TJ Rosene just sent me this drill that he’s been integrating into his practices. His team loves it because they get a little bit of everything (transition, zone, man, etc.). In it he trains his team to transition seamlessly between formations, emphasis of actions, and types of defense.
This style of training cements the confidence that his team can handle anything a game throws at them. And, yes, in this drill you are training both your defense and your offense simultaneously.
Starting Action: 4 on 4 (5th player is waiting out of bounds). On a make, the offense takes it out of bounds in transition. On a miss, the offense (yep, offense) takes the rebound and goes down the floor in transition. The 5th player joins them on this trip.
You can change the rules. Try 4 on 4 with no dribbles. Or, 4 on 4 where the offense must get a post entry. How about 4 on 4 and the offense has to score off a Back Screen, or a Pin & Skip? It’s completely up to you and what actions you want to emphasize.
Trip 2: 5 on 0 and the transitioning team must score on the coach’s command (Safety Valve, Post Entry, Double Staggered, etc.). Again, the scoring action can be adjusted to your team’s needs.
Trip 3: 5 on 5 live. After scoring on Trip 2, the team comes back against a live defense. And, you guessed it, that defense can be anything: zone, man, trapping, press, whatever. Geeze, this drill is versatile.
After Trip 3 is up to you. You could have another defense waiting on a Trip 4 or you could switch offense to defense. All of that depends on your number of players and your practice goals.
And, hey, if you have a great drill idea you want to share with the Tribe, send me an email at scott@betterbasketball.com
