Games Based Approach to Coaching Basketball

I Drilled It, What Happened?

Like most coaches, including myself, I am sure you’ve had the following scenario happen to you.  Your team needs to work on some aspect of the game.  You spend a good chunk of time in practice drilling that aspect. Your players look great in the drill.  Then comes the game and the wheels come completely off the wagon.  It’s like they never practiced the aspect of the game you devoted so much time to.  You can’t believe it and are left wondering, “What happened?”.

Well, what happened was that your players spent a lot of time that practice mastering a drill and not really learning how to execute the skill you wanted them to.  The solution is to move towards a games based approach to teaching basketball.

Teaching the game of basketball using a “games based approach” has accelerated the transfer of learning for our players.

Why Drills Alone Don’t Work

Drills alone don’t work because they lack specificity. They are not specific to the real game that is being played. Players learn a skill or action out of the context of the game. What they are really learning is the pattern of the drill and not the skill within the game. So what happens is when a real game occurs players are not used to doing that skills within the specific context of the game – thus not performing the skill correctly, or many times forgetting to do the skill at all.  Players who are trained using drills are not learning when and how to use the skill, which is as important as the movement. The end result is that you don’t get the transfer you desire.

Drills are also “block” practice and not “random”. Block practice is doing the same movement, the same way, in the same environment. You are memorizing a drill pattern, not a game skill. Random practice is practicing a skill in an ever changing environment so the player needs to adjust how they perform the skill.  Anyone can do something in isolation, but those skills learned in isolation quickly disappear when you add defenders, other teammates, etc. It’s important that your practices consist of activities that are both specific to the game and random in how the skill is practiced.

If you are gong to have successful carry over from practice to games, how you practice needs to change. You need to start “Training Ugly”. You need to train your players on the skills you want within the context of an actual game. It’s about creating game like environments and using the game to teach the game. That’s where the games based approach comes in.

What is a Games Based Approach?

A games based approach is using different games to teach players the skills / concepts of the game you want. The games should always be random, and specific when possible. There should also be a competitive component where the team or player is playing against themselves (personal records), time, score, or other teams. The key is to modify the number of players, advantages, rules, area, etc. to create an environment that stresses the habits you want taught within the game setting. Below I’m going to give you some examples of how you an modify games – and you can use multiple modifications within the same game:

Number of Players

Playing 1v1, 2v2, 3v3, and 4v4 are great ways to teach skills. They are better than 5v5 because you get more reps and touches than a traditional 5v5 game. Some skills such as ball handling are best done in small (1v1 and 2v2) numbers to maximize reps. Passing can be done in any number 2 or above, and I think team related drills are best done 3v3 and 4v4.

You can also play Cutthroat where you have 3 to 4 teams of 2, 3 or 4 playing. Two teams play one possession. At the end whoever lost the possession is out and a new team comes on. You can play until one of the teams achieves a milestone of your choosing (first team to 5 wins, etc.).

Size of the Court

Everyone plays half court, which is a good way to do it, but have you ever played 2/3 court where they can only work on half court and from a step off the opposite block to sideline?  That makes players learn how to be creative in space. Have players play 1v1 from the FT line where they can’t go outside the lane lines – then you will see players learn how to straight line drive well. Why were NYC guards so good back in the day? Because they played primarily on narrow street courts and had to really get good at navigating in tight spaces.  You can create that same environment with your games.

Rules / Constraints

You can have all kinds of rules or constraints. The rules should shape the game to teach the habits you want to emphasize. And as in any game, there are penalties for breaking the rules, usually turnovers or loss of turn on defense. Below is a great list to start with that you can add or subtract from games of 1v1 to 5v5.

• Dribble Rules
  • No dribble
  • Only “attacking the basket” dribbles
  • Limit number of dribbles
• Movement Rules
  • Being in the right spots on defense
  • Being in the right sports on offense
  • Moving on offense – don’t pass and watch
  • Screening a defender
  • Cutting hard
• Ball Clock
  • Player has “x” amount of seconds to make a decision with the ball or it’s a turnover.
    • I like 1.5 seconds but might want to start with more for younger ages
• Dribble Hand Rules
  • Doing dribble tag or rodeo?  Have them use their weak hand only.
• Time Rules
  • Play with a shot clock
  • Play with a ball clock – mentioned above
• Foul Rules
  • What do you call a foul?
    • Want offense to be tough with the ball, don’t call anything
    • What defense to stop fouling, call everything

Advantage / Disadvantage

I like using disadvantages more than advantages.  You can do several different things to create disadvantages that help players learn a skills or concept.  You can take away the dribble.  You can add extra players on offense or defense.  You can officiate differently to create situations you want, and so on.

Some Sample Games

Teaching Ball Handling and 1v1 skills

• Dribble Tag
  • A fun, competitive and random practice game.  Kids have to apply the skill in a random setting that’s always changing.
• Rodeo
  • Groups of 3.  One player has the ball and 2 other players chase them and try to force a turnover or the dribbler to pick up the ball.  You can play in the half or quarter court.
  • You can play for “X” number of seconds each player (and track if they turn it over or not.  +1 for not and play to 2-3 points.  Or, you can just have them play whoever gets it goes and try to keep it the longest.
• 1v1 (one of the best ways to work on ball handling and 1v1 skills is to play 1v1).  In all of these 1v1 games I would play to 3 scores and have something for the losers (2 pushups, clap for the winners, etc.)
  • Post 1v1
    • Play 1v1 from the post.  Have another player feed and work on re posting.
    • Works on the 1v1 post play live – move and counter moves
  • Iowa 1v1
    • Groups of 2 to 5. Offense starts on the FT Line.  Defender starts under the rim with the ball.  Defense throws to the offense and sprints to close out.  As he closes out, reads the closeout and attacks. The lane lines are out of bounds which teaches straight line drives. They can shoot it or drive it depending on the defense.
    • Teach players to get down hill (straight line drives) attack with the shoulder to hip, and read the defender’s close out.  Teach players to use different ways to finish around the rim.
  • St. Joe’s 1v1
    • Groups of 2-5.  Offense starts on the baseline in a line about 2 steps off the lane line towards the side line. The defense starts on the baseline about 2-3 steps farther toward the sideline from the offensive group.  Each line has a chair across from it at half court.  On coaches or defender’s “Go” call, the offense dribbles as fast as they can out to the chair, dribbles around it (outside to inside) and attacks the basket as quickly as possible. As that is happening the defender is racing around his chair (outside to inside). They play 1v1 from there.
    • Work on attacking the rim and making dribble moves based on the position of the defense.
  • Attack 1 on 1
    • • Defender starts under the basket. Offense starts at half court. On defense’s go, offense takes off dribbling at the rim as hard as they can. Defense sprints out and guards them. Offense reads the defense and attacks.
      • Work on attacking the rim and making dribble moves (cross over) based on the position of the defense. If the defender is straight up, attack hard. If cut off change hands and attack again. If the defender is shading you ball side, attack and change. If the defender is shading you to the weak side ball, blow by or fake crossover and blow by. Work on scoring off of 2 feet at the rim. You can add double moves as well.
  • Georgetown 1 on 1
    • • Start with an offensive player with the ball at half court. One defender starts on him. The other defender starts under the basket. Offense must rip and attack the first defender (who can push and hack him). Once he reaches the top of the key extended the first defender must leave him and the second one runs out, the dribbler then attacks the second one to score.
      • Work on handling the pressure and physical play, attacking defense, protecting the ball, scoring at the rim.
  • Dynamic 1v1
    • Two lines on the baseline.  Offense is starting where the 3 point line and baseline meet (with the ball).  Defense is starting to the offensive players basket side.
    • The offensive player will pass to the coach who is standing outside the 3 point line on the wing.
    • After making the pass to the coach, the offensive player will come and take the ball out of the coaches hand and then attack the basket.  At the same time, the defender is coming to touch the coaches other arm before playing defense.
    • The coach will turn his body so the offensive player has a slight advantage (shorter distance) to get the ball.
    • Progression – If the defender is so fast and will beat the offensive player to the coach, the offensive player should back cut.  You are simulating a defender “over playing” the passing lane and the offense should always back cut against the pressure.  Coach will then pass to the offensive player making the back cut.
  • Catch and Go 1 on 1
    • • Passer starts at the top of the key. Offense and defense start in the corner. Offense cuts up and defense follows. Passer hits the cutting offense. On/before the catch the offense reads the defender (who is tight on him) and attacks. If the defender is trailing the offense just turns and goes. If the defender is ahead of him (getting into denial) the offense rips and goes the opposite way.
      • Work on peaking to read defender, attacking off the catch, finishing at the rim.
  • 1 on 1 From Different Spots
    • • Play 1 on 1 from corner, elbow, short corner, top of key, wing, etc.

Teaching Passing