Passing Drill - Monkey in the Middle
Form groups of three. Each group has a ball. Line up the passers about 15 feet apart (comfortable passing distance). The third man in each group is the "monkey in the middle" and tries to steal or deflect the ball, while the two outside players try to pass to each other.
No dribbling is allowed, except for a one-bounce sideways dribble to open a passing lane. No easy lob passes over the defender are permitted. Passers should be in triple-threat position and work on pivoting and ball fakes to clear the passing lane. For example, the passer can fake an overhead pass to get the defender to raise his hands, then make a bounce pass, or "curl" bounce-pass.
Rotation:There's a couple ways of doing this. One easy way is to simply change the middle man every minute, when you blow the whistle. Each person takes a turn in the middle. Or, whenever the defender deflects the ball, the passer now becomes the "monkey in the middle". If no deflections in 30 seconds, switch defenders.
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