Basketball: Offensive training and drills
This plan provides a 1-hour lesson on offensive basketball strategies and drills to help players improve their offensive play, including a warm-up, drills and strategies to practice, and a final game to put it all into practice.
Lesson Overview
Key Objectives
- Ensure team is following all safety protocols
- Explain strategies and drills clearly and provide instruction on how to properly execute them
- Encourage team to work together
- Encourage team to focus on fundamentals
- Provide positive reinforcement and keep it fun
- Be sure to provide adequate breaks for players
- Basketball
- Cones or markers
- Appropriate attire for playing basketball
- Water for players
- Stopwatch/timer
Warm-Up
Drills
Give a few drills, such as the "Quick Dribble" drill and the "Pass and Cut" drill. For the "Quick Dribble" drill, have players dribble a basketball up and down the court as quickly as possible. Make sure they stay in control and emphasize the importance of quick ball handling.
For the "Pass and Cut" drill, have players practice passing the ball and then making a cut to the basket. Have players pass the ball to each other and then run to the basket to finish with a layup or jump shot.
These drills should be done in a group setting and should be repeated several times.
Make sure to provide feedback to each player, emphasizing the importance of quick ball handling and court awareness.
Strategies
Discuss different offensive strategies and how to execute them.
To begin, we will focus on the pick-and-roll. The pick-and-roll is an offensive strategy that involves two players. The first player, the ball handler, moves towards the picker, the second player. This creates a physical barrier, or pick, that the defense must negotiate in order to guard the ball handler. The ball handler can then either drive to the basket, pass to the picker, or pull up for a jump shot. The picker once blocking the defend can pivot towards the hoop with an arm out looking for a pass in. Practice all variations.
Next, we will focus on the give-and-go. The give-and-go is a strategy that involves two players. The first player will give the ball to the second player, who will then move the ball in the opposite direction. The first player will then move towards the basket, creating an opening that the second player can pass the ball into for a score.
Finally, we will focus on the screen. A screen is an offensive strategy that involves two players. The first player sets a physical barrier, or screen, in front of the defender to help the second player get open. The second player can then move freely and receive a pass for a score.
These are just a few of the offensive strategies available. Through practice and repetition, players will be able to master these strategies and develop their own offensive play style.
See games for more extensions.
- Divide players into teams of three.
- Instruct each team of three to practice the following offensive drills:
- Fast break drills
- Cutting drills
- Screening drills
- Have the players practice the drills for a set amount of time.
- Once the time has expired, have the teams switch drills to become more familiar with all of the offensive drills.
- Once comfortable with the drills, have the teams practice running offensive plays.
- To ensure that the players understand the plays, have them practice them for the same set amount of time that was allotted for the drills.
- Shoot and Pass
This game is designed to help players learn how to make quick passes and shots.
- Divide players into two teams and have them line up along opposite sides of the court.
- On the coach's signal, the two teams pass the ball to each other until it reaches the opposite side of the court.
- Once the ball has been passed to the other side, the team must then shoot it into the basket.
- The team with the most baskets wins.
- 2 on 2 Offense
This game is designed to help players learn how to set up offensive plays and move the ball around the court.
- Divide players into two teams of two each, and have them line up along opposite sides of the court.
- On the coach's signal, the two teams must then make passes and shots to score a basket.
- The team with the most baskets wins.
- 3 on 3 Offense
This game is designed to help players learn how to set up more complex offensive plays and move the ball around the court.
- Divide players into two teams of three each, and have them line up along opposite sides of the court.
- On the coach's signal, the two teams must then make passes and shots to score a basket.
- The team with the most baskets wins.
Game
Begin by splitting the players into two even teams. Give each team a set of offensive goals to aim for and have them play a game for 15 minutes. Encourage players to use the offensive drills and strategies they learned in the lesson.
Give bonus points for implementing some offensive strategy that they have learnt earlier.
Throughout the game, provide feedback and advice to help players better understand and execute the strategies. At the end of the game, have players come together to discuss how the strategies worked and ask them to identify the most effective tactics.