- defender must close off the sideline in any case Â- same with ball. Defender forces attacker to turn on the sideline Â- keep exercise short and intense

Teaching points:

defender should get as close to attacker as possible, taking into account dexterity and speed of dribbler Â- defender should close off sideline with foot, forcing dribbler to turn Â- defender should accelerate, get in front of dribbler before closing sideline

Form of play:

if the dribbler manages to dribble between the sideline and the defender, then he may score Â- defender then continues to defend Â- if the defender manages to make the attacker turn at the sideline then he may then dribble and the attacker becomes defender

Tips:

start with a weak dribbler and let him start with his weak hand Â- impose restrictions on the attacker in the beginning: he can only change speed, but not direction, except on the touchline Â- reduce the restrictions as the defenders get better

Prerequisites:
players must master the layup at full speed

Goal:
Dare to finish
the
layup under pressure of a following defender

Organisation:

• defender may only cross the half way line at the first dribble
• attacker may make feints
• if the defender steps in, he/she must put both feet behind the centre line before defending again
• Attacker dribbles as fast as possible to the basket and finishes with a layup.
• Finish with a layup
• winner takes ball and connects behind the attackers on the other half of the court
• loser defends on the same half.
• depending on the skill of the attackers, allow the defender to cover more or less distance

Teaching points:

• dribble at full speed
• do not let the oncoming defender distract you.
  
  

Variations:

• increase the pressure by having the defender start closer to the basket
• Have players start sitting or lying down. The defender can only get up after the attacker.

Requirements:
players must be able to make a lay up from the pass

Goal: learn the
running move to free another player + have the courage NOT to pass to the first man who moves

Organisation:

• 3 pawns
• fixed pair
• fixed passer in the corner of the field.
• adjust deep post
• cut in, ask for the ball and pass
• second incider gets the ball and makes the lay up
• catches it himself
• passes to the oulet
• and runs to the pawn on the other side of the free throw line
• in the meantime, the man with the ball dribbles to the next pawn
• passes to his regular teammate
• who passes to the regular passer in the corner
• cuts in and asks for the ball (but does not get it)
• when there are more than 10 men: make 5 free throws and then change with a fixed passer

Teaching Points:

• the first man to cut in must look at the passer and ask for the ball with his hands
• the passer must use pass fakes to keep his defender out of the pass line until the second man cuts in

Variations:

Left and right

Goal: defend the dribbler after stopping the dribble

Organization:

• man with ball passes to opponent when trainer whistles
• who takes 1 bounce and stops the dribble in 2 Count Rhythm (2TR)
• The trainer counts down 5 seconds and then blows his whistle as end signal
• The aggressive defender steps back to his starting position
• The roles are now reversed
• As soon as the trainer whistles you pass the ball to the other player
• go for it aggressively straight away
• Try to prevent the other player from passing by keeping your hand in front of the ball (trace the ball)
• Try to get your feet to the left and right of the pivot foot of the man with the ball so that he cannot turn

Teaching Points:

• avoid mistakes; do not hit the ball
• Go for the 5 seconds
• Get as close as possible to the attacker (but stay in your own cylinder)
• Move your feet closer to the attacker, but keep your position between the attacker and the basket.

Variations:

• a third man to whom the ball must be passed within 5 seconds. Choose a limited area in which the third man can run free (use lines on the court, or place pawns).
• Pass from under the board to the player on the block. This player must try to pivot past the defender and score. Winner becomes attacker on the block, loser passes from the back line.

Form of play:

• Ten ball on the half court, where the receiver of the ball has to make a dribble start with 1 bounce before he can pass the ball on.
• idem, but defence MUST double team the man with the ball.

Goal: learn or improve side slides + condition

Organization:

• all players on the helpline, facing the coach
• when coach bounces the ball all players jump into defensive position
• coach moves to the left or to the right, parallel to the backline
• players must stay with their face right in front of the ball
• increase the level of difficulty by changing direction and/or speed at random

Teaching Points:

• feet at least shoulder width
• knees at about 100 degrees (= sitting down deeply)
• shoulders above the heels (= back straight)
• Head upright (overlook the field)
• Hand closest to the ball is low (to be able to tap the ball away on the dribble)
• Other hand is above the shoulder (to intercept a pass)
• push hard on the push-off leg to gain speed
• Feet stay low to the ground (= slide, shuffle)
• feet do not connect after a slide, but remain at shoulder width

Variations:

• let the defender keep his hands on his back if you want to accentuate the feet and stance.
• 1 slide and back to the sideline, 2 slides and back etc. until you reach the sideline; followed by a short fierce sprint back to the sideline
• first a drop step and then slides backwards to the sideline + sprint back
• idem, but first a little tap (quickly transfer weight from one foot to the other)

Requirements:

players must be able to defend the man with the ball individually (slides)

Goal: apply individual defensive technique in a simplified game situation

Organisation:

• attackers use one quarter of the playing field
• is not allowed to cross the baseline
• plays 1 against 1
• the defender may only step over the half-way line once the attacker has put one foot over the half-way line (the attacker may make feints, if the defender steps too early he must first put both his legs back behind the line)
• the defender first has to sprint to get his position between man and basket, then stay with slides between man and basket
• winner will attack on the other half of the court
• Loser keeps on defending in this quarter (turning in at the halfway line).
• the next pair starts when the predecessor takes the rebound.

Teaching Points:

• make sure you overtake the attacker by a large margin and only then take the defensive position.
• then immediately move backwards with slides
• In case of a defensive fault, the attacker is the winner.

Variations:

• let the defender keep his hands behind his back if you want to accentuate his footwork
• You can give good defenders a handicap by having them start 1 or 2 steps behind the attacker
• attackers can be slowed down by having them dribble behind their back in front of the 3-point line, etc.

Goal: learn or improve drop step and side slides + condition

Organization:

• place 5 cones as shown
• vary distance and angle
• players move with slides from one pawn to the other
• at every cone they make a drop step and change hands from high to low and vice versa
• Always face the back line where the player started.
• between pawns 3 and 4, a short quick sprint (now with the face to the other back line)
• at pawn 4, turn 180 degrees, assume defensive position, drop step + slides to pawn 5
• in a quiet run back to the starting point

Teaching Points:

• Feet at least shoulder width.
• Knees at about 100 degrees (= sitting down deeply)
• shoulders above the heels (= back straight)
• Head straight up (overlook the field)
• Hand closest to the ball is low (to be able to tap the ball away on the dribble)
• Other hand is above the shoulder (to intercept a pass)
• push hard on the push-off leg to gain speed
• Feet stay low to the ground (= slide, shuffle)
• feet do not connect after a slide, but remain at shoulder width
• at the drop step, the foot closest to the ball moves backwards quite a bit; then the defender changes direction and the hands change from high to low and vice versa
• intermediate sprint must be quick (= simulate recovery of defensive position after the dribbler has passed the defender)
• take up position between pawn 4 and the basket and immediately with slides to pawn 5

Variations:

• let the defender keep his hands behind his back if you want to accentuate his feet and stance
• make bigger differences in the distance between the pawns and the angle they are placed to each other.

Goal: securing the dribbler against the sideline after stopping the dribble

Organisation:

• defender passes to attacker on signal of the coach
• Attacker is NOT allowed to dribble, only to pivot.
• the trainer counts down 5 seconds

Teaching Points:

• Get as close to the attacker as possible (but stay in your own cylinder).
• Move your feet closer to the attacker, but keep your position between the attacker and the helpline.
• If the attacker allows you to have his back, move your feet forward.
• trace the ball
• defenders always one hand low and one hand high (Umbrella)
• the attacker is never allowed to step or pass between the defenders (only passes parallel to the sideline are allowed)
• avoid mistakes; conquer ball by 1) 5 seconds, 2) bad pass, 3) attacker's foot on the line

Form of play:

Two additional attackers running free outside the lane. A successful pass between the defenders is a point for the attackers. 5 seconds or foot of the attacker on the line is a point for the defenders. Play to the 2.

Goal: to defend one pass away

Organization:

• attackers use quarter of the field
• try to get free with in-out or cut
• first restore balance by occupying the 3 positions before cutting again
• defender overplays when his man is playable with one pass
• attacker can dribble
• a waiting player counts down 20 seconds

Teaching Points:

• hand in the passing line
• front foot in the passing line
• catch your man with your forearm
• 3/4 of your attention on the man, 1/4 on the ball
• NO help
• change after x stops

Form of play:

• each team gets 5x ball possession
• who makes the most stops

Requirements:

players must be able to play individually 1 against 1

Goal1: Improve the position change of the defender between helpside and ballside defense

Goal2: boxing out after the shot

Organisation:

• one of the defenders passes the ball from under the basket to an attacker
• A defender on the ball side closes the way to the basket (close out).
• the other defender takes the help side position: one foot in the bucket if the ball is above the free throw line; on the basket-basket line if the ball is below the free throw line
• When the ball is passed to the weak side, both defenders must quickly adjust their position relative to their man.

Substitutions:

• make it, take it
• or two is too much (push up defenders after 2 consecutive scores)
• (if you have more than 4 players, let the other players practice shooting at the other basket)

Teaching Points:

• Close out weak side shooter
• two explosive sprint steps, then lower your hips a bit + reduce step size
• inside foot in front
• outside hand in the shooter's face
• After the shot:
• immediately after the shot, both defenders must look at their man instead of the ball and box out
• put the forearm on the chest of the attacker
• box out with a front pivot or a reverse pivot and chase the ball

Variations:

• defenders may score from a rebound or interception
• the scoring team continues to attack
• play until the 7