As your young athletes prepare for basketball season, they can use a variety of our most favored drills to help improve their skills on the court. Look over these 40 effective if you’re keen on helping your players develop a deeper understanding of basketball fundamentals, dribbling skills, and a variety of on-and-off-court abilities. Whether you need a drill for beginners or something like an advanced ball-handling drill, you’ll find loads of fun and inventive ideas below to help your middle school team improve! Jump right in to discover a few new exercises to slot into your weekly practice sessions.
1. Pro-Lane Agility Drill
This agility drill is perfect for middle school players. The drill setup is easy and only requires cones- simply use them to create a set path for your players to practice in. This beginner drill is best for coaches to use when aiming to increase the speed of their players.
Learn More: National Academy of Sports Medicine
2. Demantha Drill
We recommend that this exercise be used as a warm-up before a basketball game. Perfect for use with both your defensive and offensive players, this passing drill is fast-paced and makes for a good conditioning drill when you need to help your players hone their focus when defending the hoop.
Learn More: Teach Hoops
3. Dribble Relays
This simple routine is perfect for improving dribbling and ball handling. Coaches claim that this is also an excellent drill for improving non-dominant hand control while dribbling and ensures that students can focus on improving their control of handling the ball. A good dribble relay also lends itself well as a team-building exercise.
Learn More: Jr. NBA
4. Shooting Line Drill
Crank up the competition and work on team building as you turn this shooting drill into a fun game! Improve the essential skill of shooting by setting a stop point where your students will get a chance to practice their form with each shot taken. Encourage quick movements and continually shift your students around to help them practice from different locations on the court
Learn More: Jr. NBA
5. Around the World
This childhood favorite makes for another excellent shooting drill! While it may seem like just a simple recess game, it also does the trick of helping your players improve their speed whilst developing proper form. Furthermore, it also encourages your kiddos to become more comfortable shooting from different locations on the court.
Learn More: The Inspired Treehouse
6. Ball Slap Drill
This ball slap exercise is good for helping your middle school basketball players warm up their hands in preparation for ball-handling exercises. This basic warm-up exercise is a great way to start off your practice each day.
Learn More: YouTube
7. Shoot Until You Make It
This shooting and conditioning drill serves a variety of purposes. Firstly, it’s an excellent way to encourage teamwork and boost morale in your team. Secondly, it’s an easy way of improving the shooting skills of your athletes. Lastly, it’s a great option if you’re keen on having your kiddos work on improving their dribbling and rebounding skills since they’ll need to quickly retrieve the ball when shots are missed. Simply have each player take continuous shots at the basket until they manage to lob the ball in and get a point.
Learn More: Breakthrough Basketball
8. Basketball Drag Race
Basketball is an intense game, and young athletes must learn to think and act under pressure. This highly competitive game can also encourage some friendly rivalry among students on the team. To play, split your team into two halves and number each half of the team from 1-10. Call out a number and have the person from each side run out to get a ball and score. They must then make it back to their spot before the other team does.
Learn More: Breakthrough Basketball
9. Follow the Leader
Here, your students will gain practice in shooting and proper form. Each player’s actions are dependent on the player ahead of him/her. The drill serves up a fun way to practice slowing down enough to see proper form in action, and it works well for encouraging teamwork!
Learn More: Breakthrough Basketball
10. The “Hero” Drill
This passing drill is a great way to improve reaction time and get your players to work on their chest passes. It’s a fast-paced and continuous drill that will undoubtedly help your students speed up their basketball skills. As they rotate positions, they’ll get to work on ball control, passing, and receiving.
Learn More: Sports Rec
11. Scoring Duos Drill
This drill is ideal for practicing offensive techniques. This shooting drill will help your students focus on two-player offensive moves, while attempting to score. This is a quick and easy drill to help improve both offence and shooting skills.
Learn More: YouTube
12. Ladder Agility Drill
Parallel lines form the outside of this ladder-style drill format. Use the ladder template as a guide for agility drills. Pre-made commercial agility ladders are available, or you can make your own with tape. Practice left-to-right movements regularly and boost agility by having your players alternate between their left and right foot. You can also increase the difficulty level by implementing time limits.
Learn More: Youth Hoops 101
13. Lane Slides
This fun drill/game is a great speed-building exercise. While your players race against the clock and each other, they’ll be improving their playing speeds and building their agility. Simply have your players race between two lines and slide to touch each side. As they better their skills, take things up a notch by placing a time limit on the exercise and challenging them to improve their current times.
Learn More: Youth Hoops 101
14. Wrap Battle
This competitive ball-handling drill is sure to bring some friendly competition into your daily practices. Your players can face off in this challenge as they improve their ball-handling skills and go up against one another over and over again. This will help increase their stamina and endurance as well.
Learn More: YouTube
15. Quick Draw Shooting Drill
This drill focuses on shooting skills, all while working on how to think on your feet. Get your players to work on shooting clutch shots and improve their fast-acting responses. This simple drill is a great (and fun) way to end an intense practice session.
Learn More: YouTube
16. Defensive Drift Drill
This defensive drill is great for focusing on passing, defense, and shooting. The defensive drift is a sneaky move that could do wonders in tricking the other team. With practice, this drill could become a showstopping, point-scoring, game-changing play in your next game!
Learn More: Coaching Toolbox
17. Baby Jump Shots
This shooting, passing, and rebounding drill is sure to give everyone a workout! The drill begins with a coach or player standing beneath the goal to serve as a rebounder. As your students take turns practicing their jump shots and footwork, the person beneath the goal must quickly rebound and pass the ball back to continue shooting practice. Encourage both speed and focus on shooting form during play.
Learn More: Basketball Coach
18. Blocking Out of the Circle
This rebounding drill is perfect for having your players work on their defensive skills. A player positioned inside the center jump circle should be tasked with using all of their defensive moves to prevent other players from taking the ball. This is a good time to provide coaching points and feedback to your players as they work on improving their defensive form.
Learn More: Basketball Coach
19. Dawg Passing Drill
This passing drill is a bit more complex than others, but can be easily accomplished with practice. It incorporates layups, shooting, rebounding, and passing. You can make it more competitive by splitting your team into two groups and timing them to see how long they can run the drill without making a mistake.
Learn More: The Coaching Toolbox
20. Close Quarters Rebounding Drill
This rebounding drill is great for teams who need to practice rebounding the ball as well as passing it. This no-dribble drill can become more competitive if you split your team into two groups before beginning.
Learn More: Coaching Tool Box
21. Six Shot Shooting Drill
This high-intensity drill aims for players to experience the variety of roles needed for successful basketball play. Rebounding, shooting, dribbling, and passing are all implemented in this drill. It provides a mean workout and also encourages friendly competition among the team.
Learn More: Coaching Toolbox
22. Four Corner Run
Using the four corners of the court, baselines, and sidelines, this drill will have your students shuffling and sprinting to improve both their agility and playing stamina. As they practice baseline to halfcourt, they’ll improve their ability to stay up to speed with the gameplay. Turn this into a dribbling drill by adding in a ball and requiring your players to dribble their way down the court.
Learn More: Sports Rec
23. Free Throw Rebounds Drill
While one player shoots as many shots as possible from the free-throw line, the rest of the team must work to rebound the ball and maintain good defensive stance positions. This drill aims to provide a great opportunity to deliver coaching critiques since players can apply the feedback immediately. This also provides the student acting as the shooter with proper shooting form practice.
Learn More: Sports Rec
24. Cone Dribbling
Dribbling is one of the most important basketball skills and cone dribbling is a great way to promote ball-handling skills. As your players weave in and out of the cones, they’ll need to maintain control over the ball. Use this weave drill to help your beginners learn the basics, or to help more advanced players increase their agility and ball-handling skills.
Learn More: Jr, NBA
25. T-Drill Sprint
Effective basketball drills focus on many aspects of strengthening players’ skill sets. This sprint drill encourages players to work on improving their speed, agility, and ability to move around the court in any direction. This simple drill is one you’ll want to bring the entire team in on. Simply have everyone work their way around the court in T-formation completing the depicted exercises.
Learn More: National Academy of Sports Medicine
26. Piggy in the Middle
This exciting basketball drill starts with three students standing in a triangle formation. The two students in the corners must pass a basketball back and forth, while the third student in the middle tries to intercept the ball. The objective is to improve passing accuracy and work on the ability to intercept the ball. After 3-5 minutes, have your students rotate positions and select another student to play the role of interceptor.
Learn More: Fitness365
27. Fast Break Drill
This quick-play basketball drill tasks your kiddos with practicing the art of making quick transitions from defense to offense. Have your players create a 3-on-2 situation, and instruct the 3-person team to score as many shots as they can, as quickly as possible. The Fast Break drill rules stipulate that after each failed shot, your players must rotate roles. This drill focuses on improving speed and encouraging teamwork.
Learn More: Online Basketball Drills
28. Jump Stop Layups
The Jump Stop Layup drill aims to improve footwork, coordination, and finishing abilities when near the basket. For this drill, Instruct your players to dribble toward the basket, execute a jump stop, pivot, and complete the attempt with a layup. Running through this drill multiple times will help your players generate optimal results.
Learn More: Jes-Basketball
29. Box Out Drill
This exciting exercise is all about mastering the ability to box out and rebound the ball. To run this drill, pair your students up and give each player one attempt to secure a rebound while the other practices boxing out to grab the ball. Rotate roles after one minute to ensure that each set of students has a chance to practice both skills.
Learn More: Online Basketball Drills
30. Zig-Zag Drill
This is the drill you need if you want to improve the speed and defensive slide skills of your players. Line them up and have them quickly zig-zag their way across the court, before instructing them to change direction on your whistle or verbal cue. Consistency and quick reflexes are key basketball skills, so this drill is a definite must-try.
Learn More: Breakthrough Basketball
31. Ball Toss Drill
The Ball Toss drill is just the thing to implement if you want to get your players working on developing their quick reflexes and shooting skills. To start, line your players up in a single file line. Then, have the first student in line toss the basketball up for the second player to quickly move in to catch and shoot the ball in one fluid motion. Make sure to emphasize the importance of catching, aiming, and shooting rapidly for the best results.
Learn More: Online Basketball Drills
32. Bounce-Pass Drill
Coaches swear by the Bounce-Pass drill- touting it as the perfect exercise to teach your students how to perform a well-executed bounce pass. Place your students in pairs and get them to stand directly across from each other. Have them then practice passing the ball so that it bounces only once before reaching their partner. An alternative would be using a wall. Make sure they focus on the ball’s bounce point and pass accuracy.
Learn More: Sportplan
33. Partner Shooting Drill
Pairs of students are all you need for a partner shooting drill that is aimed at improving shooting accuracy and speed. In this drill, one student will act as the shooter; trying to score as many baskets as possible within a set time frame. During the shootout, their partner will rebound and return the ball as quickly and accurately as possible. At the end of a given amount of time, have your students rotate roles to give them equal practice time.
Learn More: YouTube
34. 3-Point Shooting Relay
This competitive drill encourages friendly competition and enhances 3-point shooting skills. Divide your students into small groups of 3-4 students. Then, have each group compete against each other to be the first to make a designated number of 3-pointers.
Learn More: Coach’s Clipboard
35. Four-Square Passing Drill
Like the age-old game of four square, this passing routine is an excellent opportunity to teach your students different types of passes in basketball. Get your students to stand in a square formation and pass the ball to each other in a predetermined sequence. Make sure you task them with incorporating chest, bounce, overhead, and side passes to get the most out of the exercise.
Learn More: Basketball HQ
36. Figure Eight Dribbling
Improve ball-handling skills with this coordination-based dribbling exercise. This drill requires that your students dribble the ball in a figure-eight pattern around their legs without losing control. It’s tough, and some players will get frustrated, but it is a brilliant way to boost their handling abilities.
Learn More: Hoop Dynamic
37. Half-Court Traps Drill
This tactical drill helps teach your players how to execute and break half-court traps; perfect for helping them to adapt to a variety of offensive and defensive scenarios. Assign roles for defenders and attackers and run the drill repeatedly before having your players switch roles
Learn More: Hoop Tactics
38. Three-Man Weave
This exercise is a mixture of speed, accuracy, and teamwork. Get your students to weave around each other in a set pattern, while passing the ball. Finally, the three-man weave will end with a layup. Reinforce the importance of precise passing and timing whilst your students have a go at performing this drill.
Learn More: 360Player
39. Reaction Drill
This high-energy regimen will undoubtedly test your students’ reaction time. Have one player toss a ball into the air whilst another attempts to catch it before it bounces twice. Once caught, they’ll need to pivot quickly and pass the ball back to the person who threw it
Learn More: Basketball HQ
40. Shadow Defense Drill
Employ the Shadow Defense drill to fine-tune your players’ defensive skills. It requires one player to shadow another; mimicking their movements as they dribble the ball. Give your students a set amount of time to run this drill and then swap roles to provide both players with equal opportunities to practice their offense and defense abilities.
Learn More: YouTube
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