Basketball Defense Drills

Improve your man-to-man and zone defense with these defensive basketball drills. These drills focus on defensive discipline and concentration.

These defensive drills help prepare players for solidify the defensive side of the court via communication, positioning, rotations, discipline, concentration, and hustle. Whether you are playing man-to-man or zone defence these drills take players through game-like situations to fortify the perimeter.
Start by focusing on individual defensive skills and move into transition and half-court defence drills.

Basketball Defense Drills

• 1vs1 Close-Down/Box-Out

  This 1 on 1 basketball rebounding drill will focus on rebounding, closing down a shooter, and boxing out the rebound.

• Around the World Rebounding

  This basketball rebounding drill will focus on close-outs, boxing out, and winning the rebound after a shot.

• Pick And Roll Drill

  This basketball drill focuses on the pick and roll move in basketball. The pick and roll is an offensive play in basketball in which a player of the attacking team creats a pick for the ball handler to slip by, the pick player then rolls out towards the ball handler who then receives a pass and attempts to get the shot off.

• Hitting your Free Throws when you're tired

  The objective is to improve a player's free throw shooting in a more game-like situation. Too many players practice free throw shooting when they are fresh and not focused. This drill will make a player have to hit their foul shots when they are tired and breathing hard and also make consequences for missing their free throws.

• Faking to Create Space for Your Jumpshot

  The objective of this drill is to develop a comfortable basketball move that will allow a jump shooter to create space and get away from a defender to get a good jump shot away. It's not difficult to drain that wide open jumper, but the real offensive basketball stud is the player that can create space and score when being covered. It becomes more and more important the older the player gets.

• The Four Minute Shooter

  The Four Minute Shooter To improve the player's overall shooting ability while creating a more game-like and competetive environment. The drill works on the layup, midrange basketball shot and the three pointer. Finally the rotation ends with two pressure free throws.

• 4v4 Round Robin

  4v4 Round Robin is a game the kids love. This takes the place of an end of practice scrimmage or can be played on a free day. The 4v4 will give more space on the court allowing the players to be more creative and attacking in the offense. It will also encourage better 1v1 defense as there is less defensive help available.

• Basketball Dribbling with Chairs

  The object of the Basketball Dribbling with Chairs drill is to focus on keeping the ball in the hand away from the defender, keeping players head up, as well as dribbling with both hands.

• Basketball Defensive Channeling

  The object of this Basketball Defensive Channeling drill is to allow the defensive player to learn techniques to force a ball handler to go where the defender wants them to to go.

• Basketball Defensive Transition Drill

  The objective of this defensive transition basketball drill is to focus on players getting back on defense and preparing for their defensive responsibilities.

• The Backboard Touch

  The objective of the Backboard Touch basketball drill is to increase jumping abilities, leg strength, explosiveness and fitness as well as proper jumping technique.

Basketball Defense Drills

Improve your man-to-man and zone defense with these defensive basketball drills. These drills focus on defensive discipline and concentration.