182 basketball drills, free to read
Shooting, ball handling, finishing, defense, passing, IQ, and conditioning — filterable by skill, with age group, duration, and equipment for every drill. Build these into a full practice plan free in the app.
free
Every drill here lists the skill it develops, how long to run it, the age bands it suits, an intensity rating, and the equipment you need — enough to slot it into a session and know what it's for. 20 of them also have a full breakdown: setup, numbered steps, the coaching points that matter while it's running, the mistakes players actually make, and how to scale it up or down. We're working through the rest.
If you're building a session from scratch, work backwards from the skill you want to move rather than picking drills you like. Pick one primary skill per practice, give it the longest block while players are fresh, then layer in the secondary work. Competitive and conditioning drills belong at the end — they raise intensity but they also degrade technique, so anything you're trying to teach should come first.
The counts below are live. Filter by skill area, or start from a ready-made practice plan if you'd rather not sequence it yourself. For the reasoning behind how a session is put together, see how to build a basketball practice plan.
Drills by skill area
Shooting drills build a repeatable release through high-rep, low-distraction reps before adding movement, defense, and game speed. Track makes, not just attempts, and keep form the priority until it's automatic.
Ball-handling work develops control at increasing speed and pressure — stationary control first, then movement, then live reads against a defender. Both hands, every time.
Finishing drills train footwork, touch, and body control through contact near the basket. Reps with both hands and both feet build the habit of finishing strong regardless of angle.
Individual defense is built on stance, footwork, and effort before scheme. Drill the fundamentals — stance, slides, closeouts — until they hold up at full speed and under fatigue.
Basketball conditioning should mirror the stop-start demands of the game — short, intense bursts with real recovery, not steady-state cardio. Tie conditioning to competitive targets whenever you can.
IQ and decision-making drills put players in live, small-sided situations where they have to read a defender and choose correctly — the muscle memory of good decisions, not just good mechanics.
Passing drills build accuracy, timing, and footwork on the catch. The best passing work is done on the move, since that's how the ball actually gets delivered in a game.
Footwork is the foundation under every other skill — pivots, jump stops, and change-of-direction work should be drilled on their own before they're asked to hold up inside a live move.
Rebounding is won with positioning and effort before jumping ability — teach the box-out first, then the pursuit of the ball, then the outlet. All three, every rep.
Team offense drills build spacing, timing, and decision-making between multiple players — the goal is a correct read repeated until it's automatic, not just running a set.
Passing drills build accuracy, timing, and footwork on the catch. The best passing work is done on the move, since that's how the ball actually gets delivered in a game.
Partner Chest & Bounce
Two-line passing on the move — chest, bounce, and lead passes with proper footwork.
3-Man Weave to Finish
Classic weave into a 2-on-1 or layup. Passing, spacing, and communication on the move.
Skip Pass Read
Four players spread to the perimeter; the ball reverses side to side and the passer must recognize when a direct skip pass across the court beats a slower defensive rotation. Teaches when a longer pass is the higher-value read.
Outlet Pass Under Pressure
Rebounder grabs a tossed ball while a defender closes out, then must pivot and find the outlet man before the defender recovers to contest. Trains quick decision-making off the defensive glass with contact nearby.
Live 3-Man Passing Game
Three offensive players keep the ball moving against one live defender who can intercept any pass, with the passer becoming the defender if their pass is picked off. Rewards accurate, purposeful passing over careless ones.
Bounce Pass Through the Lane
Partners flank a cone representing a defender's legs and complete a bounce pass that must clear the cone low and arrive on target. Isolates the mechanics of threading a bounce pass past a defender's reach.
Two-Line Chest Pass Relay
Two lines face each other and relay crisp chest passes while stepping into every pass. Emphasize hitting target hands and passing off the correct foot.
Partner Overhead Pass Series
Partners exchange two-hand overhead passes at increasing distance, snapping the ball from above the head. Groundwork for skip passes and outlet reads later.
Pivot-Pass Precision
Catch, execute a strong pivot away from a shadow defender, then deliver an accurate pass to a moving target. Links footwork directly to a purposeful pass.
All 182 drills
Every drill in the library, A–Z.