A basketball training plan for your team

Finish at the basket from both wings off the correct foot, with the outside hand.

Setup

Put 4 or 5 players at each basket, 1 ball per basket. Place a cone on each wing, 6 m from the basket. Ages 6 to 8: use 4 at a basket, never 5, and lower the basket below the group's usual height.

How it runs

- Start with the line behind the right-hand cone, right as the player faces the basket. - Give the first player the ball. The last player stands beside the basket as the first rebounder. - The front player dribbles in from the cone and finishes at the basket. - One attempt per turn. The player who finishes walks outside the lane to the place beside the basket and is the next rebounder. - The rebounder collects the ball, passes it to the front of the line, then walks outside the lane to the back. - Always 1 player beside the basket, the rest in the line. - The rebounder stands beside the basket, never under it, and takes the ball after it lands, never reaching over the player who finishes. - Never walk across the landing area while another player finishes. - Right-hand cone: right hand finishes, off the left foot. Left-hand cone: left hand, off the right foot. - Before each side, name the take-off foot, opposite the finishing hand. - With 4 at a basket, each player takes 5 attempts from the right-hand cone. With 5 at a basket, 4 each. - Then, once every player at the basket has their count, the whole basket moves to the left-hand cone. Same number of attempts, other hand. - The player beside the basket stays there as rebounder. The others line up behind the left-hand cone. The ball goes to the front player. - Ages 6 to 8: 4 attempts each side. - Count attempts, not makes. Keep no score. - An attempt off the wrong foot or with the wrong hand does not count. The same player retakes it straight away from the start of the approach. Only the retake counts among their attempts. - From the wing, aim at the near top corner of the square on the backboard. - Easier: Move the cones to 4 m from the basket, so the approach is 2 steps shorter. - Harder: Move the cones to 8 m from the basket. The last 2 steps are still the named ones.

Coaching points

• The outside hand finishes and the inside knee drives up, with the body between the ball and the basket.
• The last 2 steps are a long one, then a short one, off the named foot. No stutter into the shot.
• Lay the ball up high off the backboard and let it drop in.

Common mistakes

• The player finishes off the wrong foot → Walk the last 2 steps through at half speed once, then retake at full speed.
• The player finishes with the inside hand and the body blocks the ball → Start with the ball in the outside hand at the cone. The attempt does not count.

Kit

4 × basket, 8 × ball, 8 × cone