Defensive Drills

  • Ages 6-10

  • Balls

Development Goal

To develop an understanding of one-on-one defense.

Before You Start

Skills Practiced:  Dribbling, defense and agility.

  • Prepare students for an activity that will have several short games.
  • Review basketball rules.

Set Up

Prepare an area, preferably a basketball court, marked by cones, chalk, or lines.

How to Play

Quickness
  • Divide players into two groups, lined up shoulder-to-shoulder.
  • Start with both lines facing each other, while you are standing between the two lines.
  • Throw the ball down the court and the first person from each line runs down the court to retrieve the ball.
  • The player who gets the ball first attempts to dribble the ball back to you.
  • The other player plays defense.
  • When the ball is back in your hands, the next people in line are up.
Shoulder Move
  • Paired off players face each other, holding onto each other’s shoulders.
  • Players take turns leading each other, moving around the court.
  • You can give different signals to signify different movements, i.e. one whistle means move left, two whistles means move right.
Pursuit
  • Players pair off.
  • One player leads, moving all around the court, while the other player must follow and stay within three feet of the leader.
  • Players switch after one minute or when you give a signal.
Cone Weaving
  • Set up several rows of cones, side-by-side with about four feet between them.
  • Pair students and have them line up behind each row of cones.
  • Players must weave through the cones in pairs, without passing or tripping over each other, for a designated amount of time (i.e. two minutes).
  • You can signal a change of direction.

Variations

None