Cone dribbling to a layup

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Basketball drill · Under-7 and up

Three cones in a line from half court towards the top of the key. The player dribbles a slalom through them, changing hands at every cone so the ball is always on the side away from the cone, then attacks the basket for a layup. It is a ball-handling warm-up that ends in a finish, so young players never dribble without a reason.

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Time
8 minutes
Players
1 at a time per line, with 2 or 3 lines
Equipment
  • 3 cones per line
  • 1 ball per player
  • 1 basket

Setup

  1. Put three cones in a line from half court towards the top of the key, about 6 feet apart, in line with the right-hand lane line.
  2. Players line up on the half-court line, each with a ball.
  3. Dribble to the right of the first cone, cross over to the left hand, go left of the second, cross back, and so on.
  4. After the last cone, attack the basket and finish with a right-handed layup. Rebound your own ball and go to the back of the line.
  5. Next player goes when the one in front passes the second cone.

Coaching points

  • Ball on the side away from the cone. The cone is a defender, so keep your body between it and the ball.
  • Low, quick crossover: below the knee, from one hand to the other in front of your body, not out wide.
  • Eyes up. Look at the basket, not the ball. Call out how many fingers the coach holds up.
  • Change speed. Slow into the cone, explode out of the crossover.
  • Right side, right hand: lay it in off the right foot, high off the backboard.

On the run sheet: Eyes up, ball on the side away from the cone, low crossover, then attack the rim

Progressions

  1. Change the move at each cone: crossover, then between the legs, then behind the back.
  2. Set the cones on the left and finish with a left-handed layup.
  3. Replace the last cone with a coach holding a pad, so the finish has to absorb a bump.
  4. Race: two lines, two slaloms, first to score wins a point.

How it runs

The player starts on the half-court line with the ball and dribbles at the first cone. They go past it on the right with the ball in the right hand, cross over to the left hand in front of the next cone, and cross back again at the third. Every change of hand keeps the ball on the side away from the cone, which is what a ball handler does against a defender. After the last cone they attack the basket from the right and finish with a right-handed layup. The animation shows one player going through while the next two wait their turn on half court.

Why it is a good warm-up

Stationary ball-handling is useful, but young players need to dribble while moving, looking up and deciding when to change hands. This drill does all three, and it ends with a layup, so every rep has a finish. It needs no defenders, takes a few minutes and runs from as many lines as you have baskets and balls, so it gets the whole team moving at the start of practice.

The mistakes to watch for

Crossing the ball high and wide, where a defender could take it. Looking down at the ball. Slowing to a walk at each cone instead of changing speed. And a layup off the wrong foot.

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