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.
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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.
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.
Partner Box-Out Drill
Two players start front-to-back; on a tossed ball off the backboard, the boxing-out player pivots into contact and holds position with a wide base before pursuing the rebound. Fundamental contact-and-hold box-out technique.
Rebound and Outlet Pass
Player secures a rebound with two hands at the highest point, chins the ball, pivots away from pressure, and fires a quick outlet pass to a partner sprinting the sideline. Connects the rebound to transition offense.
Chin It Rebounding Drill
Coach tosses the ball off the rim; player must catch at the peak with two hands, immediately chin it under the chin, and land in a wide stable base before making a move. Eliminates loose, low rebounds that get stripped.
Rip-Through After Rebound
After securing a board, the player rips the ball aggressively through from one side to the other while pivoting to clear space from a shadowing defender, then goes straight into a put-back or outlet. Trains protecting the ball the instant it's grabbed.
Tip Drill
Player tosses the ball off the backboard and tips it back off the glass repeatedly with one or both hands before finally securing it, building strength and timing for tip-ins and second-chance putbacks.
Three-Player War Rebounding
Coach shoots and three players battle for position and box out before pursuing the live rebound, rotating in a new shooter each round. Simulates the physicality and chaos of a real-game rebounding situation.
Find, Hit, and Go Box-Out
On a shot, defenders must first locate their assigned attacker, make physical contact to hit them, and only then turn to go get the ball. Teaches the correct box-out sequence instead of ball-watching.
Circle the Cone Rebounding
A cone is placed under the rim to represent the rebounder's assigned box-out spot; the player must pivot and shuffle to keep the cone between themselves and a moving partner before crashing for a tossed rebound. Reinforces staying attached to the defensive rebounding assignment.
Two-Ball Rebound Reaction
Coach tosses two balls off the rim in quick succession, forcing the rebounder to secure one, outlet it, and react to the second. Sharpens reaction speed.
Rebound Put-Back Series
Toss a shot off the glass and have the rebounder go back up strong with a put-back finish before landing. Reinforces attacking the rim right after a miss.
All 182 drills
Every drill in the library, A–Z.