Basketball | Warmup Drills

Players stand 20 feet apart. Players pass over hand and must control the ball with the hand the ball was passed to.

Players stand 10 feet apart. The basketballs will be passed back and forth to each other. The player must control the basketball with the hand the ball was passed to.

Both players will face each other 10 feet apart. They will roll the ball back and forth controlling the basketball with only 1 hand. The basketball should be rolled in a straight line and controlled with the hand the ball was rolled to.

The basketballs will be rolled back and forth as quick as the players can go. If one of the players fumbles the ball or does not go quick enough and ends up with 2 basketballs. That player will have to do a push up. After the push up the game will continue.

Players set up a circle with one defender in the middle and one ball per group. The players on the outside of the circle must pass the ball and try to keep it away from the defender. The defender stays in the middle until they steal or deflect the ball. When that happens, the pass who threw the pass will become the next defender.

Start in the corner of the court by the sideline and baseline, players lined up one behind another along the baseline; First player leads the line crouched and sidestepping diagonally across one half of the court; Keep low, arms outstretched as if defending; At the corner of the half court line and the sideline jog normally along the half court line; At the opposite side of the court, low crouched sidestepping diagonally to the corner of the court at the baseline and the sideline; Jog normally along the baseline to the starting position;

Scatter some cones (divots) across the area, some the right way up, and some upside down. Split the group into two teams - 'Hackers and Greenkeepers' - and spread them out across the area. On the word 'Go' the Hackers run round turning the divots upside down and the Greenkeepers must turn them the right way up.

This drill works on fast feet, agility and footwork. Players start off with their own space on the court. On the coach's first whistle players sprint on the spot, standing with wide feet and their arms outstretched as if defending. Players sprint on the spot, with minimal leg raise - emphasis on fast feet. Players cease to exercise on coach's second whistle.

Players start off with their own space on the court. On the coach's first whistle players sprint on the spot, standing with wide feet and their arms outstretched as if defending. Players sprint on the spot, with minimal leg raise - emphasis on fast feet. On the coach's second whistle, players follow the coach's signal (right or left with their arm). Players move in the crab position in the direction of the coach's signal until the third whistle.

Progression from previous drill; Players begin by doing fast feet movement; On coach's next whistle and with a "beckoning" hand signal, players run towards coach; OR on the next whistle and with an "away" hand signal, players run backwards; On next whistle and with a "stop" hand signal, players stop advancing and resume on the spot fast feet; Repeat at the coach's discretion.

Progression from previous drill; Players begin by doing fast feet movement; On coach's whistle and with directional hand signal, players move diagonally backwards / forwards left / right; Repeat several times by varying direction.

Players are lined up on the baseline. The coach will be on the other side of the court. When the whistle is blown the players will start to jog. When the whistle is blown again the players will perform a quick stop to simulate them catching the ball in triple threat ready to shoot. This is continued to the other end of the court.

Players run around, avoiding the hoops on the floor. When they hear the whistle they must perform a stride stop (this is where their first foot lands inside the hoop and second outside). The foot inside the hoop is not allowed to move. The player must then pivot on their standing leg before then jogging off in another direction. When players hear two whistles they must jump stop, landing inside a hoop with both feet together. Player then select their pivot foot, moving the non-pivoting foot out of the hoop in order to pivot and change direction.

1 player will start with the basketball, the other player will have their hands ready to grip onto the ball. When the player with the basketball says 'GO', both players will try and rip the ball. The winner is the player with the basketball.

One team runs clockwise round the inside of the circle with the other team running anti-clockwise around the outside of the circle (blue cones). When the coach shouts 'Jailbreak' the players inside the inner circle try to 'escape' to outside the 10m x 10m square (yellow cones). The inside team scores a point for each 'jailbreaker' - swap over. If you have an odd number of players give the defenders the extra man.

Players are spread out as shown, facing the coach. Coach will point in different directions. Players must defensively react and slide in that direction.

Players stand in a circle with one ball per group. The first player with the ball starts off by passing the ball to another player and then follows their own pass.

Players will stand 10 feet apart, each having a basketball in their right hand. Going across the width of the court, keeping the same distance apart, the players will make underhanded passes to each other. Once they get to the other sideline, they will go back towards where they started.