100 DRILLS FOR TEACHING |. BASKETBALL FUNDAMENTALS Copyrighted, 1933 _ by BLAIR GULLION NICHOLSON PRESS, RICHMOND, IND. 100 DRILLS FOR TEACHING BASKETBALL FUNDAMENTALS > By BLAIR GULLION BASKETBALL COACH TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE TRUPOOUCHION 2 sos cos ee ee Ce eo eee 6 Application Of DUS: 3.4.5. oe eee Sos: © Oy FO Pe ee ek 8 Passing Drile. session cs. bis ede a 9 “Shootmie Dries ai 2. See SAS 16 DPOB Ue Oe a 23 Bree Throwers oo 623464 5.44 ss oiessnieh a4 21 Ball Pandiine Pris 3. 2 ee. aS 29 POOUWOrE Dts. ©. ee ee eee 31 SNS OS ae a ee 34 a ek een om 36 Defensive: Drilises3 0s re es a De es 39 Combination Druis. !. 2... Meola eee 43 ea esas pe ea SOIT FEE ESR TS iN A REN Co eS pr Teen TE Pepe eae INTRODUCTION This monograph on basketball drills is the result of a study of five years’ duration. The materials have been compiled through the author’s experi- ence as a player at Purdue University, as a mem- ber of professional teams, as a high school official, and as a high school and college coach. In starting this collection the author was pri- marily interested in improving his own methods of teaching basketball by making practices more diversified and interesting. It has since been used as materials for teaching in the basketball course in the teacher training work for the physical edu- cation department at Earlham College. The in- terest shown by these students and players and | the insistence of friends has resulted in this publication. Some of the drills are original or partially orig- inal. All have been tested thoroughly over a period of time. Other drills are the favorites of successful coaches who have permitted their use ’ here. To these men the author is deeply grate- ful; the standards of our profession are dependent on the contributions of its members. BLAIR GULLION. THE APPLICATION OF THE DRILLS The teaching of the many phases of basketball fundamentals involve a number of complications that are perplexing to the. coach. The problem of interest of the players is one of the major ones. Every coach is confronted with the player who tires of fundamental drill and goes through the set-ups with an auto- matic action that is less than half-hearted and produces no ap- preciable improvement in the individual. Perhaps the player or players will work earnestly for a week or more but the cry for scrimmage is soon sounded. We know from our teaching experi- ence that, we must have the interest of the individual if we are to progress in our teaching. Our teaching of fundamentals is mostly a matter of habit drill; instruction is given and practice is conducted until the action becomes one of habit. Yet we do not take into consideration that we fail to approach the condi- tion. which we are planning for in our drills. Lack of variation in teaching a fundamental, no competitive element in our drills, and antiquated set-ups that fail to teach what we expect them to teach are a part of our training. This is the situation the author faced when starting this study. The knowledge of a number of drills for teaching the same fundamental and careful planning of the practice session by rotating the drills increase the interest of the players with a corresponding increase in skill. In the compilation of these drills no consideration has been given to instructions in the proper methods of executing the fun- damentals of basketball. There are many texts on basketball available at the present time that cover all of the phases of basketball fundamentals clearly and completely. It is useless to use drills of any type unless the coach has a thorough under- standing of fundamentals. Numerous suggestions of points to be given special emphasis are given in some of the drills. The au- thor has found these worthy of that stress in administering these drills to his own squads. Championship teams have been and will always be teams that have mastered the fundamentals of basketball and enjoy the game. Numerous drills can be constructed by the individual coach to teach phases of the offensive system being taught by him and 7 TESTA ARES eed pete a ne retainer zea eC Rene ee cE REP RCRS IMENT MOPS Wha Io ve RN en set-ups can be used to counteract the offensive work of the opponents. It is well in using basketball drills to divide the players into groups of equally or nearly equally skilled players. Each player is trying to do better than the others in the ideal scheme, and this grouping makes it more difficult to excell than in the mis- cellaneous grouping. The drill is also motivated better with this type of grouping as there is better execution and less mistakes. The writer advocates the use of a whistle by the coach and the interruption of practice in the case of general poor execution. In the case of poor individual execution, call the player aside and criticise him. This allows the drill to advance for the more skilled members of the group. The poor players may be formed in an “awkward squad” and given special attention. The coach must have a thorough knowledge of the drills he intends to use; he must explain them carefully to his squad so they may understand them thoroughly; he must have an organi- zation plan that will put them in action without loss of time; he must be able to stop drill for instruction and continue rapidly; he must know when to stop that drill and change to another one; and he must experiment to find drills that hold the interest of the par, KEY TO DIAGRAMS eS OFFENSIVE PLAYER O DEFENSIVE PLAYER Seeera PATH OF PASS PATH OF PLAYER ececcees PATH OF DRIBBLER wrooer DRIBBLE AMO PIVOT Nid REBOUND PASSING DRILLS The following passing drills are designed to cover the various types of passes. Many of the drills are rudimentary but may be utilized as a variation to maintain interest. The coach should make use of the stationary drills in early season practice to per- fect the handling of the pass and then gradually add the use of drills while moving to perfect passing and receiving execution. Special stress should be placed on the pass most commonly used by each team. While many coaches do not advocate a team pass, they have a type of pass that their players use more than the other types. ‘Proper passing and the ability to use a number of types of passes well is very important. A large portion of the practice period is spent or should be spent on this fundamental. Eighteen drills or formations are listed. All of them may be used for prac- tice purposes. Some are more suitable for one type of passes than others. Study the reactions of the squad to certain drills and use the most interesting ones if they are satisfactory. THREE-MAN PASS AND GO BEHIND RECEIVER This drill is for use as a conditioner and for practice in handling passes when cut- ting for the ball. Some value is received from the rapid stopping and changes of direction when cutting behind the receiver. Care must be taken that the players do not neglect the proper execution of the funda- mentals involved in their desire to execute the drill at too great a speed. The drill is best set up under one basket with the three men carrying the ball as out- lined to the opposite basket where a short shot is made. The positions are resumed and the ball returned to the starting end ef the floor where another basket is made. The next group of three continue with the same set-up. THE FOUR-MAN PASS AND GO BEHIND RECEIVER The four-man pass and go behind the receiver is a better drill than the three- man drill as it involves four men cutting for passes, gives the men better oppor- tunity for timing, places the men at cut- ting angles more similar to game condi- tions and affords an opportunity for the execution of the fundamentals of cutting, passing, stopping, and meeting the ball which are the integral parts of any offen- sive system. FIVE-MAN PASS AND GO BEHIND RECEIVER This drill is a further development of the similar set-up involving three and four men. It is an excellent drill for executing the various offensive funda- mentals, but is rather complex and re- quires considerable time to perfect. How- ever, the complexity of the drill adds in- terest for the player and has been used very successfully. 10 ‘ \ / \ / \ ds Silay ies eres aw. S @. ~=> ~ eos \ es -- \ / me soar : / ‘Ser \ ae s eo > ® Ne L ‘E xe s one x 7 CIRCLE DRILL The circle drill method of practice for passing fundamentals is a very simple one but one commonly used by most coaches. The players form a circle with four to six feet spacing between them. They execute the various passes by pass- ing to the next man in the circle, by alternate men, or indiscriminately about the circle. SQUARE DRILL The square drill is another of the simple formations for pass drill. The men are placed as on the four corners of a square and pass around the square or - across it diagonally. TRIANGLE DRILL The triangular drill involves three men placed at the points to form an isoceles triangle. These men may be easily moved in or out to execute the various types of passes. This drill is advantageous where the squad is small and a number of balls are available as the small grouping affords more individual practice. This drill is especially valuable for practicing high, overhead passes. a4 STAR FORMATION FOR PASS DRILL & The five man or star drill is an effective ay drill for passing of all types. The advan- aN tages are that all passes are of the same & pT Foe iether: & length, and the passer has a definite man to = / ’ A whom he must pass. It may be used espe- eS ny cially well in the drill for the two-handed, I. nN high, overhead pass. In this drill all passes / rat x are made high enough that the receiver must / i a jump into the air and make his pass before @ @ coming down. The ball should not be batted, but caught and passed on with a definite wrist movement. This is a splendid variation for use with the usual circle drills used by most coaches. PASS FOR SPEED The drill may well be used where a smooth wall surface is available. A restraining line is drawn at a distance from this wall, depending on the type of pass to be used. The players retain their position behind this line and see which member of the group can execute the greatest number of passes in a given time. By varying the distance of the restraining line all types of passes may be used. The player may not cross the line. PASS FOR DISTANCE The pass for distance is an excellent drill for the use of the long base- ball pass. The player must throw from behind a restraining line across the gymnasium floor. The throw is measured from the line or from the line extended to the point where the ball hits the floor. This drill usually proves of interest to the players. LINE DRILL FOR JUMP-HOOK PASS -- ‘ This is a simple line drill for the execution of the jump- hook or aerial baseball pass. The front man in the line dribbles down the floor, jumps into the air, and returns the ball by a jump-hook pass to the next man in line. Some variation can be added to the drill by having the trailer cut to one side or the other just as the passer goes into the air. This makes the passer use the proper fundamentals in order to locate the receiver before making the pass. eee e6---- 12 PERIPHERAL VISION DRILL The purpose of this drill is to offer prac- tice in the use of the “peripheral vision” or ability to observe more than one action at a eo, @, e. e, 2@. time. F, with a ball is stationed in front . bd of the line of five men. Player E also has s pie a ball. As F passes to A, E passes to F. ¥ i, F passes to D and A returns the ball to F. oe ee The drill continues with passes being made \ if between the members of the line and F; players in the line change with F from time F to time. A contest element may be involved by allowing F to maintain his position as long as he makes all his passes to the line- men good and does not fumble any passes received from them. ELIMINATION PASS DRILL Circle, line, star, triangle, or square formation may be used in this drill. Eliminate players from the drill as they make bad -passes or fumble properly made passes received from other players. The weakness of the drill lies in the fact that the decision which elimi- nates the man is in many cases a matter of judgment of the coach. Another weakness of the drill is that the poorer players who need the drill most are the first to be eliminated as a general rule. PASS FOR ACCURACY : If a smooth wall is available, draw circles on the wall, varying in size according to the skill of the contestants. Make restraining lines at varying distances and have the players see who can make the most hits in a set time. - This drill may be more effectively used by constructing wooden targets of varying sizes. In the case of the long baseball pass the players may use the bankboard for the drill at varying distances. @. DOUBLE CIRCLE DRILL Pa oe In this drill two circles are established, e. \ . ® the outer circle usually containing eight ‘e o men and the inner circle four men. ae PSs The drill may be used as a stationary r “@ drill at first, later rotating the circles in x Bes opposite directions. In either case most of \ @ cd the passing alternates between the two Yee TON a circles. @ . | The coach must experiment with the size oo. of his circles to get the best timing for his caliber of men. 13 PASS AND TAKE PLACE OF RECEIVER This drill as the title indicates requires the player to pass and take the place of the receiver as indicated in the diagram. The lines may be moved in or out to execute the various types of passes. When the ball reaches the end of the line the direction is reversed toward the starting point and the drill is sustained. ger a eee a... @ DOUBLE PASS OR PASS AND a RETURN PASS < be In this drill the man passes across the ye oe a pene @ floor to the man opposite. On the long pass ees as he cuts and receives a short pass, passes a to the next man in line and takes the place @2 -@ of the man to whom the long pass was a ee a made. i The drill continues until the end of the “Sy line where the direction is reversed back to < ate vabd ania ‘pee ->@ the starting line, etc. yeratao The man receiving the short pass can ? set his feet as in the pivot and feint a pass @s-.-.- tw to the man going to the other line before ee Ser passing to the next man. This adds a valu- < able phase of feinting and ball handling to S e a the drill. SS uA 5 ee 6 Since the men are meeting their passes, > and since all types of passes may be used, a this drill is in use by many coaches. 14 SHViS OL TIVE NINLIA ® (dee TWO LINE DRILL FOR LONG BASEBALL PASS This drill is effective in keeping a squad busy on the execution of the long baseball pass or other long passes. The first man in one line passes across to the man opposite him and takes the place of that man. Each man continues as in the “Pass and Take the Place of the Receiver Drill.” However, this drill differs in that the last man in the line returns the ball to the front of the line and renews the drill. This drill is very effective and practical as a number of balls may be used at one time and the players kept in almost constant action. REBOUND PASSING DRILL In this drill the center, C, and a defensive man, G, are stationed under the basket. Two forwards A and B take positions as shown in the dia- gram. Either may shoot a medium shot at the basket with C making re- bound passes out to A and B as long as he is successful in obtaining the ball from the bankboard. The guard makes every attempt to prevent C from rebounding and passing the ball out to the forwards. C may catch the rebounds and pass while in the air or may dribble to the corner and return them with a jump-hook pass. When the guard recovers the ball the front men of the three lines take the places of A, B, and C. 15 SHOOTING DRILLS ‘Players usually maintain their interest in basket shooting and little difficulty is experienced in holding their attention. There are a number of types of shots needed by the average basketball player in the execution of the offense and the following drills have been used in teaching these shots. The drills for teaching rebound shooting have been especially valuable. Some of the drills are recommended for the large squad and others are more suitable for the smaller squad. Players should be schooled in the execution of all of the shots listed. Ate’ Lows SHOTS TAKEN FROM BEHIND ec THIS LINE. Ce ey GAME OF POINTS This is the game commonly known as “'25"*- 68-421”, Players must shoot back of a desig- nated line (commonly the foul circle). Long shots count 2 points and ' short shots count 1 point. The ball - must be shot on the short shot from the point of recovery. If the ball goes ‘out of bounds, the player forfeits the ‘short shot opportunity. The excep- tion to this rule is when a long basket is made and the ball goes out of bounds. In this case the player is en- titled to a shot under the basket. The - first one to score the designated num- - ber of points is the winner. In case two players make the designated num- ber or more in the same number of shots the game is declared a tie and the entire game shot over. 16 \2 e 9| sd Gee BASKETBALL GOLF Using a radius of about 15 to 20 feet and with a spot directly under your bas- ket as a center point, describe an are that meets the end line toward each side line as shown. Locate nine points of ap- proximately equal distances apart. Mark these points with strips of ad- hesive tape about two feet long or paint them on the floor. These spots are the equivalent of the tees in golf. The object of the game is to make the basket (the hole) in the least number of shots. The player shoots until the basket is made; his opponent then shoots from the spot un- til he makes it. The play may be either match play (by holes) or medal play (by strokes or shots). Another way of playing this game is to shoot in rotation, each player advancing as he makes the shot, with the first player through winning the contest. Do SPEED SHOOTING The player is stationed at one of the three positions shown. The objective is to make the greatest number of short shots in a given time (usually fifteen to thirty seconds depending upon the number of balls and baskets available and the size of the squad). A counter is needed for each squad; one timer may time for all groups. A longer period than thirty seconds will involve too much strain. No one is allowed to touch the ball during the time interval except the shooter. The object of the drill is to encour- age the player to handle the ball above his head and not bring it below the shoulder level. The player making the most baskets is declared the winner. An interesting and valuable variation is to see who can make the most baskets in a short time interval using only the left hand. e b A B QD SPOT SHOT This is a good drill for early season practice to stimulate care in shooting and to develop “touch.” The player shoots five shots from each of the five spots as designated. The ball must not touch the bankboard before going into the basket. The game may also be played by ruling that the ball must not touch the rim or bank- board. This rule is not advocated as there is considerable difficulty in judg- ing many of the shots with this stand- ard. The player making the most shots of the twenty-five total is the winner. 17 PASS AND SHOOT FROM BEHIND A BLOCK This drill is a valuable one whether or not your offense is of the screening nature. There are always situations where a man receives a ball in posi- tion for a shot but not relaxed and ‘Shot é. capable of making the proper attempt. In this set-up the men in the center line pass to the man cutting from the masts B sideline and start by the block, stop, and swing back behind the block set- fox _ ting the feet, bending the knees, and @ \ relaxing to take the shot. The drill may be executed without opposition to the shooter at first and then a defen- sive man may be stationed at the rear of the blocker, who is allowed to shift or to fake at the shooter. This drill is valuable in teaching men to come to a shooting position and not to take running, off-balance shots. MOST LONG SHOTS Another interesting game is to divide the players into two squads of five or six men each and shooting back of a designated spot or mark, count the long shots made until a certain total (usually 10) are made. All other members of the, squad are encouraged to rebound and return their team- mates’ shots. This drill will provide wholesome and interesting competi- tion, offers practice on basket shooting under somewhat the stress and hurry of game situations, and encourages proper ball handling in order to obtain the greatest number of shots. TRIANGULAR REBOUND @ © DRILL The three players take their posi- @ tions as shown in the diagram. A fourth player or the coach shoots at the basket from a distance of 15 to 30 feet. It is the duty of the three rebound men to jump and rebound shots at the basket until a goal is made. @ corcr If a player is forced to change his position the others should change until the triangular formation is regained. Players should be warned about “slapping” at the ball and should be taught to catch the ball and shoot while in the air. Players should be encouraged to tap the ball from time to time to the other two men in the formation. This will make for alertness on the part of all of the men. A defensive man may be placed in the middle of the group to add to the drill as the participants increase in skill. 18 once SINGLE LINE REBOUND DRILL The coach controls the ball and the - player cuts for the basket. The coach @ cacn may pass to the player for a feed shot or he may properly time a shot at the basket for a rebound by the cutting player. If a shot is taken the player will cut for a point in front of the basket where he will be in position for rebounds to the right or left or short or deep front rebounds. He attempts to lay them back in the basket and con- tinues until a basket is made. The coach purposely misses the basket and with some practice is able to make the eS ball rebound as in usual missed shot situations. LA The same drill can be used on shots from out on the floor. The option of feeding the player for a shot occasion- ally is added to make the player cut in as he would under game situations. REBOUND DRILL WITHOUT THE BASKET This drill may be best executed by removing the basket from one of the practice goals or may be carried out against a gymnasium wall. A single player may be used or an entire group. The ball is tossed against the bank or wall and the players must re- bound it back against the wall for a number of times. This drill is effec- tive for practice in timing spring and in overhead fundamentals of re- bounds prior to the use of the other drills given. Insist on the players catching the ball and shooting in the air. Some consideration may be given to slapping or batting the ball hard against the board as a last resort if the individual rebounds it from that attempt. This drill may be used with a guard against the player or players. The rebound man must not give ground back to the defensive man and must maneuver to get his best rebound position. ee TWO LINE REBOUND DRILL ®@ Player B intentionally misses a & short shot and player A coming in to a Ee point in front of the basket and about four to five feet out, sets his foot ready A to jump in any direction and re- bounds the ball. If A misses the basket, B aids him in rebounding until a basket is made. The ball is then passed to the next men who continue the drill. In all rebound drills the coach Sire he should stress coming to a position in Se front of the basket as shown. 19 OVERHEAD PASSING AND REBOUND DRILL WITH SHORT SHOT A passes a high overhead pass to B who catches the ball in the air and passes the same type of pass to C who passes a high feed pass to A under the basket. B and C rebound until the basket is made. A may continue the passing by feed- ing B. All three men get in rebound positions and continue until the basket’ is made. The ball may be passed from man to man but must be kept high in the air at all times. SINGLE LINE DRIBBLE-IN SHOOTING This drill begins with a player, B, located under the basket ready to re- bound. Player A dribbles in for a short shot, B rebounds the ball and passes to C, then takes his place at the end of the line. Player A after shooting takes the position of the rebounder and re- turns the ball after C shoots. This drill moves along rapidly and effectively and is practical where small squads are involved. TWO LINE DRIBBLE-IN SHOOTING Player A dribbles in for a short shot; player B comes in to the proper rebounding position in front of the bas- ket, ready to go any direction for the ball, takes the ball off the bankboard and using a jump-hook pass returns it to the next man in the line who con- tinues the drill. The men feeding in for the shot must wait until the rebounder has com- pleted the jump and turn and has the ball on his hand ready for the pass. His break for the ball must be late and fast if he would develop speed and tim- ing. The rebounder must obtain the proper position to handle rebounds in any direction. The lines may be estab- lished to practice short shots from any angle. 20 TWO LINE—ONE BREAK OUT TO MEET PASS—OTHER BREAK IN FOR SHOT A passes to B who breaks out to meet the pass. B returns the pass to A who shoots. B then rebounds the ball with the aid of A until the basket is made. The ball is then passed out and the drill continued. A must cut hard and fast for the shot. B must make the feed pass properly and must have the correct timing. DRILL FOR FLOAT PASSES AND SHOTS IN THE AIR Player A passes to player B and breaks for the basket; B floats a high pass in the air and A shoots before alighting; player C rebounds the ball and using a jump-hook pass returns the ball either to D or E and the drill con- tinues. This drill emphasizes practice in members of the squad timing the speed of the other members of the group. The float pass must be flat and not arched if it is to be handled and timed properly. FOOTWORK AND DRIBBLE DRILL In this drill the player A receives the ball and uses either a feign to shoot, a reverse pivot or fake reverse and cross-over pivot and drives for the bas- ket. Player B rebounds the shot and returns it to player C. Player A re- bounds the shot of C and the drill con- tinues. 21 DRILL FOR TEACHING MEN TO LEAVE FLOOR ON SHORT SHOTS The coach should obtain some short twigs about four feet long and just large enough in diameter to be rigid. The coach or a manager holds these at a height of about twenty-four inches from the floor and at the position of the greatest height of the feet of the man shooting. The proper place to hold it for each man may easily be determined after a short experi- ence. This drill is used in some cases by having the man clear a low hurdle or jump over a chair. There is a great element of danger in this method, and the twigs may be safely used in a more effective manner and the men will bear in mind the presence of the twig, but will attend primarily to the shot. With the hurdle or chair, the element of fear will attract their at- tention to the obstacle and distract their attention from the basket. This is a splendid drill in the early stages of practice. JUMP HOOK SHOT DRILL A passes to the pivot man B and then cuts by, receives the ball again and takes a one-handed hook shot. In the variation shown in the diagram, A passes to the pivot man B and then swings wide past the pivot allowing the imaginary guard to go through with him, then cuts back across the pivot for the ball and takes a left- handed hook shot with the pivot man rebounding and throwing out to the line to continue. In either case the center or pivot man may fake the pass and spin for the shot himself. SPIN SHOT DRILL The players take a position under the basket with the coach out in front about the foul circle. The coach passes the ball to the man and he feints the spin one way and comes back the other direction for the shot. As the drill progresses add a defensive man playing behind the pivot man and allow him to try to guard the shot. It is now necessary for him to add cleverness and footwork to evade the guard. A further variation is to have the coach’s place taken by a player. The player passes to the pivot man and cuts by him. The pivot man may feint to pass to the cutting player. and spin or he may pass to that player. This is valuable in teaching the proper timing on the spin shot. 22 DRIBBLING DRILLS The use of the dribble has been discouraged by many coaches as the passing game has increased in favor. However, there is still a great need for the dribble in advancing the ball to the offensive sector, in changing floor positions, in breaks for the basket, and in other phases of the offensive. Some time spent in teaching and practicing the dribble will pay every coach. WIND SPRINT DRIBBLE DRILL Where wind sprints are used as a conditioning drill, the wind sprint dribble drill may be used as an interesting variation. The men are lined up at the end of the floor and facing the floor. Each is given a ball. The coach takes his position in the center and at the side of the floor. He has a whistle. When he blows the whistle the players dribble as fast as possible and continue until the whistle is blown. They are then allowed to dribble slowly, weaving in and out of their course until another blast of the whistle indicates full-speed dribble again. This drill may be carried out by having half of the men dribbling and the other men just sprinting and walking. After a while, have the dribbler change with the sprinters and continue the drill. PERIPHERAL VISION DRILL In this drill the dribbler has no set course but must keep his head up and look at the ball only as a last resort. This is sometimes known as the blind man dribble drill. The drill is a splendid practice for the ball handling involved in the dribble. The drill develops peripheral vision or ability to focus the attention on more than one object at the same time, and develops the touch necessary in good dribbling. 23 THE STAR DRIBBLE DRILL @ Squads of five men are grouped as shown in the illustration. The men are spaced about four feet © apart. The men dribble to one another with the & course of the ball making a star. This drill is to teach “touch” and the picking up @ ® of the dribble. The cupped hand and finger “touch” should be definitely emphasized in this drill. The dribbles should be made as fast as possible and in keeping with the best possible form. CIRCLE DRIBBLE DRILL The players are formed in a circle. One man, A, is designated as the dribbler at the start. He dribbles in and out, alternating in front and behind players of the circle. When he returns to his original position in the circle he passes the ball to the next man to his right who continues the drill. Stress the fact that dribblers must learn to travel in broken paths and not in a straight line. Allow the players of the circle to fake at the dribbler as he passes but do not allow them to hit the ball as it encourages the man to dribble in too wide a circle and not set the feet as he passes the man and makes a sharp turn. RETRIEVE LOOSE BALL-DRIBBLE DRILL Place the men in a semi-circle near the center of the floor. The coach from under the basket rolls the ball toward the men; they pick up the ball and dribble in for a short shot. The drill is valuable in teaching men to drop the hips and knees and be free and loose in recovering this type of ball or low passes. It also teaches them to break fast on the dribble. DRIBBLE COMPETITION DRILL The purpose of this drill is to teach the proper hand position in making the dribble and to teach the hand and arm stroke. The competition is be- tween members of the squad; each man is given a ball and dribbling in a stationary position sees how many bounces or dribbles he can make in tep seconds. 24 4. aaa nt epe Rae teresa ection bein ne Si e DOUBLE CIRCLE DRIBBLING S & DRILL A large outer circle of from ten to fif- € teen players is formed. From three to five men are placed inside of this circle. These men have basketballs and must keep drib- @ 8 bling them. An extra man designated as the guard is also placed inside of the circle. The dribblers must evade the guard and # still keep away from the men in the outer a circle. These men are allowed to reach as far as possible toward the dribblers with- 2 & out shifting their feet and attempt to break the dribble and get the ball. If a man in the circle obtains the ball, he takes his place in the center as a dribbler and the man who lost the dribble becomes the guard, with the man who was guard replacing the man who left the circle. If the guard is successful in obtaining the ball, the dribbler and guard change places. All infractions of the rules are to be called. ALTERNATE HANDS-DRIBBLE FOR SPEED The set-up for this drill is similar to the dribble for speed in which the man dribbles to a certain point and returns as rapidly as possible. In this drill the man alternates bounces with the right and left hand over a similar course. Failure to alternate hands results in that individual repeat- ing the course. This drill may also be used as a left-handed dribbling drill. tC) s & @ @ @° B DRIBBLE SHUTTLE RELAY 4 At the starting command A drib- bles to the other starting line and allows B to pick up his dribble and continue to the other line allowing C { ae to pick up his dribble, ete. aa The team returning all of their men to the original starting positions r is the winner. In this arrangement each man takes part in the relay q $\ START, Cc = & q q 4 twice. q q 4 @ * 25 THREE-MAN DRIBBLE A passes to B and sets an inside screen or block on his imaginary guard. B breaks out with a dribble across the floor and makes his last bounce to C _ who dribbles across the floor and al- lows his last bounce to go to A. This crossing may be continued for any e & number of times, with one dribbler finally breaking for the basket and the ~ other two men rebounding until the bas- “*@A ket is made. This drill stresses the ball handling 7 necessary in picking up the dribble of 3 another man without loss of time. The \o’ drill may be used by not allowing the men to catch the ball in both hands but to continue the other man’s dribble. DRIBBLE OBSTACLE RACE A number of chairs or other obstacles are placed at a distance of about 8-10 feet apart in a straight line down the center of the floor. The player must dribble in and out through these obstacles, changing dribbling hands as he changes his course, using his left hand on the left side of the obstacle and his right hand on the right side of the obstacle. He reverses his course in coming back to the starting point. The coach must insist that the men increase their speed as they become more proficient in their handling of the dribble technique. DRIBBLE FOR SPEED This drill is a relay to test the dribbling speed of the individuals on the teams, Chairs or obstacles (C) are used to mark the course for each team. The front man in each line on the starting command dribbles as fast as possible around the obstacle and back around the . other obstacle at the starting point. By establishing the starting line at the oppo- site side of the return course of the player and insisting that the man returning the ball to the next line use the bounce pass, the coach may eliminate the unfair practice of passing the ball before reaching the finish of the course. 000 Oe 26 Rai FREE THROW DRILLS There is a great variance of opinion as to the proper methods of practicing free throws. One successful coach never prac- tices free throws separately, but has his players shoot a few attempts daily as they are practicing other shots. He rarely corrects the form of a player and allows him to shoot with his natural form. Another coach has each player shoot fifty shots per day and keeps a record of the members of his squad. He has only a fair game record. In the drills to follow, the writer has stressed the idea of having men arranged along the lanes and with other situations approaching game conditions as a general rule. Most coaches advocate the shooting of a number of consecutive throws early in the year to establish habits and then have the player step back from the line after each throw later in the year. Some attention should be given to the defensive and offen- sive rebounding of missed free throws and to the fast break from a missed free throw and the defense for it. SHOOT MAKE—SHOOT MISS DRILL In this drill the player attempts free throws until one is scored and then continues with the drill until he misses one. After missing he takes his place along the lane with the other players in the group and a teammate takes his position at the free throw lane and continues with the drill. This drill is often criticised for affording most of the opportunity for practice to the better shots on the squad. This is hardly fair as the poorer shots often take longer to make the first shot, obtaining a fair balance of shots as they will usually not make as many consecutive shots as the better shooters. The element of competition involved makes the drill a very satisfactory one. 27 BEST OF FIVE OR TEN SHOTS This is an excellent drill for habit forming. Allow the man to retain his position on the line for the entire number of throws if he feels free and comfortable. He may compete with a team-mate or with an entire group. It is especially beneficial in the early season to use this drill and allow the man to maintain his position on the line. Later as he has fixed his “habits” and the action of the throw has become more or less automatic, he should move back from the line and reestablish his position after each throw. In the early season do not allow the men to line up in regular positions along the lanes. Later in the season after habits are formed, always have men in position. SEASON RECORD PLAN Many coaches keep a running record of the free throws made by their players in practice and in games. These statistics are kept on a large chart in the dressing room or coach’s office where the players may keep themselves informed of their progress. The virtue of this plan is that the players are shooting in competition each time they attempt their throws. It is also possible under this plan for the coach to establish a definite rating of his men in this fundamental. There is an element of danger of players being under the competitive strain so strongly that they do not use the loose, free, muscular action neces- sary in the correct technique and will show little or no improvement. DRILL WITH EYES CLOSED The player shoots five shots from the free throw line, paying special attention to the proper swing and lift of the ball. He then steps back from the line and attempts five shots with his eyes being closed after he has assumed his position. The purpose of the drill is to show him that the action of the free throw is a mechanical one and that once the proper habits are mastered, the percentage of “makes” will increase. The drill is only used occasionally and usually in early season. TEAM COMPETITION PLAN The players are divided into two squads of as near equal skill as group- ing makes possible. The players of each squad alternate shooting free throws, each man shooting his at- tempt and then resuming his place in the line or on the free throw lane as desired. The team shooting a total of 25 successful shots is the winner. This drill has been used by the writer for a number of years and has been very valuable in the practice of this very important phase of the game. 28 O ([poe0o ROTATING FREE THROW DRILL In this drill the men in positions A and C are defensive men respon- sible for bringing rebounds out from the basket. Players B and D are of- fensive men, responsible for following shots, laying them in the basket or getting them out to E, the free thrower. QD) The players change positions ad- vancing from A to E and then assum- ing positions at the other end of the floor, the E player at one end becom- ing the A player at the other. This drill gives men the opportunity for practice in all phases of free throw defense and offense. If more than two baskets are available, the men may advance from one basket to another. BALL HANDLING DRILLS Many coaches neglect the important fundamental of properly handling the ball. There is something akin to the touch or skill of the juggler in moving the ball about in the hands as is so necessary in maneuvering for passing and for delaying the pass until the proper timing is arrived at by the cutting player. Many coaches find that pass after pass is either entirely or partially blocked by defensive men. This case has been espe- cially true with the advent of the slow-break game where de- fensive men are allowed to gain their positions and blocks or “screens” are used to evade them. Proper ball handling or the ability to move the ball about in the hands either in a position with the back to the guard or facing the guard and moving the ball up or down and laterally are necessary if the passer is to get the ball to the forwards or men cutting to meet passes at the proper time. 29 Cnet ce eh reel INDIVIDUAL DRILL In this drill the player uses feints and pivots and moves the ball around as he would in making passes with an imaginary guard in front of him. The object of the drill is to develop the ability to properly handle the ball under game conditions without the stress of having to time players cutting for passes or having to pass around a guard. The players learn to develop “feel or touch” that makes for better passing and more individual cleverness. TWO-MAN DRILL The ball handling in this drill is similar to that used in the individual drill, but the second man, a defensive man, is placed in front of the ball han- dler. This defensive player attempts to knock the ball from the hands of the other man, but avoids bodily contact and other usual fouls. The ball handler may pivot and feint passes but cannot dribble or cut from his posi- tion. The defensive man is added to discourage loose ball handling. FIVE-MAN DRILL In this drill the objective is the same as in the - other drills on ball handling, to develop ball han- @& @ dling ability and to build confidence in the play- a ers. A defensive player B is placed on an offen- =" sive player A in a square formation drill. Player *s A moves the ball as in the other drills but has an the added option of passing to one of the other : players. The drill is sometimes used with the & ‘e@ defensive man retaining his position in the center © of the square until he hits the ball from the offensive man’s hand or intercepts a pass. A good method of rotating in this drill is to have B guard A until A passes to C, then have A assume the defensive position on C. WALL DRILL The bankboard or the wall may be used for this drill. The players shoot the ball against the bank or wall, then jump into the air, throw it against the surface again, alight, jump, rebound again. This drill is re- peated for a great number of times. It is of great value in teaching the ball handling involved in rebound work. One, two or three men may engage in this drill at one time. An element of competition may be involved by recording the number of rebounds made by each man in a given time. 30 FOOTWORK DRILLS In all offensive systems footwork or pivots, stops and turns are the medium offensive players use to elude the defensive men. Players must be able to stop and start rapidly; they must be able to change their direction and pace suddenly to throw their defensive men off guard; they must be equipped with some of the standard footwork or pivots, such as the forward pivot, the reverse pivot, and the stride stop; and they must have the knowledge of when to use this footwork and the habit drill or practice that makes the execution automatic. Players will prac- tice shooting and passing for long periods of their own volition, but the practice of footwork occupies a similar position to the practice of bodily contact work in football. There is a lot of drudgery connected with the practice of footwork, but interest may be injected by using different drills from time to time and in mixing the drills on footwork with drills on other funda- mentals. CH THE CHAIR DRILL \ Place a chair or other obstacle on the floor. Have the men \ dribble to this obstacle and execute the various footwork of @ stops and turns. ‘ The drill is recommended in early season work where the e various steps in the fundamentals are being stressed. The value ®@ of the drill decreases as the routine of the fundamental is less & stressed and more importance is placed on speed and utility of the footwork. ) 04 A SINGLE LINE PIVOT AND RETURN PASS The player dribbles straight down the floor, executes the pivot to be used and passes back to the next man in line who continues the drill. The coach should insist on the players keeping far enough away from the sidelines that the footwork involved will not carry them out of bounds. eoeee 31 DOUBLE LINE-PIVOT AND RETURN PASS WITH GUARD A takes position as shown; B takes his proper defensive position on A. A has the privilege of feinting a shot, then dribbling. B should keep in such a position that he will drive A to the sideline for a pivot. If A is able to drive in for a short basket he should do so; however, the guard has his posi- tion and he should drive A to the side- line for a pivot practically every time. A should be encouraged to use feints, change of pace and change of direction footwork to evade his guard. He should be warned against taking wild shots or against charging into the defensive man. Stress the fundamentals of all of the footwork of the pivots involved in this drill and stress stopping and turning while traveling at full speed. The defensive man takes his position at the rear of the offensive line and the offensive man his position at the rear of the defensive line. DOUBLE LINE-CROSS COURT DRIBBLE AND PIVOT-PASS A dribbles cross court, uses stop and turn and then passes to B of the other line who has cut for the pass. B drib- bles cross court, uses stop and turn and passes to C, who continues the drill. The men change lines after each dribble, thus getting stop and turn practice from each side of the floor. This also gives them practice in pass- ing from either side as left and right es hand passes are involved. > Stress speed in dribbling and ac- : curacy of the footwork and passing. @ Caution the players against getting too & fk eS close to the sideline on the pivot. }@ Nese! 8 See that the players cutting for the pass are given a good lead as this in- creases speed in dribbling, and makes more difficult the footwork and ball- handling, thus approaching game conditions. CHANGE OF PACE AND DIRECTION DRILL Defensive player takes his position between the offensive man and the basket. The coach is stationed under the basket with the ball. The offen- sive man breaks and changing his pace and direction frequently attempts to elude the defensive man and receive a pass from the coach for an under- basket shot. Rapid stopping, changing the direction, head-bobbing, and shoulder- shrugging, and change of pace are important fundamentals in eluding guards. This drill gives a practice formation that is valuable for both the offensive and the defensive men. 32 a en ech pec ina stern pee ore ater MASS DRILL FOR TEACHING STOPPING AND CHANGE OF Pee DIRECTION With the coach giving the commands of “forward, backward, right, and left” the players spring from both feet into these positions. The commands are given rapidly to serve as a coordination drill also. The drill may also be used very effectively with the commands of “For- @ carcy ward, right, and left.” In this manner a the players run forward and receive the a) command of stop, right or stop, left. The player observes all of the funda- mentals of the stop and uses the pivot to the direction commanded. They ad- vance to the end of the floor, about face and continue in the opposite direéc- tion with the drill. This drill is of great value where a large squad is being cared for by a small staff. It is also useful for knowledge teaching and drill for gym- nasium classes. FIVE-MAN PASS AND PIVOT In this drill, five offensive men are placed in the offensive sector. They may pass, pivot and cut, but are not allowed to shoot. This is a good warm-up drill prior to games or scrimmages. Hard cutting, pivots at full speed, and well led passes are to be given the emphasis. MEET PASS—FOOTWORK DRILL In this drill A breaks out to meet a pass from the coach. The coach keeps B the defensive player in the proper guarding position by having the offensive man break in fast and feinting a pass to him, letting him turn back and go under for a float : pass or feint back and then break : out, gaining a position with the defen- \. sive man at his rear. When he re- \ ceives the ball, he must practice his fs © cascn various fundamentals of footwork Co such as the forward pivot, the reverse turn, and the reverse and cross over to elude the guard. If possible, he attempts to score a basket either from the field or from underneath. 33 JUMPING DRILLS While the ability and skill to jump well is a physical trait de- pendent generally on the height and type of build of the indi- vidual, the advantage of height may be increased by training in jumping as may the disadvantage in height in smaller men be reduced. One of the major factors in good jumping is the ability to time the jump properly. With this timing a man may out- jump men who have the ability to get much higher from the floor, but fail to arrive at their height at the proper instant. In addition to the improvement in jumping skill, these drills are good conditioners for legs. BROOM STICK RELAY In this drill two lines are formed. A in each line runs from the starting point to a point at the opposite end of the floor and back to the starting line carrying an ordi- nary broomstick or wand. During the time he is enroute, B steps out to a position to his right at the head of the line. A grasps one end of the stick with B taking the other end and runs through the line with all of the men in that line jumping over the stick. A At the end of the line, B takes the stick and goes to the opposite end, returns and ei assisted by C goes through the line again. This continues until all men are in their original positions. Stress carrying the stick about the heighth of the knees when carrying it through the line for jumping. 34. @ @ O Oe & @ r ©@ O @ e@ @ Oe eo ie <7 SSS RSE Sr eno SQUADS OF THREE Match the men as nearly even in height as possible in groups or squads of three. One man acts as the official and tosses the ball up between the other two several times. One of the other men assumes the duties of the official and the other two men jump. As the drill progresses, have the men designate where they are going to tip the ball. ‘Have the men make constructive criticism of each other, and allow the man acting as official to call infrac- tions on the jumpers. By varying the players as officials the men get practice in jumping for balls thrown at various heights and with varying timing. WALL DRILL FOR HEIGHT Station the men along a smooth wall and have them jump and see how high they can reach on the wall. Stress in this drill the importance of a hard arm swing. JUMP TOUCH Using the pole vault standards conduct a contest by having the men jump and touch the bar. Failure on three attempts at any height dis- qualify the individual, just as in the high jump or pole vault. Then have the individual reach as high as possible up the side of a wall. Subtract this reaching height from his jumping height for the results. This also encourages the use of the finger tips as in tipping the ball. 35 TIP-OFF DRILLS The following drills, while actually plays that are in common use by many teams, are not intended to represent plays as they are in use but to be used as drills for the practice of the funda- mental phases of play used in the execution of tip-off plays or in obtaining control of the ball from jump-ball situations at any point on the floor. These drills contain most of the fundamentals involved in tip-off play and if your players can master the fundamentals involved in these drills, the actual teaching of a number of plays will be simplified. The cutting involved in obtaining a position to receive the ball from the jumper is valuable in retrieving the ball when your teammate is out-jumped. FORWARDS FAKING WITH HEAD AND USING FOOT- WORK TO ELUDE GUARD AND TAKE TIP In this drill the forwards must cut and feint to draw the attention of their defensive men and time coming in for the tip. The tip may be made to either for- (a) ward close or wide and they must O 3 have their bodies under control to . (O’ t get it. er v Ability to get the proper position O \e , O at the right time is the feature of this hun : drill. The men may work with or ec without defensive men working against them. 36 perspec nie sdery ae GUARD THROUGH CLOSE TO CENTER In this drill the guard C has a defensive man assigned to him and must fake to elude him and come through high and take the tip-off either to the right or left of the center. This drill also stresses position and timing. The forwards fake to come in and spin back and drive under for a pass from the guard. FORWARD TO FORWARD DRILL A feints to cut back under the bas- ket and comes in to take tip from cen- ter. B feints to come in for the tip and drawing his guard in with him sets his feet and turns back going under the basket. A receives the tip high in the air, turns and passes (while still! in the air) to B going under the basket. FORWARD TO GUARD AROUND DRILL A feints to cut back under the basket, but comes in high and takes the tip from the center. He catches the ball on his finger tips and passes or taps the ball on wide on the same side to C. C has feinted to go to the other side and then has cut wide. He takes the ball down the sideline on the dribble and if a two-on-one situa- tion is set up will usually pass to B who feigned to come in after the tip and pulled back under. CENTER TO FORWARD TO CENTER This is a device to secure control of the ball when not using plays. The ball is tapped to A who has feigned to knife for the basket but comes back in toward the center. The ball is tapped to A who immediately taps it back to the center. The center must use a double jump, going, up for the tap and then alighting with a spring to receive the return pass high in the air. This play may be used by having the center make a second tap to the guard wide or a deep back tap or a deep front court tap to a forward go- ing under. As a control situation, the center may catch the ball, go into a pivot and select his pass to a team-mate, then break into position for set plays or fast break. DOUBLE TAP PRACTICE Against an overly aggressive team that are intercepting your tip-offs, the center may spoil their timing by tipping the ball high into the air and using a second jump, tip over the heads of the incoming guards to the for- wards breaking back to the basket. BACK TAP AND LONG PASS TO CENTER The center taps the ball to A who passes to C. The other forward B comes in as if to take the tap and takes a position screening the oppos- ing center. The center cuts around this screen for a long pass from C under the basket. 38 DEFENSIVE DRILLS Contrary to the old adage that a “good offense is the best defense,” we have the newer thought that a good offense with good ball control plus a good defense is a necessity. A good defense depends upon the individual footwork and abil- ity of your players, their mental state, and how well they are woven into your team scheme of defensive work. Your men should be drilled against all of the various types of offensive men, the shorter men, the taller men, faster and slower men, the good shot and the poor shot and should have the knowledge of how he should play each type. He should know how to play a man in the pivot, a man facing him, a man with his back to him, a man cutting, the dribbler, and all other pos- sible offensive set-ups which he may encounter. Properly con- ducted defensive drills are very interesting to the players. KEEP AWAY Two squads of five men are pitted against one another. The ball is thrown up at center. There is no shooting at the basket, the purpose of the drill being to retain possession of the ball as long as possible. The cen- ter line is used and infractions of any nature result in the loss of the ball. This is a splendid drill as it is a good conditioner, emphasizes ball con- trol, calls for defensive fundamentals to gain possession of the ball and is interesting to the players. PASS AND GUARD THE RECEIVER A passes to B and takes his defen- sive stance for guarding this receiver. B uses his ball handling fundamentals and his footwork to evade A. He must confine any break that he may gain to the center of the circle. His feints should be of the nature that will make A change his defensive stance rapidly. When B has definitely committed himself to a dribble or has been forced to dribble and use a pivot, he passes to another member of the circle and assumes the defensive duty. Don’t allow the individuals to take too much time without advancing to an- other position and passing as the drill is much more effective if kept moving. 39 maRERTETI anaemic SO = SSR eR ERS IEE ete Rta TWO ON TWO; THREE ON THREE In this drill two offensive men are pitted against two defensive men (3 may also be used). The coach or a player assists them but must remain stationary at the center of the floor. The offensive men may pass to him at any time but he is not allowed to advance the ball or score. The offen- sive men must cut, fake and dribble, shoot, set up blocks for each other and use any of the offensive tactics against the defensive men. The coach must encourage the defensive men to talk to each other al of the time and should offer constructive criticism of defensive position, stance, and other fundamentals. This defensive drill may be increased until five men are placed against five. The drill may be varied by allowing the coach to retain the ball and only pass to a player who is in position for a good short shot. The drill under this plan is an excellent method of studying the proper positions of the defensive men. @ coacr SINGLE DEFENSE MAN DRILL The coach controls the ball at the side of the basket. The offensive player cuts using footwork and e change of pace and direction to elude @o the guard. If he gets away for a shot oO the coach passes to him and he re- 22 bounds until the guard gets the ball. ed DRILL FOR SIDELINE BLOCK SHIFT In the sideline block illustration player D passes to player C and cuts outside of him. Player A drops back and assumes his defensive position on D with player B assuming his positiom on the blocker C. This is a simple exchange of defensive assignments. DRILL FOR PIVOT OR MULTIPLE SHIFTING In the diagram player E passes to the pivot man and crosses in front of him. Player A must shift his de- fensive assignment to E and C must take the pivot man. However, if D fakes the ball to E and gives it to ' player F crossing from the other side of the floor, C must again shift his duties to F with B taking the pivot man D. z E (Tong 40 a REBOUND AND “COMING OUT” DRILL FOR GUARDS A shoots from behind the foul line, advances to a point about five feet in front of the basket, sets his foot to go in any direction after the ball, takes the rebound off high. As he alights he dribbles to the corner, and using a jump-hook pass gets the ball out to the next man in line, B, who continues the drill. DRILL FOR BLOCKING SHORT SHOTS The offensive player A is given a slight advantage on the defensive player B. He drives in for a short shot. The defensive player cuts directly for the basket and throwing his body aside from that of the shooter attempts to block the shot and knock it out of bounds. This is a difficult drill to master, but the work in this fundamental is worth some time and consideration as the guard either allows the man to score or fouls him. With some work a reason- able share of these shots can be blocked. SHIFTING DRILL FOR BLOCKING SHORT SHOTS The offensive player A is allowed to break in toward the basket slightly in advance of the defensive man C. D who is defensively responsible for B shifts and goes up to block the shot, throwing his body clearly to the inside of the offensive man and with his hands high. C must complete this shift of assignments and take B. This is a common situation in bas- ketball and proper drill will save many baskets in a season. 41 arrest a DRILL FOR TWO-ON-ONE FAST BREAK SITUATION Defensive player A must retreat un- til he can assume a position in which he can prevent a short shot by D and can feint to make C stop his dribble and hesitate before committing himself. If A ean slow the action of player C, then B coming back to the defensive behind the play can come through and take D. When A is certain that B has covered D, he may go out and cover C rapidly, especially if he has used his dribble. DRILL FOR THREE-ON-TWO FAST BREAK SITUATION Defensive players A and B feint at the dribbler D, attempting to make him stop as far out from the basket as pos- sible, protecting at the same time the short shot area and passes to E and F in this territory. If D continues to dribble, a designated player, in this case B, goes out to stop him and the other man, A, drops back and covers the short shot area and attempts to prevent passes to E and F. As the third defensive man gets back, A drops to the opposite side and covers E, with C assuming his position on F. DRILL FOR THREE-ON-ONE FAST BREAK SITUATION The defensive player A must drop back and feint at all three offensive players, taking due precaution to pro- tect the short shot territory. The chief duty of A is to protect this short shot and to make the offensive use time, thereby allowing the defensive men to regain defensive positions. As soon as defensive players B and C are in de- fensive position A may definitely com- mit himself to the offensive player D. 42 4-— SSS ES a eee et PRACTICE DRILL AGAINST PIVOT MAN DIRECTLY : UNDER BASKET The players A, B and C are offen- @e° sive players who are assisted by the coach. The defensive player No. 1 re- sponsible for the pivot man plays at the side of the pivot man and must alternate his position as the ball changes sides of the floor. The coach is only a ball handler and ® ® is not allowed to move from his center e, position. The object of the drill is for A and B to move the ball from side to side forcing No. 1 to change his posi- tion a great number of times and when o® @ conn the opportunity presents itself to pass wy in to the pivot. Passes may be made cy by the coach into the pivot. The drill is of great value in teaching the guard to be alert in watching the ball while changing his position on the floor. The guards No. 2 and No. 3 obtain valuable practice in placing them- selves in the proper guarding positions to prevent A and B from receiving passes from the coach. COMBINATION DRILLS The drills listed under this heading are general drills for stressing more than one fundamental. Most drills include prac- tice on several fundamentals but place the major emphasis on one specific one. The combination type of drill may be adapted to the teaching of your fast break offense elements or your defensive work. They are valuable in that they will keep your entire squad working all of the time. They add interest and are valuable in introducing game conditions or elements involv- ing a large portion of the floor. INFORMAL WARM-UP SHOOTING DRILL An adaptation that has been used by the writer both as a coach and player is the encouragement of the players to spend considerable time dur- ing the informal drill in the execution of short shots. In this drill the player who shoots seldom rebounds, but another player whose turn to shoot comes either before or after this shooter rebounds the ball and passes it to the shooter who is cutting fast for a short shot. Any number of players with the exception of the next long shooter rebound and continue the short shooting until one or more baskets are made. Many times the players will make several passes before actually taking a shot at the basket. The drill is a very effective one for teaching short shots and it holds considerable interest for the players. 43 COMBINATION DRILL FOR TEACHING VARIOUS FUNDA- MENTALS AND OFFENSIVE PHASES In this drill the coach shoots at the basket. E, a guard recovers the re- bound and brings it out with a jump- hook pass to the forward B breaking down the side-line. B dribbles across the center line, uses a forward pivot, and passes to C crossing the floor. B then crosses the floor fast and sets ; his foot and drives across the pivot man A. C after receiving the pass from B dribbles, uses a forward pivot and passes to D who passes to the pivot man. B crosses the pivot, fol- | 1 | | ‘ lowed first by C and then by D. E trails the play and occasionally the ball is thrown out to him for a long ~ shot with all men rebounding. @c ~ : | ied e; Jel COMBINATION DRILL ‘ FOR FAST BREAK FUNDAMENTALS In this phase of the drill, E re- bounds and passes to D who dribbles fast straight through the center and feeds the forwards, B and C feeding under. The center A pulls to either side of the floor and feeds after the forwards. D may start through fast, pivot and feed E the trailer who will drive through and feed the forwards or the center, The ball may occasionally be passed out to the center in the corner for a shot with A, B, and C rebound- ing. 44 —y ~~- CIRCLE FAST BREAK DRILL This is a drill for the organization of your fast break offensive system. The players form a circle at the de- fensive foul line. The ball is placed on the floor in the middle of this group. The coach calls the name of a player. This player takes the ball and the fast break is to be developed as rapidly as possible using your type of fast break offensive. In the diagram C is called; he happens in this case to be the center who dribbles, pivots and passes to your feeder man A; B and D are your forwards. These men cut down the sidelines to gain position for passes from A for a short shot. The center C could trail and be ready to lead the offensive if A is forced to stop. This is an example of the method of using the drill in its application to a defi- nite fast break set-up. The drill can be varied by calling a player and a command to dribble to the center and pivot and feed a trailer or some other phase which is involved in your offensive for the fast break. CALL NUMBER CUTTING DRILL ex ®@®®©@O®@ MANGER @ Qa <7 In this drill the men are formed in a semi-circle and are given numbers. The coach and a ball catcher or man- ager may station themselves in some position in the front court. The coach will call the number and the man who has that number must cut for the bas- ket as soon and as fast as possible. The drill teaches alertness, fast starting, and the dribble and lay-in shot. Two or three balls may be used in the drill by having the men who shoot, take the ball off the bank and return it to the ball-catcher. The ball catcher places the balls at the side of the coach, who picks up one of the balls and calls the number, feeds the man breaking. Additional use may be made of this drill by giving combination com- mands, such as No. 7 forward pivot—No. 3 cut and shoot. No. 7 must break for the pass, use a forward pivot when the imaginary guard is encountered and then feed the ball to No. 3, who must wait and time his feed. Other fundamentals may be practiced with this drill. 45 ell rf LONG PASS AND CUT DRILL B retrieves shot from the bank- board and comes out with dribble and jump-hook pass to other guard, C. This man uses a long baseball pass to the center, A who comes out to meet the pass high and feeds to either B or C cutting into the basket. The drill is valuable for the use of the long baseball pass and for teach- ing cutting and receiving at high speed. DRILL FOR ADVANCING THE BALL OVER THE CENTER LINE WHEN MET BY GUARDS The coach or a player shoots and one of the guards retrieves the ball from the bankboard, comes out with a dribble and advances it to, but not across, the centerline. The other guard hurries to a position a short distance from him. Have the defen- sive men attack them when they are in this position. The offensive men must use their footwork and offensive fundamentals to break through these men and get across the line. This is an important phase to practice as every team occasionally encounters a team that practices this sort of defense and this drill affords a similar set-up with all of the variations possible by the defensive being practiced and check plays given to the offensive men. 46 a7 Se. oe *~-e =e S S * ¢ e & eo) fo 2. 7? TEAM DRIBBLE—SHOOT RELAY Two squads are formed. Each man in each squad must dribble to the opposite basket, shoot and MAKE the basket, dribble to the other end and make a basket. The next man in line recovers the ball after it comes through the basket and continues un- til all men have taken their turn. No one can touch the ball during his trial but the dribbler. The team completing the relay first is the win- ner. TEAM VARIATION RACE In this relay two or more squads are formed and various fundamentals must be made during the course. In the setup shown the players must dribble to the chair, use a reverse pivot, dribble to the foul line, shoot a free throw, rebound the ball, dribble full speed to the other basket, MAKE a short shot, rebound the ball and pass to the next in line. Where space and facilities permit, a number of fundamentals may be involved by introducing other varia- tions. AT