— TRAINING SESSION

First Look at Team Concepts (U10)

Block and Bank · 41 minutes · 5 drills · Generated 15 May 2026

Age group: U10
Focus: Team play
Duration: 41 minutes
Drills: 5

Most players this age have never been taught to read teammates. Introduce cutting, replacing, and the give-and-go — the foundation of every offence.

5DRILLS

41MINUTES

8AVG / DRILL

1 Passing Lines Warm-Up

5 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 Give and Go

10 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u10 Court: Half

Ball-handler passes to a teammate, immediately cuts hard to the rim. Receiver returns the ball with a bounce pass for an open layup.

The oldest play in basketball. Still works because defenders constantly forget about the passer.

Coaching points

Pass with intent, sharp, two-handed.
First step HARD toward the rim.
Receiver sees the cut, bounce pass low.
Finisher: catch on the move, finish strong.
If cut isn't open, return and reset.

Note: The oldest play in basketball

3 Backdoor Cut

10 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Wing player is overplayed by an aggressive defender. Instead of fighting for the pass, sharp backdoor cut to the rim. Passer reads, delivers a bounce pass for the layup.

The punishment for over-aggressive denial. Every team needs to know this.

Coaching points

Wing reads the defender's hand in the passing lane.
First step HARD toward the ball, then SHARP cut behind.
Passer sees the cut, bounce pass low and away.
Finisher: catch on the move, finish strong.
If defence adjusts, RETURN to the wing.

4 Pass Cut Replace

12 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Five-out motion. Pass to a teammate, immediately cut to the basket. Teammate fills your spot. Continuous. No dribbles, no screens, pure motion.

Foundation of every motion offence. Reads, spacing, the habit of cutting hard.

Coaching points

Cut HARD off every pass.
Replace, when someone cuts, someone fills.
4 metres minimum between players.
Look for the cutter, first read on every catch.
If nothing's there, pass and cut again.

Note: Live but slow, focus on cutting hard

5 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?