Basketball drills

6 drills coaches already run every week, each written out with the setup, the coaching points and how to make it harder — and each one animated, so your players can see it before they do it.

Add any drill to a practice plan in one tap and it prints on your run sheet with its time and its coaching cue. Free, and it does not use up a saved play.

• Under-7 and upLayup linesTwo lines, one ball per shooter, and a layup every few seconds. Layup lines are how nearly every basketball team in the world warms up, and the difference between a team that goes through the motions and one that gets better is in the footwork and the finish. 8 min 6 to 12, split into a shooting line and a rebounding line
• Under-9 and upMikan drillOne player, one ball, one basket: lay it in on the right, catch it out of the net, step through and lay it in on the left. Named after George Mikan, who did it every day, it builds the soft touch and two-handed footwork every player needs within three feet of the rim. 5 min 1 per basket, or pairs taking turns
• Under-11 and up3-man weaveThree players, three lanes, one ball and no dribbling. Pass to the player beside you and run behind them, and keep weaving until the ball arrives at the basket. It is a passing drill, a conditioning drill and a fast-break drill in one. 10 min 3 at a time, with lines of 3 waiting at halfcourt
• Under-10 and up2-on-1 fast breakTwo attackers, one defender, one decision. The ball handler drives hard at the basket until the defender has to stop the ball, then passes to the team-mate the defender just left. Done well it is a layup every time, and it is the most valuable two seconds of transition basketball. 10 min 3 at a time: 2 attackers and 1 defender, with lines at halfcourt
• Under-11 and upCloseout drillA defender under the basket passes the ball out to a shooter on the wing and sprints out to guard them. The first two-thirds is a sprint, the last third is short choppy steps with a hand up, and then the shooter attacks. It is the defensive skill that decides whether an open shot gets taken. 10 min 2 at a time: 1 defender and 1 shooter, with a line at each spot
• Under-12 and upShell defenceFour offensive players spread round the arc pass the ball, and four defenders have to be in the right place by the time it arrives: on the ball, one pass away in the denial, or two passes away in help. It is how every team-defence principle is taught, and it is the drill that shows a coach who is guessing. 15 min 8: 4 on offence and 4 on defence