Basketball drills for youth teams, with video, setup and coaching points, grouped by ball handling, passing, shooting, defense and rebounding. For 6U to 14U.
3 drills · 20 minutes if you ran them all
Give every player a ball on the baseline. They jog forward with a controlled dribble to the free throw line, then take three or five hard steps to accelerate to half court and walk back. Run it with the right hand, then the left, four trips each.
Eyes up the whole way, never on the ball. The acceleration should be a clear change of speed, not a slightly faster jog.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBALine the team up on the baseline and move them to half court and back through high knees, butt kicks, side shuffles, carioca, and walking lunges. Finish with two easy jogs and two build up sprints so they are loose and sweating lightly before the first drill.
Keep the line moving and the spacing even. Arms pump, knees up, and the sprint at the end should look like a game sprint.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAPlayers spread out with a ball each and dribble around inside the half court. When the coach calls a name, that player calls out a move and everyone performs it, then keeps dribbling. Rotate through the roster so every kid gets to lead once.
Great first week drill because everyone learns names while they handle the ball. Insist on dribbling the whole time, even while listening.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBA5 drills · 40 minutes if you ran them all
Set five cones in a line about six feet apart from the baseline. Players dribble through the cones making a crossover at each one, finish at the free throw line, and jog back along the sideline. Run it with crossovers, then between the legs, then behind the back.
Change hands at the cone, not before it, and push the ball out in front so the next step is a real step. Head up and look at the coach.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAPlayers spread out in a stationary spot and work through pound dribbles at knee height, waist height, and shoulder height with each hand, twenty each. Then add a crossover, between the legs, and behind the back on the whistle.
Fingertips and pads, never the palm, and the off arm up to protect the ball. Pound it hard so it comes back fast.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAPlayers start at the baseline with a ball and attack three dribbles toward a coach standing at the free throw line. When the coach steps up, they retreat two dribbles backward, then crossover and attack past the coach to a layup. Three reps each hand.
Back out under control with the ball on the hip away from the defender. The crossover after the retreat should be low and quick.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBATwo sharks without a ball start at half court and the minnows line up on the baseline with a ball each. On go, the minnows dribble to the far baseline while sharks try to knock their ball away. Tagged minnows become sharks for the next round.
Dribble with the hand away from the shark and look for open space. Make the sharks play real defense with their feet, not reach and grab.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAEveryone dribbles inside the three point arc. Players try to knock other balls out of the circle while keeping their own dribble alive. Anyone who loses the ball or dribbles out does ten form dribbles outside the arc and jumps back in, so nobody sits.
Keep the dribble low and the body between the ball and other players. Reward the kids who protect the ball instead of just the ones who steal.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBA5 drills · 44 minutes if you ran them all
Groups of four play three on one inside a circle or square about fifteen feet across. The three passers keep the ball away from the defender using pivots and fakes; the defender who gets a deflection switches with the passer who lost it.
Pivot and fake before you pass, and never pass over the top of the defender. Short, sharp passes beat long lob passes.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAOne player at the top with a ball, one on the wing. The top player passes to the wing and cuts hard to the basket, receives a return pass, and finishes a layup. Rotate lines and run it on both sides.
Cut right after the pass, no standing and watching. The passer on the wing hits the cutter at the elbow, not the block.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBASet five short lines in a star shape around the key. The ball is passed across the star to the next line and the passer follows the pass to the end of that line. Start with one ball, then add a second once the pattern is clean.
Catch with two hands and pass with two hands. Call the name of the player you are passing to.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAPair players up ten to twelve feet apart with one ball. Work through twenty chest passes, twenty bounce passes, and twenty overhead passes, then back the pairs up a few feet and repeat.
Step toward the target and thumbs down on the follow through. Bounce passes should hit the floor two thirds of the way to the partner.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAThree players spread out around the three point line: top and both wings. The top passes to a wing, cuts to the basket, and fills the open wing while the other wing replaces at the top. Keep the ball moving for thirty seconds, then rotate groups.
Every pass is followed by a cut and every cut is followed by a fill. If the spacing collapses, stop and reset the spots.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBA6 drills · 52 minutes if you ran them all
Form two lines at half court on each side. Players skip toward the basket without a ball doing right foot left foot knee drives, then take a ball and do the same footwork into a layup. Alternate sides so both hands get work.
Right hand layup off the left foot, left hand off the right foot. Say it out loud with them until the feet are automatic.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAPlayers start a few feet in front of the basket with a ball. They step into the shot with the lead foot, lift the ball to the set point, and shoot with one smooth motion. Five makes, then step back one big step, up to the free throw line.
Elbow under the ball and finish with the wrist snapped and fingers pointing at the rim. If the ball is flat, the shooter is not using legs.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAOne partner stands under the basket with the ball while the shooter waits at the free throw line area with hands ready. The passer delivers a pass, the shooter steps into the catch and shoots, then the passer rebounds. Ten shots and switch.
Show a target before the pass and step into it with the inside foot. Catch low and ready, shoot in one motion.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAMark seven spots around the key with cones, from one short corner around to the other. Players shoot from each spot, rebounding their own ball, and track makes out of seven. Older groups add a dribble move before the shot.
Same footwork and same follow through at every spot. Celebrate improving a personal score, not beating a teammate.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAPlayers start close to the basket and must make two in a row to move back a step, up to the free throw line. A miss sends them one step closer. Run it in pairs so one shoots while the other rebounds and passes.
This drill forces kids to earn the longer shot. Keep the form the same when they move back, do not let them start heaving.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAA passer stands at the top of the key. The player starts on the wing, walks the defender down toward the block, plants and cuts hard back to the wing, catches, and drives for a layup. Rotate shooter to passer, passer to the end of the line.
Sell the cut by going slow down and fast up. Catch with the hands ready and take one dribble to the rim.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBA4 drills · 36 minutes if you ran them all
Players start on the baseline. They sprint to a cone at the free throw line, chop the feet into a closeout with hands up, slide sideways to the next cone, then backpedal to the start. Run it in both directions, four trips each.
Short choppy steps on the closeout and a low stance on the slide, no crossing the feet. Hands up and active all the way through.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBATwo attackers start at half court against one defender in the key. The defender stays between the two attackers, fakes at the ball handler, and tries to force a bad pass or a tough shot. Rotate after each rep so everyone defends.
Stay in the middle and stop the ball first, then recover to the pass. Hands up and active so the pass is harder.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAFour offensive players spread around the three point line and four defenders match up. The offense passes around the perimeter without driving while defenders jump to the ball, help one pass away, and recover. Add drives and a post player for older groups.
On every pass, every defender moves. Ball side is up the line, help side has one foot in the paint.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAA passer at the top, an offensive player on the wing, and a defender between them. The defender denies the pass for three seconds with a hand in the passing lane while the offensive player works to get open. After three seconds, rotate.
Ear on the chest of the offensive player, hand and foot in the lane, see the ball and your man. Jump to the ball when it moves.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBA3 drills · 22 minutes if you ran them all
Two teams line up at each elbow. The first player tosses the ball off the backboard, rebounds it, outlets to the next player in line, and sprints to the back. First team to a set number of clean rebounds wins.
Chase the ball with two hands and chin it before the outlet. A clean catch counts, a bobble does not.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAEach player with a ball tosses it high off the backboard, jumps, and grabs it at the top with two hands, landing wide in a strong chin the ball position. Ten reps, then add an outlet pivot to a coach after the catch.
Two hands, elbows out, ball under the chin on the landing. Jump to the ball instead of waiting for it to come down.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAPair players up around the free throw line, one on offense and one on defense. The coach shoots and the defender finds the offensive player, makes contact, turns to box out, and holds for a three count before going to get the ball. Switch roles each rep.
Hit, turn, and find the ball, in that order. The box out is with the backside and legs, not the arms.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBA2 drills · 16 minutes if you ran them all
All players stand inside the key with a ball. On go they dribble out to touch a sideline, half court, and the far baseline in any order, then race back into the key. Last one in does five jumping jacks and the game restarts.
Keep the dribble alive on every touch; losing the ball means starting that touch over. Eyes up to avoid traffic.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAPlayers line up on the baseline with a ball each. On the whistle they speed dribble to the far baseline and back, then jog one length to recover. Run it four times, alternating hands, and time the last one.
Push the ball out ahead and run after it with long strides. The dribble should be at waist height or higher when sprinting.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBA2 drills · 22 minutes if you ran them all
Play three on three half court. After every shot the coach calls out good shot or great shot based on whether it was open and in range. Great shots count double so players learn to pass up a contested look for a better one.
A great shot is open, in range, and balanced. Make the kids say out loud why a shot was good or great.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBATwo attackers start at half court against one defender. They attack the basket with no more than three dribbles, looking to pass or finish. The defender then becomes an attacker with the next player in line.
Attack the defender and make them commit before you pass. Pass early if they come to you, finish if they stay home.
Watch: Jr. NBA Jr. WNBAVideos are linked, not hosted, and belong to Jr. NBA Jr. WNBA. Drill write-ups are by Cheat Code Coaching. Durations are what we run them at with a youth team; adjust for your group.
Every drill here is already in the Cheat Code Teams Practice Builder for Youth Basketball. Drag them into a plan, tap Start practice, and the clock, the whistle and the next drill are on your phone and your lock screen.