Age group: U14
Focus: Game prep
Duration: 64 minutes
Drills: 7
Most teams panic against pressure. This session builds composure and the muscle memory to beat any press calmly.
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.
Common formation against a 1-2-1-1 full-court press. Four players line up across the free-throw line extended; PG inbounds, sprints to the middle, and the team brings the ball up with crisp passing.
A press break is half about geometry, half about composure. This teaches both.
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.
Aggressive full-court press where defenders trap the ball-handler at every opportunity. Two defenders converge on the ball; third defender intercepts the obvious passing lane.
Unpredictable, high-pressure defence that creates turnovers in transition. Risky against composed offence.
Big at one baseline catches a rebound. PG sprints from the far end toward half-court. Big throws a one-handed outlet over distance, PG catches in stride, finishes layup.
Replicates the long-pass break that punishes lazy transition defence.
Full-court 5v5 game. First team to 21 wins. All standard rules apply — no special constraints.
The ultimate teacher. Every concept gets tested under real pressure. Most coaches don't run this enough.
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.