Each student has a ball in an area defined by cones or lines. Students will dribble the ball in different ways to see which is best for basketball. The students will start off by patting the ball with the palm of their hand, use their elbow, push the ball into the ground with their knuckles, use the underneath of their hand and finally push the ball down using their fingertips. The coach can ask the students if they noticed a difference and which technique is best. (The correct technique is to push the ball to the ground using your fingertips as you have the most control over the ball.) The next step is to decide how high we need to be dribbling the ball; as high as their knees, their nose and then finally their waist. Again, ask the students which one is the best. (The correct technique is waist height). The students practice dribbling the ball with their fingertips, at waist height and then repeat with non-dominant hand. Add in extra variations of dribbling; switching from hand to hand, dribbling behind their back, between their legs etc.

Players each have a basketball and dribble it inside a given area. The aim of the game is to protect their own basketball, while trying to knock other players basketballs away from them. Each player starts with 10 points. Players will lose points if another player knocks their basketball away, or if players lose control and their basketball bounces beyond the playing boundary. If a student knocks another students basketball away, they will gain a 1 point. The winner is the player left with the most points.

To make this activity harder for students, the coach can minimise the space this activity is played in, reduce the amount of points given at the start of each round (e.g. 5, 3) or can have a knockout round where players only start with 1 point, as soon as this point is lost they have been eliminated from the game (can no longer gain a point for knocking other players basketball). The player left at the end (last student standing) will be the winner. 

Modifications

Time limit, bigger/smaller area

In this game there is one team of attackers, made up of 4 students and another team, the defenders, who have 2 students. The attackers start with the ball at one end of the playing area and try to score a point, by passing the basketball (no dribbling) amongst their team and land the basketball in a hoola hoop at the other end of the playing area. The defenders are trying to stop the attackers from scoring and if they manage to steal the ball, then the defenders will get a point for their team. If the defenders steal the ball OR if the attackers score a basket, one of the defenders will dribble the ball back and place it on the ground at the starting spot. When the coach blows the whistle the two defenders will swap and become attackers. One more round will be completed so that each student has had a turn at being both the attackers and defenders.

If there is time at the end you can add in dribbling for the attacking team. The coach can limit the amount of bounces an attacking player does with the ball (x3 -5 bounces) so they then have to pass and utilise team mates that are moving into space. 

Modifications

Only allow passing with no dribbling. Add or take away dribbles allowed.

Special Needs Modifications

Use a softer ball that is easier to catch.