Coach Basketball Drills: How to Pick, Run and Progress Them

Good basketball drills do three things. They match a skill your team needs, they put players in game-like decisions, and they get harder as players improve. This guide shows you how to choose drills, run them, and progress them. It also covers what to do when a drill is not working.

TL;DR

• Pick drills by the skill gap you see in games, not by what looks good on video.
• Add decisions. Small-sided games and changed rules produce more touches and more choices per minute than static lines.
• Progress each drill in steps: add a defender, add a time limit, add a scoring rule.
• Coach during the drill. Feedback matters more than the drill name.
• Build a repeatable practice structure so you spend less time planning.

Table of Contents

• Start with the skill gap, not the drill list
• The four drill types every practice needs
• Why game-like drills beat static repetition
• How to progress a drill in four steps
• Coach during the drill
• Build a practice around your drills
• Drills to run at home and in the offseason
• Common mistakes with basketball drills
• Coach more than skills
• Get new drills into your practice without the chaos
• Our perspective
• Ready-to-use drills for your next practice
• FAQ
• Sources

Start with the skill gap, not the drill list

Most coaches start by searching for drills. Start one step earlier. Watch your last two games and write down three things your team does badly. For example:

• Turnovers against pressure.
• Late help defense.
• Poor shot selection in transition.

Each item points to a drill family. Turnovers point to ball handling and passing under pressure. Late help points to shell and closeout work. Bad transition shots point to 3-on-2 and 2-on-1 play.

Then pick one or two drills per gap. A practice with eight unrelated drills teaches little. A practice with four drills that each tie to a game problem teaches a lot.

Match drills to age and level

The same drill looks different at 9 and at 17. Younger players need simple rules, short instructions and lots of touches. Older players can handle more reads and more contact.

If you coach youth teams, our plans by age for 30, 60 or 90 minute sessions are in Basketball Skills and Drills: Plans by Age. It shows how to scale the same skill across age groups.

The four drill types every practice needs

A full practice usually draws from four groups. You do not need all four every day, but over a week you should cover them.

If you want a ready set of individual and group drills, see the Basketball Drills collection.

Why game-like drills beat static repetition

A line of players waiting to shoot a layup gives each player very few reps. It also removes the defender, the clock and the choice. Players learn the movement but not when to use it.

Research on youth basketball points the same way. A scoping review of rule changes in young basketball found that changing constraints, such as the number of players, court size and game length, shapes how often players make technical and tactical actions. A systematic review of small-sided games looked at the same idea for teaching basic technical and tactical skills to children and adolescents.

The practical lesson is simple. Change the game, and you change what players learn.

Four constraints you can change today

1. Number of players. Run 3-on-3 instead of 5-on-5. Everyone touches the ball more.
2. Court size. Use half court for spacing and shot reads. Use a narrow court to teach tight handling.
3. Scoring rules. Give two points for a basket after three passes. Take a point away for a turnover.
4. Time. Give the offense eight seconds to score. It forces quick decisions.

You keep the same drill. You change one rule. Players adjust.

What the numbers say, and what they do not

The review of small-sided games and the rule-change review both cover youth players. They support the use of modified games. They do not prove that every modified game beats every static drill for every age.

One 2026 study of 10-year-olds tested a modified games program built on this approach and reported shooting accuracy gains of up to 79.6% on standard shooting tests. It is one study with one age group. Treat it as a reason to test modified games with your team, not as a guaranteed result.

How to progress a drill in four steps

A drill that never changes stops teaching. Use a simple ladder. Move up only when most players succeed at the current step.

1. Technique. No defender, no clock. Players learn the movement. Example: a two-ball stationary dribble.
2. Pressure. Add a clock or a score. Example: count how many clean reps in 30 seconds.
3. Opposition. Add a passive, then active defender. Example: the same dribble move against a defender who gives ground, then one who plays full effort.
4. Game rule. Put the skill into a small game. Example: 2-on-2 where the dribble move earns a bonus point.

We break this down further, with examples across skills, in Basketball Skill Drills With Four Step Progressions. If you want a workflow for tracking skill growth across weeks, read the Basketball Skills Development Workflow for Coaches.

A worked example: closeout drill

Take a closeout drill for a team that gives up open threes.

• Step 1: Coach passes to a shooter. A defender closes out with no shot. Focus on short choppy steps and a high hand.
• Step 2: The shooter shoots. The defender must get a hand up. Count contests in one minute.
• Step 3: The shooter can shoot or drive. The defender must stop the drive and contest the shot.
• Step 4: Play 3-on-3 half court. The defense scores a point for each stop that follows a good closeout.

Same drill, four levels. Players who are ready move on. Players who are not stay at step 2 until they are.

Coach during the drill

A drill does not coach itself. Veteran coaches in the small-sided games review stress active feedback and a high number of game-like reps. That means you stop talking about the drill and start talking to players inside it.

Use these habits:

• Short stops. Freeze play for ten seconds, fix one thing, restart.
• One cue at a time. “Eyes up” works. “Eyes up, low hips, hand out, and call it” does not.
• Ask questions. “What did you see on that pass?” lets players find the answer.
• Change a variable instead of lecturing. If players are not spacing, shrink the court or add a rule that rewards the extra pass.

Research on guided discovery in children’s team games describes coaching as a constraint itself. Instead of directing every movement, you adjust task difficulty so players find their own solutions. That fits well with the habits above.

Build a practice around your drills

Drills work best inside a structure. Here is a 90-minute template you can adapt. For shorter sessions, scale each block.

Write the plan the night before. Put the drill name, the coaching point and the progression step on one page. If you want a printable structure, the Basketball Templates collection has editable ones.

For a no-cost starting point, we also published free basketball drills and three practice plans you can run this week.

Rotate the focus across the week

Do not try to fix everything in one practice. A simple weekly rhythm:

• Day 1: Ball handling, passing, transition offense.
• Day 2: Defense, closeouts, rebounding.
• Day 3: Shooting, half-court offense, scouting prep for the next opponent.

Keep one drill from the previous day as a short review. Repetition across days builds retention.

Drills to run at home and in the offseason

Players often ask for drills they can do alone. Give them a short list and a clear target. Good solo options:

• Two-ball stationary dribbles, 30 seconds each set.
• Form shooting from five feet, 20 makes.
• Footwork ladders for agility.
• Finishing series using both hands.

Set a measurable goal, such as 50 makes in 10 minutes, so players can track progress. Our Basketball Workouts collection and the offseason improvement drills are built for this kind of work. If you want agility work specifically, see the agility ladder drills.

Common mistakes with basketball drills

• Too many drills. Cut the list. Fewer drills, more reps per drill.
• Long lines. If a player waits more than 20 seconds, add a ball or a basket, or split into groups.
• No defender, ever. Add one early, even if passive.
• No scoring. Anything with a score creates effort.
• Skipping the transfer. If a skill never appears in a small game, players will not use it in a real one.
• Copying drills without adapting. A drill built for 15 players at two baskets will fail with 8 players at one.

If you want more examples, Practice drills to boost basketball skills and performance goes through them with fixes.

Coach more than skills

Drills teach skills. Culture decides whether players listen, compete and support each other. The national governing body’s coaching guide for all levels stresses that how you teach matters as much as what you teach, and it covers life lessons and team culture alongside technique.

In practice, this means:

• Set clear values early. Our guide shows how to define core values and vision.
• Use clear communication channels. See how to establish them.
• Model the behavior you want. Read about modeling leadership consistently.

If you work with minors, a safe environment is part of the job. An international safeguarding toolkit includes templates for safeguarding policies, codes of conduct and risk assessments. Check your own league, school or club for the rules that apply where you coach, and ask your organization’s safeguarding lead if you are unsure.

Get new drills into your practice without the chaos

A new drill set can fail for a simple reason: the coaching staff never learns it well. Introduce a few drills at a time. Run each for a week. Take notes on what worked. Other coaching fields face the same problem, and one gym-focused read on getting coaches competent with new systems is a useful reminder to plan the learning period, not just the purchase.

For assistants, give each person a drill to own. They learn it, teach it and report back.

Our perspective

We build resources for coaches, and we see the same pattern often. Coaches do not lack drills. They lack time and structure. A folder of 200 drills does not help at 5:30 on a school night.

That is why we write drills with progressions, coaching points and a place in a practice plan. Our resources are developed and refined by active coaches and tested with real teams. We design them to adapt to your roster, your gym and your time limit.

Here is our advice. Pick one skill gap. Choose two drills. Run each at four levels. Coach inside them. Check the game film. Repeat next week.

The drill is the tool. Your feedback is the lesson.

— Dejan

Ready-to-use drills for your next practice

If you want drills without building each one from scratch, start with our collections:

• Basketball Drills: progressive drills for individual and team work.
• Basketball Playbooks: plays and sets to pair with your drills.
• Basketball Guides: strategy guides for planning.
• Skill Improving Infinite Loop Drills: a drill product for continuous skill work.

All are digital downloads with instant access after payment. Explore the collection that fits your gap.

FAQ

What are some good basketball drills to do at home?

Try two-ball stationary dribbling, form shooting close to the rim, footwork ladder work and finishing with both hands. Keep sets short and track a number, such as makes in 10 minutes. Solo work builds habits, but players also need game-like reps with teammates.

How do you run a basketball drill so players actually improve?

Start with a clear skill target and a simple version of the drill. Add a defender, a clock or a scoring rule once players succeed. Coach during the drill with one short cue at a time.

How long should a basketball drill last?

Most drills work best in 5 to 12 minutes. Stop earlier if effort drops or players stop making good decisions. Come back to the drill later in the week with a harder version.

How many drills should I use in one practice?

Four to six is enough for most 90-minute sessions. Tie them to one or two skill gaps. Fewer drills with more game-like reps teach more than a long list.

Sources

• Rule manipulation and technical-tactical actions in young basketball players: scoping review
• Small-sided games in teaching basketball skills to children and adolescents: systematic review
• Modified games program and shooting accuracy in 10-year-old children
• Teaching children’s motor skills for team games through guided discovery
• National governing body coaching guide for all levels
• International safeguarding toolkit

Recommended

• Free Basketball Drills and Three Practice Plans Coaches Can Run Today
• Basketball Fundamentals: Five Groups, One Youth Practice in 60 Minutes
• Coaches: 5 Triple Threat Drills, Exact Reps, Game Speed Progressions
• Why Use Progressive Drills in Basketball Training