— TRAINING SESSION

Advanced Skill Workout (U16+)

Block and Bank · 70 minutes · 8 drills · Generated 13 May 2026

Age group: U16
Focus: Balanced
Duration: 70 minutes
Drills: 8

Complete advanced session: warm-up, skill, tactical, live. Designed for serious players who already have the basics.

8DRILLS

70MINUTES

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 Stationary Ball-Handling Series

5 min Difficulty: Beginner Age: u10 Court: Half

Six progressions done in place: pound dribbles, low-high crossovers, between-the-legs, behind-the-back, figure-8 around legs, spider drill.

Daily warm-up every guard should do. Five minutes builds the hand-eye foundation everything else needs.

Coaching points

Eyes up, never look at the ball.
Low stance, chest over knees.
Fingertips on the ball, not palms.
Game speed, actually push the pace.
Equal reps both hands.

3 Cone Slalom

8 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u12 Court: Half

Six cones in a zig-zag pattern. Player weaves between them at game speed, performing a chosen move at each: crossover, between-the-legs, behind-the-back, in-and-out, spin, hesitation.

Moves library at game speed. Builds the ability to change direction AND change pace.

Coaching points

Hit every cone hard.
Low stance, don't stand up between moves.
Protect with off-arm.
Finish at the rim with a layup.
Good form first, speed second.

4 Off-Screen Catch & Shoot

10 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

Shooter starts on the baseline. Big sets a downscreen at the elbow. Shooter sprints off the screen, catches a pass at the wing in shooting position, rises and shoots.

The foundation of every off-ball shooting action. Used by every great shooter from Ray Allen to Klay Thompson.

Coaching points

Sprint hard off the screen — don't drift.
Shoulder to shoulder with the screener.
Hands ready before the catch — shooting pocket prepared.
Feet set on the catch — no extra steps.
Rise and shoot the second the ball lands in your hands.

5 Shell Defence — 4 Out

12 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Half

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.

Coaching points

• On-ball: pressure with active hands, no easy pass
• One pass away: deny stance, hand in passing lane
• Two passes away: help position, see ball and man
• Talk: 'ball, ball, ball' — 'help, help' — 'denied'
• Close out short and choppy, hand high

6 Spain Pick and Roll

12 min Difficulty: Advanced Age: u16 Court: Half

Standard PnR with a twist: as the big rolls to the rim, a SECOND screener back-screens the rolling big's defender. Creates a lob option, a pop-out for the screener, or the standard pull-up read.

Modern wrinkle on a classic. 3-4 options simultaneously.

Coaching points

PG reads big defender's hips like normal PnR.
Roller dives HARD, assume lob is coming.
Spain screener: back-screen when roller starts moving.
Spain screener pops AFTER the screen.
Most defences can't cover all 3.

7 5v5 Full Court Scrimmage

15 min Difficulty: Intermediate Age: u14 Court: Full

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.

Coaching points

Run real plays — not just isolation basketball.
Call fouls fairly — train kids to play through marginal contact.
Freeze the play occasionally to teach (the 'pause moment').
Rotate teams every 5 minutes — fresh matchups.
Keep score on the wall — accountability creates intensity.

8 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?