It’s a well known fact: in order for your players to be adept on the court, they need to practice. With practice comes a whole lot of youth basketball drills. While your team might think that drills are boring, they are totally and utterly necessary. Give this footfire drill a try during one of your earlier basketball practices – it’s a great way to hone your players’ stance and footwork skills.

Purpose of the Footfire Footwork Drill

It’s imperative that your team understand the importance of basic basketball techniques. One of the most basic and important factors to the game is stance. Being able to immediately return to the proper defensive stance

during a play is necessary. Once your players are comfortable enough snapping back to their stance, they will be better prepared to take on and react quickly to the opposing team.

How the Kids’ Basketball Drill Works

To start, break your team up into couples. One of the pair will start out by giving the commands. When he or she gives the “Stance” command, the other player is to assume the defensive stance: head directly over the waist, back straight, hands kept above the waist, arms close to the body, elbows flexed, feet about shoulder-width apart, weight distributed evenly on the balls of the feet, and knees slightly flexed. When the player gives the “Go” command, their partner is to move their feet up and down as quickly as possible while maintaining the correct offensive stance form. This continues for ten seconds or until the “Stop” command is given.

Do three repetitions of this drill during basketball practice. Each repetition should last for ten seconds with ten-second rest intervals.

When you lead this kids’ basketball drill, tell your team to keep the following in mind:

*Always double-check to insure that you are in the correct offensive stance
*Move your feet as quickly as you can
*Your goal should be to have your feet hit the ground forty to fifty times during each ten-second session

Variations of this Youth Basketball Drill

If your players want to try out an advanced version of this drill during basketball practice, tell them to try the following:

*Instead of sticking to ten-second repetitions with ten-second rest intervals, mix it up. Instruct the players that they are allowed to shout out the “Stop” and “Go” commands twice during each repetition. This will not only help your players work on their offensive stance, but it will also help them work on their reaction time so that they are always ready for anything during a play.

This is just one of many basketball drills for kids focusing on the offensive stance. Be sure to remind your kids that doing drills during practice will only make them stronger and better out on the court.

And for a free youth basketball coaching video, including brand new drills for your team to improve their basketball plays, visit this page now:

http://www.online-basketball-drills.com/vid/

Inside, you’ll discover a simple, step by step formula for creating a fun, EXCITING practice your players will love! Get detailed instructions to run the “55 Second Garden Glove Drill”… the “Blind Man Layup” drill and much more.

Coach Pat Anderson is a youth basketball drills writer and the publisher of online-basketball-drills.com, the web’s #1 resource for free basketball drills, plays and coaching tips.

For more information on youth basketball drills use the search feature on the top right of the website.

One of the most popular sports in the United States, basketball has inspired many to reach for the star status of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Filled with enthusiasm, young players will need to learn the basics of the game first. Basketball stardom requires hours of practice, determination, and drills. Drills are the foundation of learning the sport. Coaches should do this while encouraging the love and learning of the sport. You should always start with basketball drills for beginners.

Basketball drills help the players learn the basics of the game. They help to foster the development of the skills they will need to play. These drills cover such skills as teamwork, dribbling, passing, and lay-ups. They also help the

coach to assess the strong points of the players and what position would be right for each player. Here are a few basic basketball coaching drills for beginning basketball players.

Double dribbling is considered a good warm-up drill. It helps to improve the coordination and concentration of the players. This drill requires the dribbling of two basketballs at the same time for five minutes by each player. As each player improves, the difficulty can be increased by having the player concentrate on a distant object while performing the drill.

Speed dribbling is a drill used to increase the speed of the dribbler. This not only moves the player more quickly down the court, but also decreases the chance of the ball being stolen. Players must dribble to the center of the court, bouncing the ball as little as possible. As they perfect this skill, you can increase the difficulty by reducing the number of bounces each time.

The ping pong drill is effective for improving alertness. Players need to be aware of their surroundings at all times on the court. This skill helps to also lessen the chances of the ball being stolen by an opposing player. With this drill, players dribble the ball with their main hand and, at the same time, pass a ping pong ball to each other.

Beginning players do not usually make the plays in the game. During this time, teamwork and passing are skills that should be taught. One drill to teach these skills is called give and go. The players are taught to dribble a couple of steps and pass the ball to an open player. This is repeated with each team member down the court.

In the beginning, lay-ups can be hard for new players. Drills must be given to teach them the proper form and technique. This will give them the confidence and skill they need to do it properly. In this drill, the player stands at the free throw line, dribbles once or twice, takes a step, and then shoots the lay-up.

Basketball drills for beginners help to introduce the basic skills, rules, and regulations of the game. Since these drills can be physically demanding, the coach should make these basketball coaching drills fun. This builds the enthusiasm and love of the sport of each new player.

For more information on basketball drills for beginners use the search feature on top of the website!

Do you want to know the difference between a good team and a great team? If you will examine the things that these two kinds of teams do in-between games, you will most likely discover that great teams pay more attention to basketball coaching drills. Some people think that to become an excellent basketball player and team, all you need to do is to play as many games as you can. This is not true. In fact, what’s more important is what you do when you are not playing basketball. If you are doing basketball coaching drills on a regular basis, then you are on your way to becoming a great ball player.

The main thing that makes basketball coaching skills important is the fact that it helps develop the fundamental skills needed to play the game of basketball. If a team or an individual is not fundamentally sound, it is very hard

to imagine that he or it will go very far especially when it comes to basketball tournaments. On the surface, basketball coaching drills seem nothing more than redundant actions. In fact, it may even appear useless to those who do not understand its importance. What you should know is that doing something over and over again creates a habit. If good basketball skills become a habit to an individuals then he or she is on his or her way to basketball greatness.

Sometimes, it makes you wonder what sets a good team and a great team apart. There are teams that can play well but fail to perform when it matters most. The difference lies in the fundamental skills. The more fundamentally sound you are, the better basketball player or team you will be. This is the reason why basketball coaching drills are so important They can make you a champion.

Most of the time, the things that you don’t see are the ones that really matter. On court, you may see a good team play but what you don’t see are the things that have brought them to where they are. Basketballs drills can make a team a champion.

Using Basketball Coaching Drills consistently will reap large rewards for your team. Imagine being able to dominate the competition every time out. There are many drills that I recommend you check out, including some great insider tips and tricks from one of the most successful Division I coaches in the game today. Visit www.BasketballCoachingDrills.net today to learn more.

Mastering the transition game – the change from offense to defense and back – is one of the most comprehensive and exhausting challenges in basketball. For a team to be successful at transitioning it has to have players who are hard working, well conditioned, and quick thinking on the court. These basketball training drills help players develop the skills and mindset they need to improve their transition game.

Circle Rebound

For this transition drill, the team is divided into two groups of five. The coach stands at the foul line with the ball, and the two teams form a circle around him, alternating opposing players.

The players jog in a circle around the coach until he throws the ball at the backboard. At this point, the players break the circle and go for the rebound. The team whose player gets the ball becomes the offense.

The offense should now attempt a fast break to the other basket while the other side sprints to the other side to defend. The players have to be physically and mentally prepared throughout the drill to both go for the rebound and attempt, or defend against, the fast break.

The Change

In this basketball training drill, the players are again divided into two teams of five. Five of the players, each with a ball, are on offense and the other five are on defense. The offense begins the drill by dribbling their balls in a

half-court set while the defense guards them using a player-to-player formation.

At the whistle, the offense and defense must change positions. The offense now becomes defense and the defense becomes offense, but no two players can be paired in the same way. As the players are scrambling to switch from offense to defense and find new players to guard, they have to communicate with each other.

To add a new challenge, at some point in the drill the coach will call out “five on four,” and one defensive player must leave the floor. The defense is forced to adjust and communicate even further, assessing who needs to be guarded most now that they are short one player.

Number Transition

In the Number Transition drill, five defensive players are lined up at the foul line, and five offensive players are lined up at the baseline on the same side. The players on the defense are assigned numbers, one through five.

To start the drill, the coach will call out two numbers from the defense and throw the ball to the offense. At this point, the offense will run a fast break to the other side of the court and three players from the defense attempt to defend. The two players whose numbers were called out have to run to the baseline and tag it before rushing to defend with the rest of their team.

The offense will begin with a numbers advantage, so communication will be essential once the two defensive players join the action.

And for a free basketball coaching video, including brand new drills for your team, visit this page now: http://www.online-basketball-drills.com

Inside, you’ll discover a simple, step by step formula for creating a fun, EXCITING practice your players will love! Get detailed instructions to run the “55 Second Garden Glove Drill”… the “Blind Man Layup” drill and much more.

Coach Pat Anderson is a youth basketball coach, writer and publisher of Online-Basketball-Drills.com, the web’s #1 resource for free drills for basketball, plays and coaching tips.

Figure 8 Basketball Drill

 

This is actually easier to do than to explain but I’ll give it my best  effort. Make sure that you spread your legs apart and bend at the waist. Put the  ball through your legs, around one leg, back through your legs, and around your  other leg, making a figure eight. I had to read that a couple times to make sure  I explained it correctly. I will tell younger players that it is ok if you put  your head down and watch the ball at first. But once you get the feel for the  ball then look up and don’t watch the ball. This will help with your  coordination and give you a better comfort level with the ball. Try to go as  fast as possible. When you are really in a groove with this you will notice  yourself swaying from side to side and getting tired.

Figure 8 Dribbling Basketball Drill

This is exactly how it sounds. Like in the Figure 8 basketball drill going in  and around your legs, this is done only while dribbling. The key is to keep the  ball as low as possible while doing this basketball drill. You will have to  really bend at the waist. Start with your right hand dribbling the ball in front  and then dribble through your legs with your right hand, switch to your left  hand and dribble from the back, around your left side to the front and back  through you legs. Again, it isn’t a terrible idea to look at the ball for those  that are just beginners. But as you get better keep your head up and go as fast  as you can. You will be amazed at how familiar you get with the ball while doing  this basketball drill. I used to do this while watching television. It drove my  mom crazy. I apologized to her later on about it and she just smiled and said  “that’s o.k. because it paid for college so I didn’t have to.”

Around the World Basketball Drill

 

We called it head, shoulders, knees and toes when I was little but that is a  ridiculous name so later, when I saw another coach call it around the

world, we  changed it. This basketball drill is one of the staples of ball handling. It is  done by taking the ball in a circle around your head, waist and legs. Your legs  should be together while doing this basketball drill. Once you go around your  legs on the bottom, spread your legs apart and go around each one individually.  Then put your legs together again and start from the bottom up and do it all  over again. Around the world is a much better name. If you are a coach using  this basketball drill for your players just make sure they are doing the  basketball drill correctly and not just speeding through it. Stress the  importance of perfect practice as compared to going through the motions.

Suicide Basketball Drill

We called this basketball drill suicide because of the incredible risk of  great pain for us. Girls do this basketball drill fearlessly, but I seemed to  always be a little scared about doing it. I got better at it over time, but  still very scary. All you do here is take the ball with two hands and hold it  out in front of you.

Spread your legs about shoulder width apart and bend at the knees a bit. Not  much though. Bounce the ball between your legs and catch it on the other side.  Now you understand why I call this basketball drill suicide. The ball has a  tendency not to make it all the way through and can cause some pain. The  basketball drill isn’t pointless as it will really help with the understanding  of ball speed and bounce. It truly will increase your awareness and  concentration. Have some ice handy and have fun.

Brian Schofield is a former division I college basketball player and the sr.  writer for HoopSkills.com. By visiting that site you’ll find many more of his  helpful basketball tips and  drills.

For more information on Basic Basketball Drills use the search feature on top of the website.

There can be no overstating the importance of basketball practice drills that  teach the fundamental skills of the game. Every player at every level needs to  continually work on developing his basic skills – NBA greats still shoot  hundreds of foul shots a day, dribble through cones and run basketball passing  drills. That’s why they’re great.

No matter how complex your plays are, or how strategically-minded your  players are, to get the ball into position for someone to score requires good  basic skills. And to do that consistently requires good practice drills that  place importance on the right areas.

Effective passing drills should do several things:

1. Stress Good Fundamentals. In the first couple of practices of the  pre-season, many of your passing drills will focus solely on one type of pass -  how to throw a chest pass, or an overhead pass, for example. From the beginning,  teach proper form and enforce it. And then, as you introduce more complex  passing drills, be sure to continue to stress good passing fundamentals – proper  form needs to be enforced throughout all drills, at all times. When game time  arrives, you want your players automatically using proper fundamentals – they  can’t be out on the court trying to remember how to pass.

2. Teach a Variety of Passes.Be sure players know how to use a  variety of passes – chest pass, bounce pass, overhead pass, push pass – since  different situations will require different passes carried out. In your  basketball passing drills, this could mean a s

mple drill run several times,  each time focusing on a different style of passing; or one drill that requires  several types of passes to be used in some pre-determined combination; or a  drill that places the player in a situation and he must react appropriately,  choosing to use the most effective pass for the situation

3. Simulate game situations. At the beginning of the pre-season, your  passing drills will be stand alone – two players passing the ball back and  forth, working on form. But that only lasts for a couple of practices. Once the  skills are learned well enough (which should only take two or three practices)  basketball passing drills need to become more “game-like” – with players passing  to players on the run, passing with defense creating pressure, making decisions  and executing passes instantly under game-like pressure. Because that’s how they  will respond in the game.

All basketball passing drills should emphasize best form and proper  concentration, to build muscle memory so that, when the players are in the game,  good mechanics come second-nature. In a game, there will be many situations in  which players will not be able to use proper form – they will need to adapt  their passing style to suit the situation. But without a base of good form, they  will have little control and great difficulty passing effectively.

We can’t expect perfect passing form in the game all the time – too many  variables that we can’t control, and players require some freedom to improvise  if they are going to be effective. But we can enforce good basketball passing  techniques in practice. The better their form is in practice, the better it will  transfer to the game.

You’ll find more of my thoughts on how to coach passing as well as some  basketball passing drills on this page: Basketball Passing Drills from my Better  Basketball Coaching website.

Gary has been coaching varsity basketball for over fifteen years. Read more  of his coaching advice on his website http://betterbasketballcoaching.com/

For more information on Basketball Passing Drills use the search feature on top of the website.

I was thinking of ways to really get my team of elementary kids to really  start enjoying themselves in practice and so I came up with some fun basketball drills for kids. I stopped to ask myself, Ok you’re a kid, what do you want out  of life? #1 I want to have a good time. The way they work is by playing. #2 I  want to learn something. I think this is the key to getting good results,  combining the two. Lets face it we aren’t going to get results if we just drive  them into the ground, this goes for all ages, but especially for kids. So here’s  what I did. I came up with a list of things needed to combine fun basketball drills with regular  fundamental drills. I use these at the beginning of the season and then pull  them out in the middle when I need to switch things up a little.

#1 Competition

Divide the teams up and make them compete against each other in the fun basketball drills.  Don’t just scrimmage them, get them working together in team skills  competitions. Make the losing group run two extra conditioning drills at the end  of practice.

#2 Two Step Pass

Have one team on the left side or the court, one team on the right. In groups  of two players per team, have them advance the ball down the court by passing  the ball to each other. The catch is that they can take no more than 2 steps at  a time. Count out loud, advance the ball, take two steps, catch the ball,  repeat. Winner is the team who gets their entire line across the gym first.

#3 The Path

Have the team line up in a winding pattern across the gym, each player with a  ball. The end of the path, will as quickly as possible, works his way through  down the path dribbling the ball low with his head up watching where he is  going. Once the player gets to the end of the path, the new end of the path will  do the same. This continues until you have worked your way through the team.  These are fun basketball drills which allow the kids to get a feel for what its like to maneuver through  traffic.

#4 Pin Ball

This is a great fun basketball drill to teach movement off the ball. Pin 3 wooden clothes  pins on the back of each jersey. Say go and in a confined area, the players must  grab as many other players clothes pins within a minute. The winner is the  player who has grabbed the most pins.

#5 Scramble

On command, everyone drops ball and runs to half court or bleachers, etc. and  returns. While the players are running, coach removes one ball. Player without  ball is out. With fewer players, start to reduce area. Think of this as musical  chairs but on the court.

#6 Get the Players Input

One of the best ways to get kids involved is to let them develop a game out  of a drill you want them to preform. no matter how ridiculous it seems, let them  explain and run the game. This not only promotes team unity and helps work on  fundamentals through the drill, it promotes leadership among the students and  promotes creativity, two things needed to win most basketball games.

#7 Redlight-Greenlight

This is a well known fun basketball drill that everyone mentions, so let me be no exception.  It works! This fun basketball drill improves your reflexes. Put a group of kids  at the baseline but don’t put them too closely together. Maybe 5 or 6 per cycle  will be enough.

Every kid has a ball to dribble. When your say “green light” the kids will  dribble forward. If you say “blue light” they’ll go left. If you say “yellow  light” they go right and red is to stop. This is to develop speed, reflexes and  dribbling. First one across the line wins.

#8 Clap Pass

This one is a blast. First you get all the players circled around you. Then  you pass the ball to random players in the group. The player must clap before  they catch the ball. They sit out if:

.They don’t catch the ball
.They don’t clap
.They clap when you fake a  pass to them

Use these all you want. Claim them as your own, copy them if you want,  whatever. They’re for all to try out. Know this however, you can’t get the kids  to a place of excellence with just these, you need a little more. That’s where  my link takes you. It’s a program that will help you as a coach or parent bring  along these kids to a greater understanding of the game of basketball and how to  be great ball handlers. So anyway, I hope you enjoyed these Fun Kids Drills, and I hope that the program does for you what  it did for us!

For more information on fun basketball drills use the search feature on top of the website.

Developing a personal free-throw routine is an important milestone in a young  player’s basketball career. However, establishing that routine is only the first  step in becoming a consistent shooter. The following basketball drills for kids  use competition to motivate players to improve their shot.

One and One Free-Throw Drill

For this kids basketball drill, divide the players into groups of two, three,  or four, and have each group set up at a basket. Instead of shooting several  consecutive shots, have players practice shooting free-throws like they will in  an actual game with a one and one set up.

Have the first player in line briefly go through his routine and shoot one  free-throw shot. If he misses, then he has to run a lap around the court and  does not get a second shot. If he makes it, then he gets to practice another  shot. If he makes the second shot, he adds it to his tally and goes to the back  of the line, but if he misses the second shot, then he has to run a lap. Players  take turns shooting until they make a certain number of free throws, say five or  ten depending on the ability level. Players who miss several shots will be  running a lot of laps, which is good for conditioning and creating  game-fatigue.

Six in a Row Free-Throw Drill

This basketball drill requires players to make six free-throw shots in a row.  To start, have groups of two to four players set up at each basket. Players will  take turns shooting, trying to make six consecutive shots. For their first turn,  each player will get two shots to start. The first shot is a practice shot, and  they can shoot again if they miss. After that, for every shot they make, they  get to take another shot. Once they miss a basket, their score

goes down to zero  and they have to run a lap or do ten push-ups before getting back in line for  their next turn.

Plus 2, Minus 2 Free-Throw Drill

For this basketball drill for kids, have the players pair up and assign each  group a basket. Players will take turns shooting sets of two free-throws.  Players are rewarded one point for a swish (or nothing but net) shot, they lose  one point for a missed shot, and no points are rewarded or taken away for a made  but not swished shot. When a player reaches two points, their partner has to do  five push-ups. When a player reaches negative two points, then he or she has to  do five push-ups.

And for a free basketball coaching video, including brand new drills for your  team, visit this page now:

http://www.online-basketball-drills.ccom/vid/

Inside, you’ll discover a simple, step by step formula for creating a fun,  EXCITING practice your players will love! Get detailed instructions to run the  “55 Second Garden Glove Drill”… the “Blind Man Layup” drill and much more.

Coach Pat Anderson is a youth basketball coach, writer and publisher of  Online-Basketball-Drills.com, the web’s #1 resource for free basketball drills, plays and coaching tips.

For more information on basketball drills for kids feel free to use the search function on top of the webpage.

The fundamentals of basketball are not complicated. There are two teams of five and they must try to score points by getting the ball through a hoop which is raised off the ground, one at each end of the court. They move the ball around the court by passing to each other and by dribbling, or bouncing the ball, as they move through the court. The team with the greatest number of points at the end of the game will be the winner. When you simplify the rules of how to play basketball to this level it can sound very straight forward! It is hard to believe that a game with such simple basic ground rules can become one of the most popular games in the world.

One of the joys of the game is that it can be played informally amongst a group of friends in any condition. You do not need to have a marked court and a particular number of people to have some fun. You do not even need to know all the official rules of how to play basketball. Many people are quite happy with a hoop fixed to the wall in their back yard and a bit of space to bounce the ball. You will often see a couple of friends, or even someone on their own, just quietly shooting for baskets in the yard. If there are a bunch of you, however, you can have a great informal game without paying too much attention to some of the finer rulings.

In some urban areas, basketball has become a popular street game and many neighborhoods have a court which can be used. These will often have hoops and court markings and are very well used by youngsters. Sometimes

street teams and leagues spontaneously appear and the games can become quite competitive. Sometimes they have slightly different rulings on how to play basketball, but the fundamentals will always remain the same.

In official games, there are a great many other rules involved in how to play basketball. There are a lot of violations which you will need to know about and you will need to know about the penalties involved when it comes to physical contact and obstruction. If you are keen to become involved in the game, you would be wise to contact a local club. Alternatively you could become involved in your college team and enquire about training.

Knowing how to play basketball and knowing all the rulings is obviously important if you are playing in a team, but it is also good if you are a spectator. The better your understanding of the game, the greater your enjoyment will be when it comes to watching your local team or college when they are battling it out on the courts.

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about basketball [http://freebasketball.info/how-to-play-basketball] visit Free Basketball [http://freebasketball.info] for current articles and discussions.

The basketball game is pursued by adults and children for fun and professional reasons. While it is a very exciting and enjoyable game, one cannot amount to anything without doing proper basket ball workouts. Every player has to learn new exercises frequently to achieve maximum results. He or she must be dedicated to achieve the best out of the training sessions. Even though there are many types of workouts that you need to learn, in this article we will discuss dribbling.

Ball dribbling tactics exist for both beginners and advanced players. If you are a child who is just starting the training, you might consider the following ball dribbling tips for starters.

a) A player must learn how to strike the ball with his or her finger tips. The palm is never encouraged in basketball.

b) Another useful tip is that the novice players are supposed to bounce the ball on the side of their body not in front of it.

c) When tapping the balls with the fingertips, performers must try to bend their bodies slightly. Dribbled in this manner, the balls can bounce off the floor to the waistline of the performers.

d) Your kid has to learn how to walk while bouncing and gradually learn how to run while dribbling.

e) At first, the starter maybe tempted to observe the orb. Later on, however, one is required to tap it while observing his or her opponents and team members.

f) This important basketball workout is done with one hand at a time. Therefore, you should learn how to switch hands quickly and vigorously.

g) Sometimes you are forced to change directions to avoid being trapped by your opponents. You have to twist your body quickly without losing the orb.

Practice makes perfect and this statement applies even to you who is trying to play basket ball for the first time. You have to practice hard and regularly until you learn ball dribbling as explained above. As soon as you learn

the basics, you can start the advanced approaches. They will eventually make you an excellent basketball player. Read the following tips.

a) Try to create a rhythmic dribble – This skill will help you a lot when time to pass your opponents comes. If you try to change the pace of the bounce, your opponents might have an easy chance to snatch the orb.

b) Learn how to step forward while making dribbles backwards. This technique is regularly called the pull back move. There are many other moves that could make you a champion in this game. One move is called cross over needed when you want to move in different directions by bouncing low and fast in front of you. Fake spin creates an illusion of a spin which is not real while a spin move occurs when you rotate your body about the opponent while exerting slight pressure on him or her. Other examples include behind the back, stop-n-go, and double crossover.

c) Dribble while using your vision to spot both open team members and the rivals. Learn what eye fake and other terms are all about from your trainer.

For more information, please read this article on Plyometric exercises, and on Basketball workouts