— TRAINING SESSION

Late-Game Situations (U16+)

Block and Bank · 65 minutes · 7 drills · Generated 13 May 2026

Age group: U16
Focus: Game prep
Duration: 65 minutes
Drills: 7

Drill the situations games come down to. Last shot, end-of-quarter, 2-for-1, defending a 3-point lead. Every team needs this muscle memory.

7DRILLS

65MINUTES

9AVG / DRILL

1 Passing Lines Warm-Up

4 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u8 Court: Half

Pairs, 5 metres apart. 20 chest passes, 20 bounce passes, 20 overhead passes, 20 one-handed push passes (10 each hand).

Fundamentals warm-up every coach should run every practice. Countless turnovers prevented.

Coaching points

Step into every pass.
Fingertips on follow-through.
Receive with both hands, fingers spread.
Bounce passes: 2/3 of the way to your partner.
Overhead passes: snap wrists, from the forehead.

2 Pressure Free Throws

10 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u12 Court: Half

Each player shoots two free throws after a hard physical task (10 push-ups, sprints, rebounds). Best percentage on the team sits out the next sprint.

Replicates late-game fatigue. Most missed FTs happen at 4-2 with 6 seconds left, not in calm drills.

Coaching points

Same routine every time, automatic.
Slow down on the line, fatigue tempts rushing.
Three dribbles, breath, shoot. DO IT.
Follow through and hold.
Misses don't matter, next one is what counts.

3 Last Shot Situation

15 min Difficulty: Advanced Age: u16 Court: Half

Coach sets scenario: 6 seconds left, down 2, ball at half-court. Run a play that ends in a quality shot. Score wins. Repeat 5 times.

Game-clock training. Every team needs late-game muscle memory.

Coaching points

First action takes 2 seconds.
Get a quality shot, not a hero shot.
Know the play before the inbound.
Foul late if needed (only when down).
Celebrate the make, learn from the miss.

4 End of Quarter Possession

12 min Difficulty: Advanced Age: u16 Court: Half

Coach calls: 12 seconds left in the quarter, ball at half-court. Run a full possession, work for a quality shot, release before the buzzer.

Most common end-of-quarter situation. Get a good shot, don't waste the possession.

Coaching points

Take 2-3 seconds to set up the action.
Get to your spot at 5 seconds.
Shoot before 1.
Don't pass up an open shot at 4 seconds for a contested one at 1.
Know the play before the ball is live.

5 Trap and Recover

10 min Difficulty: Advanced Age: u16 Court: Half

Ball-handler tries to advance up a sideline. Two defenders trap as soon as the dribbler picks up. Trapper #1 was on ball; trapper #2 sprints from across.

Most aggressive defensive pressure, plus the recovery if the trap fails.

Coaching points

Trapper 1: turn the ball-handler to the sideline.
Trapper 2: sprint, arrive, hands UP.
No gap between traps, knees touching.
Force the pivot, force the pass.
If pass gets out, immediately recover.

Note: For when you need a stop

6 Beat the Trap

10 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Ball-handler trapped in corner by two defenders. Press break: pivot AWAY from trap, find safety valve in the middle, pass to break pressure.

Most teams fold to traps. Teams that don't fold beat presses. Composure under pressure.

Coaching points

Stay calm, the trap WANTS panic.
Pivot AWAY, never into the trap.
Middle of the floor = open pass.
Don't pick up dribble unless necessary.
Get ball out before second trap forms.

Note: For when you need to keep possession

7 Cool Down Routine

4 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u8 Court: Half

End-of-practice: 30 seconds each, toe touches, quad stretch, hamstring stretch, calf stretch, lunge stretch, cobra back stretch, shoulder rolls. Total 4 minutes.

Most coaches skip it. Don't. Recovery starts here. Players who stretch consistently miss less practice from soreness.

Coaching points

Slow movements, no bouncing.
Breathe, exhale on stretch.
Don't push through pain, just to the edge.
Hold each stretch.
Debrief while stretching: what worked today?