Starts out with 4 players across the top of the blocks
#1 Inbounds to #5
#3 cuts to the block
#1 moves toward #5 for the hand off
As the handoff occurs, #4 screens down for #2
The frame below is another option called “Reject”
This frame is another option called reject.
#1 reject the screen from #3 and cuts backdoor with the floor spread
Last second shot play vs. a 2-3 zone defense. I call this play stack.
We save this play to run at the end of the fourth quarter or at the end of overtime as our game winner against a 2-3 zone.
If you have run it previously, the zone will adjust and “play the play.” That is wby I only run it when the game is in the balance.
The description consists of 4 diagrams.
Diagrams created with FastDraw
Play starts out in this alignment.
#2 is your best 3 point shooter.
#4 and #3 must also be able to hit a 3 point shot to force the defense to guard them.
#1 dribbles right to move x1
#4 replaces #1
#1 passes to #4 to occupy x2
#4 passes to #3 to move x3
It is important that #3 breaks higher than “the free throw line extended” to allow for proper spacing. If 3 is too close to the corner, then D3 will be able to recover to challenge #2s shot.
#2 breaks to corner for shot as #5 screens in x5
If x5 fights over screen, 3 can pass directly to 5.
Another option is for 3 to pass to 2, 5 seals x4 coming to help and 2 can feed 5.
After the shot, all players fill the rebounding spots.
These ideas on maximizing your scrimmage time came from the Xavier Basketball Newsletter
I have always wrestled with how much to let players play in practice and how much to stop and instruct. Obviously, they have to learn to play through mistakes in games, but, if we take the time to teach how to play, hopefully they won’t make as many mistakes.
It is a difficult balance to strike. These six ideas can help provide some structure to your five on five segments in practice so that your players will be used to game like transition and still allow your coaches the opportunity to teach.
There are 8 ideas altogether. Take the bits and pieces that you like and modify them to fit your needs.
1) 4 Minute Games:
Playing 4 minute mini games allows for a number of aspects of the team to improve. For college programs, the mini games simulate the game time between media time-outs allowing players to maximize their effort between time-out rest time. Also, resetting the score after each session trains players to win the current 4 minute segment they are playing which helps in focusing them on each possession
2) Score…Stop…Score:
Calls for teams to execute scoring and defending for 3 consecutive possessions. Drill is blown dead as soon as a team doesn’t complete one of the 3 possessions effectively. We score the ability to have executed all 3 phases. We have found through our own research if a team can execute more than 5 of these per game they win. You consider having 5 or more 4-0 runs is like being up 20 points.
3) Stop…..Score…Stop:
Calls for teams to execute defending and scoring for 3 consecutive possessions. Drill is blown dead as soon as a team doesn’t complete one of the 3 possessions effectively. We score the team’s ability to have executed all 3 phases. Emphasis in the drill is turn your defense into points then create a second stop. Use this concept to start your games to set the tone of the game to be hard for your opponents to score on.
This drill is best introduced as a 3-on-3 situation. As the sequence of a STOP-SCORE-STOP is repeated and as the season progresses making it a 4-on-4 and ultimately a 5-on-5-on-5 situation will maximize the time and also create the most game like scenario possible.
With a large team you can have this going on both ends with winning teams advancing to play each other as needed. Divide into two 3-on-3 colored teams. Blue starts on offense. White on defense.
The main idea to communicate is that each possession either finishes in a STOP or a SCORE. It is each team’s goal to complete a 3 possession sequence of a STOP-SCORE-STOP. SCORE is anytime the offensive team scores a basket or draws a foul.
STOP is anytime the defensive team secures a defensive rebound, forces TO, or tie-ball. When a team comes up with a STOP they then must follow that with a SCORE to keep their sequence going. If that team completes the next possession with a defensive STOP they EARN a point.
We will either play this drill to a certain number of points or for a set amount of time.This is another drill that works both offense and defense simultaneously.
DEFENSE:
Teaches the importance of finishing possessions either with rebounds or steals or tying up loose balls. It teaches great communication. It teaches your players how quickly momentum can swing.
OFFENSE
Teaches the importance of shot selection, valuing the ball in risk/reward situations. As a Coach you must create the competitive spirit of this drill with your energy and ability to keep the drill flowing without long delays in the action.
4) Situational Scrimmaging:
Allows for teams to practice specific time and score situations. Increases players awareness and intelligence with game situations. See what players can handle different situations.
5) From a Free Throw:
Utilize your Free Throw situation to set up your full court defenses and press offenses. Players must come to the line and convert FT’s in order for team to be able to set up the full court defense or half court trap action. Offenses must respond in kind to the defensive pressure. Play 1 possession on a offensive score but allow the defense to convert their stop before blowing the drill dead. Converting to defense off a missed free throw is something that teams do not do well without practicing and most teams do not practice it enough.
6) BLOB and SLOB Sets:
Start your scrimmages with a BLOB or SLOB set. Having teams execute an inbounds set versus a live defense is great simulation to games. If they don’t have a shot off of the initial action, it is a good time to If the offense scores, blow it dead. If the defense gets a stop, allow them to convert to offense an have a chance to score before blowing it dead.
7) Play with Special Rules
Having too many special rules detracts from your scrimmage, but one or two special rule that fit what you are emphasizing will help players focus on those areas. For example, if you award a team an extra point for every pass caught in the paint or dribble penetration into the paint, you will see more of those. If you give the offense an extra point every time the defense does not challenge a shooter, you will get more contested shots. Select an area you want players to focus on and develop a scoring system that rewards your players when they execute it in a scrimmage.
8) Keep Statistics for Practice Scrimmages
This can also be a target that you are focusing on and doesn’t have to be the traditional field goal percentage, rebounds, assists, etc.. Have an assistant coach chart, and call out, missed block outs. Or do the same for the offensive end, when your players don’t go to their offensive rebounding spots–record it and call it out. The key is to select an area that your team needs to focus on to be their best.
Click here for information on the complete basketball practice e-book
“130 Great Ideas to Get a Lot More Accomplished in Practice”
These three shooting drills came from Arkansas Women’s Coach Mike Neighbors when he was at the University of Washington.
If you would like to subscribe to his newsletter, email me and I will forward your interest on to Coach Mike Neighbors.
He is not publishing it at this time as he is making the transition between jobs, but will have it up and running again at some point.
I hope that these drills help you to provide some variety into the essential repetition that must take place to have a team that shoots well.
Diagrams created with FastDraw
This is a Game Shot/Game Spot drill… the best will go at Game Speed too
Put 3:00 on the clock.
Shooter is attempting 2 point shots at 15-17 feet. She stays at one spot until she makes 3 shots in a row… The string of 3 in a row=1 Hubie. She moves to another spot as quickly as possible and continues until time runs off the clock. Your best shooters should be able to complete between 10-15 Hubies.
When attempting 3 point shots, the shooter must only make 2 in a row to equal a HUBIE. Your best shooters should make between 28-25 HUBIES.
We always have a passer and a rebounder doing this drill so you may have to adjust your numbers accordingly. Keep the conditions the same when you are charting and comparing.
Shooter begins at Spot 1. Shooter remains at this spot until she misses two consecutive shots. After two consecutive misses you must move to
Spot 2. Again you make as many shots as possible without missing two in a row. Continue to Spots 3, 4, 5.
Each make is worth 1 to your score. BIG Shot is designed to be cumulative score of the total makes at all five spots.
You should attempt range appropriate shots. Shots do not have to be 3 point shots.
For a Division I Women’s team, these are recommended scores. You can set your scores at a level that are appropriate for your players.
Your best shooters should score above 500 on 2 point shots. Your best shooters should score above 200 on 3 point shots.
Shooter begins in corner at spot 1. Make or miss sprint to spot 2, then to 3, then to 4, then to 5 attempting a shot at each.
The first trip is 5 shots.
The next trip is 2 cycles or 10 shots.
The next trip is 3 cycles or 15 shots.
The last trip is 4 cycles or 20 shots.
This gives us a total of 50 attempts.
Your best shooters should make 35-40 on 2 point shots.
Your best shooters should make 30-40 on 3 point shots.
This is a four and a half minute video of Dayton’s Archie Miller going through a drill to work on finishing in transition at the basket.
The video is a You Tube video.
Make sure your sound is on as you watch.
If you are interested in learning more about the entire DVD that this sample came, click this link. Anyone who purchases anything from the store receives one of my basketball coaching eBooks as a bonus. Just email me and let me know which one you would like to receive!
The video is 4 minutes and 45 seconds long
Make sure your sound is on.
If you are interested in learning more about the entire DVD that this sample came, click this link. Anyone who purchases anything from the store receives one of my basketball coaching eBooks as a bonus. Just email me and let me know which one you would like to receive!
Coach Vonn Read has submitted several plays from his playbook series The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays to the Coaching Toolbox. Vonn is currently serving as an assistant in the Women’s at Syracuse.
He has also served as an assistant coach in the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury, Orlando Miracle, and San Antonio Silver Stars. He was an advanced scout for the Orlando Magic as well as The Charlotte Sting.
Run this play against a 2-3 zone
The 1 player will pass the ball and cut to the short wing.
The 4 player will cut to the short corner. The 3 player will cut to the opposite short corner.
The 2 player will pass to the 1 player.
The 4 player will beg for the ball as a decoy to draw X5 out. pass to the 1 player.
The 1 player will dribble to the corner to make the seam pass on the baseline.
The 4 player will screen X5 and the 5 player will screen X3. The 3 player will sneak baseline to the rim for the layup.
Coach Read has also put together The Basketball Encyclopedia of plays. You can check them out here: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays or read more about the books:
Any coach looking for the latest and innovative plays from the Professional, College, or High School levels can stop looking. With a compilation of over 7,700 different plays, you will never need to purchase another basketball playbook again. These playbooks can be used as a great reference tool for years to come. This 2 Volume Book includes plays from 19 different play categories, and they are the most extensive playbooks on the market.
The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays (Platinum Series) contains over 7,700 Plays (Both Volumes combined) from the NBA, WNBA, USBL, and College levels from someone who has worked as an Advanced Scout or Coach on each level!!! This book has been intensely compiled over the last 21 years, with plays taken from a lot of NBA Coaches (past and present), WNBA coaches, and College coaches (Men’s and Women’s) from around the country.
Any coach that is serious about improving their knowledge of the game from an X and O standpoint will benefit tremendously from these books. These Books can be used to discover New Quick hitters, add a New Package to your playbook, or develop an entire Offensive System. There are a lot of new ideas and concepts in these books to study, and the Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays can be a great resource for coaches on all levels!!! This book is definitely for those X and O junkies who are always looking to improve as a Coach.
“THE GAME IS ALWAYS CHANGING? ARE YOU?” Vonn Read
Here is the link: The Basketball Encyclopedia of Plays
