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Basketball Basics for New Players and Coaches -- Learn the Basic Rules, Concepts, Court Layout, and Player PositionsFREE! Get 72 of our favorite basketball drills and 32 of our favorite basketball plays.The rules of basketball, thankfully, are fairly straightforward. However, for the younger players, some rules can be easily forgotten. The three-second rule addressing how long an offensive player can be in the key before clearing out is a good example.Once you have taught the rules of the game to your team, there is a simple way to make sure that they don't forget them. Have them tell you the rules. Spend a few minutes during each practice quizzing them. Make it fun. Additionally, you can teach and reinforce the rules of the game during drills.Before you can teach the rules to your team, you must know them yourself...The RulesBasketball is a team sport. Two teams of five players each try to score by shooting a ball through a hoop elevated 10 feet above the ground. The game is played on a rectangular floor called the court, and there is a hoop at each end. The court is divided into two main sections by the mid-court line. If the offensive team puts the ball into play behind the mid-court line, it has ten seconds to get the ball over the mid-court line. If it doesn't, then the defense gets the ball. Once the offensive team gets the ball over the mid-court line, it can no longer have possession of the ball in the area in back of the line. If it does, the defense is awarded the ball. Basketball Court 1The ball is moved down the court toward the basket by passing or dribbling. The team with the ball is called the offense. The team without the ball is called the defense. They try to steal the ball, contest shots, steal and deflect passes, and garner rebounds. When a team makes a basket, they score two points and the ball goes to the other team. If a basket, or field goal, is made outside of the three-point arc, then that basket is worth three points. A free throw is worth one point. Free throws are awarded to a team according to some formats involving the number of fouls committed in a half and/or the type of foul committed. Fouling a shooter always results in two or three free throws being awarded the shooter, depending upon where he was when he shot. If he was beyond the three-point line, then he gets three shots. Other types of fouls do not result in free throws being awarded until a certain number have accumulated during a half. Once that number is reached, then the player who was fouled is awarded a '1-and-1' opportunity. If he makes his first free throw, he gets to attempt a second. If he misses the first shot, the ball is live on the rebound.Each game is divided into sections. All levels have two halves. In college, each half is twenty minutes long. In high school and below, the halves are divided into eight (and sometimes, six) minute quarters. In the pros, quarters are twelve minutes long. There is a gap of several minutes between halves. Gaps between quarters are relatively short. If the score is tied at the end of regulation, then overtime periods of various lengths are played until a winner emerges.Each team is assigned a basket or goal to defend. This means that the other basket is their scoring basket. At halftime, the teams switch goals. The game begins with one player from either team at center court. A referee will toss the ball up between the two. The player that gets his hands on the ball will tip it to a teammate. This is called a tip-off. In addition to stealing the ball from an opposing player, there are other ways for a team to get the ball. One such way is if the other team commits a foul or violation.Fouls and ViolationsFOULSRecommended Resources for Youth Coaches??Coaching Youth Basketball Successfully??60 Fun Youth Basketball Drills??Simple Offense for Youth BasketballPersonal fouls: Personal fouls include any type of illegal physical contact.Hitting Pushing Slapping Holding Illegal pick/screen -- when an offensive player is moving. When an offensive player sticks out a limb and makes physical contact with a defender in an attempt to block the path of the defender. Personal foul penalties: If a player is shooting while a being fouled, then he gets two free throws if his shot doesn't go in, but only one free throw if his shot does go in.Three free throws are awarded if the player is fouled while shooting for a three-point goal and they miss their shot. If a player is fouled while shooting a three-point shot and makes it anyway, he is awarded one free throw. Thus, he could score four points on the play.Inbounds. If fouled while not shooting, the ball is given to the team the foul was committed upon. They get the ball at the nearest side or baseline, out of bounds, and have 5 seconds to pass the ball onto the court.One & one. If the team committing the foul has seven or more fouls in the game, then the player who was fouled is awarded one free throw. If he makes his first shot, then he is awarded another free throw.Ten or more fouls. If the team committing the foul has ten or more fouls, then the fouled player receives two free throws.Charging. An offensive foul that is committed when a player pushes or runs over a defensive player. The ball is given to the team that the foul was committed upon.Blocking. Blocking is illegal personal contact resulting from a defender not establishing position in time to prevent an opponent's drive to the basket.Flagrant foul. Violent contact with an opponent. This includes hitting, kicking, and punching. This type of foul results in free throws plus the offense retaining possession of the ball after the free throws.Intentional foul. When a player makes physical contact with another player with no reasonable effort to steal the ball. It is a judgment call for the officials.Technical foul. Technical foul. A player or a coach can commit this type of foul. It does not involve player contact or the ball but is instead about the 'manners' of the game. Foul language, obscenity, obscene gestures, and even arguing can be considered a technical foul, as can technical details regarding filling in the scorebook improperly or dunking during warm-ups. VIOLATIONSWalking/Traveling. Taking more than 'a step and a half' without dribbling the ball is traveling. Moving your pivot foot once you've stopped dribbling is traveling.Carrying/palming. When a player dribbles the ball with his hand too far to the side of or, sometimes, even under the ball.Double Dribble. Dribbling the ball with both hands on the ball at the same time or picking up the dribble and then dribbling again is a double dribble.Held ball. Occasionally, two or more opposing players will gain possession of the ball at the same time. In order to avoid a prolonged and/or violent tussle, the referee stops the action and awards the ball to one team or the other on a rotating basis. Goaltending. If a defensive player interferes with a shot while it's on the way down toward the basket, while it's on the way up toward the basket after having touched the backboard, or while it's in the cylinder above the rim, it's goaltending and the shot counts. If committed by an offensive player, it's a violation and the ball is awarded to the opposing team for a throw-in.Backcourt violation. Once the offense has brought the ball across the mid-court line, they cannot go back across the line during possession. If they do, the ball is awarded to the other team to pass inbounds.Time restrictions. A player passing the ball inbounds has five seconds to pass the ball. If he does not, then the ball is awarded to the other team. Other time restrictions include the rule that a player cannot have the ball for more than five seconds when being closely guarded and, in some states and levels, shot-clock restrictions requiring a team to attempt a shot within a given time frame.Player PositionsCenter. Centers are generally your tallest players. They generally are positioned near the basket.Offensive -- The center's goal is to get open for a pass and to shoot. They are also responsible for blocking defenders, known as picking or screening, to open other players up for driving to the basket for a goal. Centers are expected to get some offensive rebounds and put-backs.Defensive -- On defense, the center's main responsibility is to keep opponents from shooting by blocking shots and passes in the key area. They also are expected to get a lot of rebounds because they're taller.Forward. Your next tallest players will most likely be your forwards. While a forward may be called upon to play under the hoop, they may also be required to operate in the wings and corner areas.Offensive -- Forwards are responsible to get free for a pass, take outside shots, drive for goals, and rebound.Defensive -- Responsibilities include preventing drives to the goal and rebounding.Guard. These are potentially your shortest players and they should be really good at dribbling fast, seeing the court, and passing. It is their job to bring the ball down the court and set up offensive plays.Offensive -- Dribbling, passing, and setting up offensive plays are a guard's main responsibilities. They also need to be able to drive to the basket and to shoot from the perimeter.Defensive -- On defense, a guard is responsible for stealing passes, contesting shots, preventing drives to the hoop, and for boxing out.Where Should New Players and Coaches Start?First, we suggest that you focus on learning the basic fundamentals of basketball.To teach fundamental skills, start with these 72 free basketball drills that include full diagrams and step by step instructions. They will help you develop strong fundamentals and basketball skills.Like any sport, no matter what your age -- whether you're a professional athlete or a youth player just getting started -- you need strong fundamentals to be successful!Unfortunately, most people don't really understand what that means.The fundamentals include working on the little things that make you better -- no matter what team or coach you play for -- or what offense or defense you are running.For example, by working on the fundamentals of shooting, you will get better no matter what team you play for. The fundamentals of shooting include proper foot alignment, leg bend, hand position, arm angle, follow through, and so on. These are some of the little things that make a difference. Learn them!The same goes for lays ups, foot work, post play, passing, jab steps, jump stops, pivoting, blocking out, and so on.We suggest that you start by learning the proper technique and fundamentals for:Shooting Passing Dribbling Lay ups Jump stops Pivoting and footwork Jab steps Screening Cutting Defense Rebounding These are all critical fundamentals to master because they'll make you and your team better, no matter what age level or situation you might be in.Coaching Youth BasketballAs a youth basketball coach, you have one of the most important and exciting jobs in the world!You'll be teaching habits that will stick with these kids for the rest of their lives. And whether you like it or not, you'll be setting an example and teaching kid's lessons about life (good and bad). Kids are impressionable. They pick up on things.You have an obligation and responsibility to teach them the right things - in both basketball and life.When you think about it, teachers would do anything to get the enthusiasm that you get from your players. Kids actually like and want to play basketball.Your players look up to you. They listen to you. And you have an amazing opportunity to make a POSITIVE impact on their lives!You have a very important and rewarding job!???????Picture by KityKityIn this section of our website, we'll provide you with links to a variety of youth coaching tactics, plays, drills, and tips that will help you become a better youth basketball coach.Here are some very important articles that apply to coaching youth basketball:The articles discuss very important concepts to help you succeed. So read through each article, starting with the first one at the top.Coaching PhilosophyEstablishing Your Philosophy and PrioritiesYouth Basketball - What Should You Teach?Could 3 on 3 Basketball Be the Best For Youth Players?What's Wrong With Youth Basketball Leagues? (And Suggestions To Improve Them)Interview that All Youth Coaches Should HearHandling Game SituationsMotivating PlayersDeveloping Mentality - Watch What You TeachFour Great Ways To Keep Your Team?s AttentionEstablishing Discipline and Getting More From Your PlayersCommunicating With Your Players10 Tips to Keep Players Focused, Motivated, and Playing Hard8 Ways to Earn Your Player's Trust8 Secrets To Success & How They Relate To Youth Coaching / ParentingLeadershipThe Most Important Aspect of Coaching & Leadership - Being a Good Role ModelImportant Lesson for Youth Basketball CoachesWhy It is Good to be a Salesman When Coaching BasketballHow Do You Always Keep a Positive Attitude as a Coach?Do You Yell At Referees?2 Simple Ways to Make a Positive Impact on Your Players' LivesHow to Become a Better LeaderLong-Term Player DevelopmentWhen Did Steve Nash Start Playing Basketball?The Problems With American BasketballCan Summer Basketball Lead To Injuries, Emotional Burnout, and Diminishing Skills?Developing Passion For Youth Basketball PlayersA Cheaper & More Effective Alternative to Summer Basketball CampsFundamentalsIMPORTANT: Focusing on the FundamentalsWhy Shooting Fundamentals are so Important for Youth Coaches?Youth Basketball Shooting: 3 Things Youth Coaches Need to AdjustShould We Teach Basketball Skills To Players Under the Age of 10?Only 4 Things You Need To Know To Be a Great Ball Handler (It's Not What You Think)4 Skill Development Techniques that Few Coaches are Aware OfPractice PlanningYouth Basketball - What Should You Teach?Sample Practice Plan - 7 to 10 Year OldsSample Practice Plan - 11 to 14 Year OldsSimple Tricks to Optimize Basketball Practice Time and Get More DoneCoaching Youth Basketball with Limited Time (1 Practice a Week)DefenseWhat defense should you teach youth players (zone, man, press)? What age should you start man to man?Outlawing Youth Zone DefensesFor The Frustrated Coaches That Turn to Zone Defense What Is The Right Age To Focus On Wins and Losses and Start Playing Zone?MORE Youth Coaching Articles - These are other articles about youth basketball that are placed on our blog.Youth Basketball DrillsIf you don't have our free eBook yet, the first thing you should check out is our FREE Basketball Drills ebook. It includes 72 of some of our favorite basketball drills and it includes youth section so you can easily find the drills that apply to you.We also offer an eBook with 60 FUN Basketball Drills and Tips to Make Practice Fun. This particular eBook is geared specifically towards making your drills and practices fun.In addition, here are a few more youth basketball drills that are not published in our eBook:"F-A-S-T" (FUN Drill)Form ShootingJump StopsNo Dribble Keep Away (FUN Drill)Defensive Challenge (FUN Drill)Basic Offensive SpacingPair PassingMiddle Man PassingPass & SwitchPivot 21 (FUN Drill)Reduce Turnovers with the Back Up Dribble DrillTop - 1 on 1 (FUN Drill)VIDEO - Partner Dribbling With Tennis Ball TossFlat Ball DrillFull Court Chair SeriesLOCO-MotionThree Man LSUWing - 1 on 1 (FUN Drill)Competitive Drills - 1 on 1 (FUN Drill)Elbow Shooting DrillRebounding/Block Out DrillDiamond Agility DrillRebounding Drill: Reverse Pivot TechniqueChair ChangesTwo up - Two backLow Post Chair PivotSplit Post Chair PivotRapid Fire Post MovesTwo Ball Dribbling Drills & MovesNo Hands Defense DrillGo, Go, Go! 1 on 2 Pressure Ballhandling Drill1 on 1 Ball Tough Drill - VIDEOImportant Tips:When working with young kids and running basketball drills, there are three very important concepts you need to consider:1 - Kids need to be highly active!Just by using fast paced drills and keeping things moving, your players will have more fun and get in better condition. Your kids should be breathing hard and their hearts should be pumping. It's good for them!Avoid standing in lines as much as possible and keep the ball in their hands as much as possible.2 - Kids want to feel successful! ???????Picture by Shane PopeWith very youngs kids, competition doesn't always serve as a motivator. You should always provide activities that help them build their skills and confidence. Strive to focus on the learning process instead of measuring up to those around you.You'll want to avoid adding pressure and competition until the players have developed their skills, confidence, and become proficient with the basics.Put them in situations where they can succeed.3 - Kids want to have lots of fun!This is an important stage for young players and your actions could determine whether they enjoy sports or not.It's important to make things fun so they can improve and become confident.Youth basketball drills don't have to be boring. Almost any drill can be modified to provide high activity, high success, and high enjoyment.Youth Basketball OffensesI believe that using a very simple motion offense is the way to go for youth teams because it teaches them how to move and the players will begin to learn how to get open and play the game.Motion offense also allows you to spend more time teaching fundamentals and skills (which is very important for young players).The challenging part about motion offenses is that there are SO many options that it's hard for players to know what to do. But you can easily solve that problem by making simple rules and starting with the basics.For example, you might want to just with just a couple simple options for your motion offense. You could start by teaching the players proper spacing, away screens, and v-cuts. Once they master those skills and get VERY proficient at cutting properly and setting good away screens, then you can start adding more options and building on your foundation.You can add ball screens, rolling, and so on. Just don't go too fast! Make sure they have good fundamentals before you start adding stuff.You can learn about developing motion offenses by looking at these resources: Offensive Theory & Introduction to Basketball OffenseTeaching Basketball Motion Offense5 Out Cutters Offense - Easy to teach and it is a great building block for the motion offense.You can also try this very simple patterned offense that you can use as a play or your entire offense: Breaker Offense - Breaking the Press in Youth BasketballYouth Basketball PlaysWhen it comes to teaching plays to youth basketball players, it is typically better to teach them concepts on how to play the game of basketball. ? Triple Threat - How to get in triple threat position every time a player catches the ball. ? Footwork - Quick stops & pivoting ? Cutting - Basket cuts & back cuts ? Screens - Off the ball & On-ball ? Eventually, reading screens. To read more on this topic, please read: Should Youth Coaches AVOID Plays and Patterned Offenses? Here are some very basic plays:1-3-1 CuttersRollingSwing VariationZone ShallowZone OverloadQuick Hitter Vs. 1-3-1 ZoneBest Overall Advice for Youth Basketball Coaches1) Keep things fun!Did you know that the #1 reason kids quit sports is because it's not fun anymore?!? It's very important to play plenty of games and keep a positive attitude. Be positive and make things fun. Even if the kids get cut from the team or decide not play basketball at an older age, they'll still have a positive image of basketball and may continue to play it recreationally when they get older. If you act like a drill sergeant when coaching a bunch of 10 year olds, the kid will get a negative image of basketball and have negative emotional feelings when thinking of basketball. Kids will also get sick of basketball if they play TOO many games each year. As a result, they will not likely play basketball when they get older. It can even affect their feelings towards fitness in general. If a person dislikes fitness and becomes inactive, they are more likely to be unhealthy! 60 FUN Youth Basketball Drills and Games2) Be Positive & Do NOT Correct Every Mistake!Don't be too critical and stop them to make a correction on every mistake. Let them play and learn themselves. If you stop or correct them on every mistake, you'll get a basketball player with low confidence that is always unsure of what to do, instead of a confident player that reacts to the defense. Now, if they continue to make the same mistake over and over and over, show the player a better way to do a certain thing. For example, if you see one of your players stand straight up every time they touch the ball and a defender crowds them and causes the offensive player to travel. Say to the player, "Way to hustle, Johnny! Let me show you something that will help you when the defender crowds you. When catching the ball in this position, keep your hips back with your knees bent, and pivot. Be ready to attack. Then if the defender comes to crowd you, it will be easy for you to dribble right by him!" Notice, I did NOT focus on the negative and say "Stop bringing the ball up!" Don't focus on the negative. Focus on the way to help them. Let's be positive as coaches! 3) Allow your players to be successful!Sometimes competition is not a motivator for young kids. However ALL kids need to taste success (and hopefully lots of it). Now this doesn't mean winning. It means getting better and succeeding in practice. Allow your players to run drills that they can succeed at and feel good about. Celebrate small accomplishments and successes with your players.4) Teach life lessons in your practices!Read this article about teaching life lessons and improving team bonding.5) Don't worry about winning!You don't have time to worry about winning. There's only time to do the right thing... If you do things "right", winning will eventually be a by-product of your actions. Be patient. True success takes time to do things right. It doesn't happen overnight.You must first build a SOLID foundation for these kids to build on. Taking the time to build that foundation will cause you to sacrifice winning some games. Trust us. This is better for your players in the long run.6) Avoid year-round basketball and play other sports!There is a reason that NBA GM's don't like their ELITE, PROFESSIONAL basketball players competing in the summer World Championships and Olympics. It's been scientifically proven that playing a sport year-round leads to tired muscles and a tired muscle has a much HIGHER chance of injury. Now, if these PROFESSIONAL athletes with proper nutrition and training are supposed to avoid year-round basketball, don't you think that a DEVELOPING, young athlete (most likely without proper nutrition and training) should be avoiding it as well?!? If you force your child to play, it can also lead to burnout, injury, and resentment of the sport or fitness altogether. People are much more driven when they choose to do something they enjoy, rather than being forced to do it. If you want your child to enjoy basketball, play GAMES with him when they want to, and watch basketball-related activities with them. 9 times out of 10, kids enjoy sports that their parents enjoy if approached the right way. At this age, it is best to improve overall athletic ability which is done by playing multiple sports, such as gymnastics, baseball, soccer, martial arts, football, track, volleyball, softball, swimming, and so on. Keep in mind, that you want to have seasons for these sports. Avoid playing 2 or 3 sports at once and multiple practices on the same day. If you want to focus on one sport at age 16 or 17, GREAT. Not at age 10 or 11. And who knows what your child will take an interest in or show talent in at age 10? Most of the time, things change a lot in the next 6 or 7 years! 7) Don't press or play zone defense!You can read why and get advice here.8) Use small basketballs and lower rims!Using rims that are too high and basketballs that are too big will RUIN your players shooting form. They are NOT strong enough yet.Do we send 6 year olds to Yankee stadium and start throwing from the big mound? No, we start with tee-ball, then parent pitch, then little league (close bases), and move up.It's ridiculous to throw 5-10 year olds on a full size court with 10 foot rims and youth basketballs that are way too big! It's no wonder so many kids have horrible shooting form when they get to high school!9) Teach the right things!Just keep in mind that if you can teach your young players the following skills, then you should feel good that about what you accomplished and know that you're teaching your player the right things (that they need to be successful)!Your young players should be able to:Dribble with their left and right hands equally well. Make lay ups with their left and right hands equally well -- and jump off the proper foot (left foot when shooting with right hand, and vice-versa) Perform a jump stop without traveling. Pivot on their left and right foot without traveling. Perform accurate chest, bounce, and overhead passes. Perform a defensive slide (feet wide, good balance, staying between the offensive player and the basket). Shoot a basketball with proper form. These simple skills should be your number priority and your goal should be to help your players master these skills. Once they have truly mastered these skills, you can start building from there.Questions & AnswersIf you have any questions about coaching youth basketball, post your questions on our forum.A group of very experienced and knowledgeable coaches monitor the forum and answer questions.Recommended Youth Coaching eBooks, Books, and DVDsHere are the books and DVDs that we recommend to youth coaches:NEW DVD Coaching Youth Basketball the RIGHT WAY (By Bob Bigelow)60 Fun Youth Basketball DrillsMotion OffenseBasketball Shooting Tips & DrillsM2M Basketball Defense Tips & DrillsSimplified Post Player Development"How to Make Basketball Practice FUN and Enjoyable -- Tips, Tactics, Advice, and 60 Fun Basketball Drills for Youth Coaches"Dear Basketball Coach,right-3810Why would you want "FUN" basketball drills?You probably know part of the answer but you might not know how FUN practices can dramatically affect you and your players for the better...What are the benefits of making practice and drills fun?Your players will work and play harder.Your players will be more enthusiastic.Your players will learn to enjoy fitness oriented activities and get in better condition.Your players will give you more respect.Your player's attitudes will improve.Your players will learn to love the game of basketball.Your player's confidence will improve.Your player's skills will improve.Your player's focus will improve.You'll get more done because practice is more efficient.You will have more fun and enjoy coaching even more.You'll win more games.By incorporating the "right" kind of fun drills, you can literally turn around the season 180 degrees for your youth basketball team.Let's face it...Young basketball players are there to have FUN!But unfortunately most basketball skill drills are monotonous and boring. And young players DO NOT want yelled at by drill sergeants to keep them on task!The frustrating problem is that good youth coaches want the best of BOTH worlds...You want your players to have fun. And you want your players to improve their skills and learn the game of basketball. Easier said than done!This is a CONSTANT battle that ALL youth coaches face.So how do you keep things fun yet still develop skills and help your players improve?We don't have a magic pill for you. The truth is that it's not always easy to be a GREAT coach...But we have compiled an eBook with TIPS, TACTICS, ADVICE, and 60 FUN DRILLS that will most definitely help you get the best of both worlds.Here are some of the things you'll learn in our latest eBook:10 tips to structure practices that are fun and fast paced.How to GRAB and HOLD your players attention without yelling at them.How to get your players to really enjoy the game of basketball and remember youth basketball as a very happy experience!How to teach fundamental skills and keep things fun.How to keep practice organized and under control.Tricks to keep your players on their best behavior and under control.Tips to keep your practice fast paced and efficient.How to get more done in practice and keep things fast paced (without going crazy).8 surefire ways to make ordinary drills FUN - don't stop with the drills we have presented for you.How to help your players to develop skills faster.How to handle the short attention span of young players and keep their attention.How to improve your team's confidence.How to earn your players respect and turn their basketball experience into a positive event.How to make your players feel successful.How to motivate your players.Here are the 60 Fun Youth Basketball Drills and Games that we have Included in the eBookNOTE: These are NOT ordinary youth basketball drills!Every drill has a unique twist to make it fun for young players. None of the drills are boring!Almost ALL the drills in the eBook are multi-facet and incorporate a variety of skills. So it's hard to categorize them. To make things easier, we labeled each drill so you can quickly see which skills they develop. Here are the labels we used:?A=AgilityAP=Aggressive PlayBH=Ball Handling / DribblingC=ConditioningCM=CommunicationD=DefenseF=FootworkO=OffenseP=PassingR=ReboundingS=ShootingTW=TeamworkWe then organized the basketball drills into the following basic sections:17 fun ballhandling drills14 fun shooting drills14 fun passing drills17 fun offense/defense drillsAs always, each drill includes diagrams, step by step instructions, teaching tips, and suggested variations.Motion Offense for Youth BasketballWe highly recommend motion offense for youth basketball because it’s an extremely effective way to develop players. Motion offense allows you to teach fundamentals while working on your team offense. That might seem strange at first, but you actually work on skills and motion offense at the same time. It’s an extremely efficient way to practice. Not to mention, motion offense gives players freedom to learn "how to play".When teaching a patterned offense and set plays, you waste countless hours trying to get players to memorize the pattern. This is a waste of time and takes away from skill development (which is the MOST important thing for young kids).Back to my original point, here’s how you can work on Skills (fundamentals) and Motion Offense at the same time...First, pick a couple cuts or screens that you think would be good for your group. For example, you could choose down-screens and away-screens.right0Next, run shooting/footwork drills that incorporate those movements. You could have two offensive players (no defense). One player on the wing, another player on the block. A coach or third player could have the ball on top of the key. The player on the wing sets a down screen, the other player rubs off the screen, catches the ball, pivots, and shoots. Now repeat over and over. Your players are working on screens (part of your motion offense), pivoting footwork and shooting (skills).You can do the same thing with away screens, basket cuts, and any type of cut or screen. The key is to choose a couple elements from your motion offense and turn those elements into skill building drills. Your imagination is the only limit to the types of drills you can come up with. It’s also important to mix things up and make the drills fun too!By practicing this way, you save a huge amount of time and get more done.In a youth motion offense, your primary rules should allow you to maintain spacing, maintain order, keep people moving, and keep everyone involved. For example, use a 5-out motion and have three rules:After every pass, the passer moves. (Cut or screen) Do not stand still for more than 2 seconds. Take the first good shot. When teaching motion to young players, don’t go too fast and don’t worry too much about your players executing offense. If they maintain decent spacing and move around, you are in good shape. Almost all of your time should be on skill development. Then as time goes on, you can take a skill and show them how to use it in different situations in the motion. But even before that just let the kids get comfortable on the court. Let them play and learn at the same time as you. Movement and spacing will cause things to happen. They will start figuring things out.Youth coaches should concentrate on teaching skills and then just letting kids play. Motion is perfect for that.Related Articles & ProductsHow To Develop a High-Scoring Motion Offense - Instructional Guide To Building Your Motion Offense. Could 3 on 3 Basketball Be the Best for Youth Players? Motion Offenses, Drills, & TipsWhat do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...Basketball Plays: The Art of Running Set Plays and Scoring More PointsIt seems that almost everyone loves to draw up set plays and come up with new ways to get easy buckets for their team.It's not surprising because there's nothing more exciting than drawing up a special play to get a basket when you really need it!Imagine for a moment...Your team is down by one.There's 8 seconds left in the game.You draw up a special play during time a out.Your players execute to perfection...And your team makes a wide open lay up right as the buzzer goes off and they win the game!!!Does it get any better than that?I think this is why so many people are intrigued by the set play and they're always trying to find new ones. It's a lot of fun!But before we get too far, let's define a set play so we're all on the same page...What is a set play?A set play is a strategically planned and choreographed sequence of movements to get open shots and score points. Generally speaking the sequence is run through just one time.Set plays are quick hitters to score points at a certain point during the game. They should not be your entire offensive system.When should you use set plays?A set play typically adds a twist to an offense. It gives you the opportunity to show the defense something different to keep them off balance. Plays can run into your motion offense, or you could choose to run a play after running your offense for a certain amount of time.Set plays are most commonly run out of the following special situations:after time outs at the beginning of games (right after the tip off) at end of games when you really need a basket when your offense is stagnant after your secondary break How do you choose the right set plays for your team?To choose the right set plays, you need to consider the following:Your offensive set. It's best to choose set plays that have the same formation as your offensive set. So for example, if you run your primary offense from a box set, it's best to choose plays that have a similar box formation. This way the defense doesn't get a cue to what's coming.Your personnel. This is important. If you have a phenomenal post player that is great at scoring inside, then you'll want to choose lots of plays that will get them open inside. If your post game is poor but you have great shooters and ball handlers, then choose plays that spread things out and keep the defense off balance. You'll need to carefully consider your players strengths and weaknesses when choosing your set plays.Your coaching preferences and philosophy. Not much needs to be said about this because it happens naturally. But this is a consideration. Are you a conservative coach that likes to slow things down and execute in the half court? Do you want to run and gun? Do you want to shoot lots of three pointers? All this will reflect the plays that you choose.Will you run the same plays and set offense every year? Or will you find new ones each year? This could obviously eliminate the plays you ran last year.What are your plays designed to do? Most coaches have a dozen or so plays in their back pocket to deal with various situations. So the first thing you should is do make a list of the various situations you want to be prepared for. To give you an idea, you might want a couple plays to get post players open, a couple plays when you need a basket during the game, a couple plays for end of game situations, and a couple plays for the end of periods. But keep in mind, it's better to just have a few good plays, that your players become really good at, rather than overloading your team with too many options.To learn how to score more points and do a good job of running effective set plays, be sure to read this article:16 Tips for Running Effective PlaysOnce you learn the basics from the article above, here are a few set plays for you to try out:Basketball Man to Man Plays??????UNI Play??????1-3-1 Cutters??????Overload??????Rolling??????Swing Variation??????5 Out Zinger??????4 Out Swing Rattle??????Picket Fence?????? HYPERLINK "" Cincy - Man or Zone??????Houston Rockets Box Set - Big Man??????3 Man Series Play??????5 Quick Hitters for Your Motion OffenseBasketball Zone Plays??????Double??????Overload??????Overload 2??????Pitt??????Shallow??????Quick Hitter Vs. 1-3-1 Zone?????? HYPERLINK "" Cincy - Man or ZoneBasketball Out of Bounds Plays??????Sideline??????Slice - Sideline??????Wide Open Spaces - Under Basket??????Post 1 - Under Basket??????Line - Press Breaker??????Cheetah - Press Breaker??????Celtics Handoff - Sideline??????Kansas St - Screen the Inbounder Play??????Chicago Bulls Vs. Orlando Magic - Baseline??????Kobe's Game-Winning 3-Pointer Vs. Grizzlies - Sideline??????Illinois's Box Z - Baseline Out of Bounds Play Against ZoneSpecial Situation Plays??????Foul Shot Tip-In Plays??????Foul Shot Fast BreaksCoaching Youth Basketball: Focusing on the Fundamentals- By Jeff Haefner The fundamentals of basketball are the foundation for every individual play, offensive or defensive strategy, and every move that your players make. The best players have perfected the basics of the game. Learning and mastering these basics make the rest of the game much easier!My number one recommendation when coaching youth basketball is to focus on the fundamentals!Spend at least 75% of each practice on them.Do NOT teach your youth team how to do a full court press!First teach them how execute offense and defense in the half court. Even if you think they know how to execute in the half court, I guarantee they don't...Do all your players know how to read screens? Do they slip the screen when the defense hedges on the pick and roll? Do they set screens shoulder to shoulder? Do they block out after every shot? Do they always see their man and the ball when they're on defense?If they don't know how to do these things, why in the world would you teach them how to do a full court press?In 20 years of watching basketball, I've NEVER seen a youth team that was ready to press and had all the fundamentals down pact!If you make teaching your players the fundamentals your number one goal, your players will enjoy practice, they will appreciate their improvement, and they will be grateful down the road.Like any sport, no matter what your age -- whether you're a professional athlete or a youth player just getting started -- you need strong fundamentals to be successful!Unfortunately, most people don't really understand what that means.So what are the fundamentals?The fundamentals include working on the little things that will make you better -- no matter what team or coach you play for -- or what offense or defense you are running.For example, by working on the fundamentals of shooting, you will get better no matter what offense you run. The fundamentals of shooting include proper foot alignment, leg bend, hand position, arm angle, follow through, and so on. These are some of the little things that make a difference. Learn them!The same goes for lays ups, foot work, post play, passing, jab steps, jump stops, pivoting, blocking out, and so on.For youth players, we suggest that you focus on teaching the proper technique and fundamentals for:Lay ups Shooting Foul Shooting Passing Dribbling and ballhandling Jump stops Triple threat position and pivoting Jab steps Basic screening and cutting Defense Rebounding Basic post moves These are all critical fundamentals to master because they'll make you and your team better, no matter what age level or situation you might be ments Al Lively says:10/13/2007 at 10:44:53 AMI agree,too ,much too soon is not good.Get a firm foundation in fundamentals to build on.Some good free video clips of this. says:10/31/2007 at 2:16:23 PMYou are so right about the importance of fundamentals. I read awhile back that the number of international players in the NBA is increasing every year because of just this. NBA coaches acknowledged that they are more skilled in the fundamentals and better team players than the American players. I have to agree. Michelle says:11/13/2007 at 10:33:26 AMOK That just answered my earlier question about full court press....see your point, back to the half court defense it is! Dan Roser says:12/11/2007 at 6:25:14 PMgreat website......I never see or hear about the importance of pivoting in teaching books and websites, but feel it to be extremely important in all phases of the game. Also the team I coach (5th grade boys) has a wide range of talent and this makes teaching a bit confusing. Some are so far ahead of others any suggestions? Ernie says:1/16/2008 at 2:11:51 PMThis is a great website. Thank you for all the basic info. I'm a rookie youth coach (3rd grade boys) and this is just the sort of help I need. I'm going to read through your e-books. I am looking for an extremely basic offense for my boys. About a 3rd of them are playing basketball for the first time. Any suggestions are much appreciated. Joe (Co-founder of Breakthrough Basketball) says:1/16/2008 at 2:14:41 PMHi Ernie,We answered a question similar to this at this link: refers to 11 year olds, but the same principles apply to younger ages as well.Joe Gabriel says:9/2/2008 at 6:48:19 AMHow long could take a fundamenals teaching for young players (in terms of months)? Thanks Joe Haefner says:9/2/2008 at 7:45:13 AMHi Gabriel,I don't think you can put a number on how long it will take to teach fundamentals. It depends on the age level, skill level, and what you're trying to teach. Coaching is an art form and part of that is recognizing when it's time to progress to a new skill with a higher level of difficulty. When teaching fundamentals, that never stops. Youth coaches to Pro coaches all emphasize fundamentals. Brian Morgan says:10/21/2009 at 1:12:54 PMI'm a 7th & 8th grade girls coach and totally agree with you on teaching fundamentals at this age. 75% of my practices are focused on skill building. Unfortunately, the 5 & 6th grade coaches at the school don't. Their practices consist of goofing off and scrimmaging. You know the old "kids this age dont' have long attention spans" and "just getting them in the gym is enough at this age" In fact they criticize me for not scrimmaging enough. I feel like I should approach them about the lack of fundamentals and that is going to hurt the kids' development in the long run. I don't want to start a fight but its hard to stand by and see the kids being cheated. Any advice on how to handle this situation? Thanks Jeff Haefner says:10/23/2009 at 7:11:19 AMBrian - Your question was posted on our forum and has received some good responses: Eric says:1/7/2010 at 4:54:08 AMI agree with the theme of the article, which is teach fundamentals first, teach them 75% of practice, and save full court press for later. Well said in that regard.However I do not agree with the statement "Do NOT teach them full court press."Why would you purposely not teach them any aspect of the game?Pressing is a part of the game. You will teach them press-break of course in case the other team presses... they deserve to know how to run a decent press also. Even if it is not used every game or the whole game, this is part of at least introducing to them the experiences they will build on later.I coach a middle school team that is very talented but also very short. We play a lot of teams with guys that look 3-4 years older than ours. If we sat back in a half-court set we would get demolished on the boards, regardless of how much I drill boxing out. We win because we use our quickness and the defensive training that I stress (huge part of fundamentals) to pressure the ball and create turnovers.Thank you for a good article about fundamentals and for letting me share my point of view. Joe Haefner says:1/26/2010 at 5:39:22 PMHi Eric,You bring up some good points there. The problem really lies with youth basketball teams that don't focus on the fundamentals and all they do is press. They use a ploy that takes advantage of players being weaker, smaller, and not able to mentally process things quick enough to break the press. In essence, it's a swarm the ball defense that would never work at the higher levels of basketball. Personally, I don't believe in organized pressing before high school. I think for the long-term development of the players it's best to work on the fundamentals and concepts that will help more when they are older. However, if you want to extend your man to man defense and pressure the ball at the middle school level, I don't think that's a big deal.This discussion is further discussed at this page: ................
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