Age group: U14
Focus: Defence
Duration: 58 minutes
Drills: 7
From individual stance to team rotations. By the end of this session, players understand shell defence and the help line.
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.
Two players face each other across the lane. Offence makes lateral moves; defender mirrors. No fouls, no contact — pure footwork. 30 seconds, then switch.
Builds defensive habits without the pressure of getting beaten.
Defender starts under the rim, sprints out to a shooter at the wing, breaks down on approach, and contests the shot with a high hand without fouling.
This is THE drill for teaching modern perimeter defence.
Two offensive players: ball-handler at the wing, shooter in the opposite corner. Two defenders. Ball-handler drives baseline; help defender steps over to stop the ball, then recovers to their man as the kick-out pass comes.
The most important rotation in modern defence. Practise the recovery as much as the help.
Teaches defensive shape and rotations. Four offensive players spread around the perimeter, four defenders take their stances. Coach calls or passes the ball; defenders adjust position based on whether the ball is one pass away or two.
The foundation of every team defence.
Five defenders. Coach passes ball around perimeter. Designated 'captain' must call EVERY defensive shift out loud. Others follow the captain's calls.
Defence IS communication. The best defensive teams are also the loudest.
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.