HOW TO COACH BASKETBALL

An introductory guide for beginner coaches to teach the skills and rules of basketball
(judy/publications/how to coach.doc)

INTRODUCTION
The primary aim of this booklet is to introduce novice basketball coaches to the game of basketball. The booklet is a basic guide for coaches to teach the skills of the game, team structure and rules. It also contains a guide for training sessions.

INDEX
The Basketball Court Rules a Coach needs to know Fundamentals of the game and drills for teaching Ball handling Dribbling Passing Shooting Individual offence Defence How to plan a training session Terminology Page 3 4 6 9 10 12 14 16 17 18 19

Oceania All Stars 2005 Part of the FIBA Oceania Development Program

THE BASKETBALL COURT

BASKETBALL TEAM STRUCTURE:

GUARDS Guards are usually the smaller, quicker players on the team, with good ball handling skills and outside shooting ability. Their primary roles lie in advancing the ball up the court, penetrating (getting past the man guarding them) by pass or dribble and being the first line of defence in protecting against a fast break (a situation in which the defensive team gain possession of the ball and moves into scoring position so quickly that its members out number their opponents) if possession of the ball is lost. FORWARDS Forwards are the taller players on the team who generally operate in the wing or baseline areas and sometimes in the key area. Reasonable outside shooting ability is required and good ball handling skills to enable them to dribble to the basket. The forwards are also one of the main rebounders (a rebound is an attempt to recover the ball after a missed shot) in the team. CENTRES The centres are usually the tallest players on the team and work closest to the basket to take advantage of their height, generally around the key area. Playing where they do the centre is in the primary rebounding position and should attempt to win all rebounds. The positional placements of players will vary from team to team according to the type of players on a team or the type of defence opposing teams play. Generally a coach will have 2 guards, 2 forwards and 1 centre on the court at one time.

RULES A COACH NEEDS TO KNOW

Length of a Game: A basketball game consists of 4 x 10 minute quarters. At the end of the first and third quarters teams have a 2 minute break. At half time teams have a 5 minute break. Timing rules may vary somewhat depending on the level of the competition. Start of a Game: The game begins with 5 players from each team on the court. The referee starts the game with a jump ball. A jump ball is taken between 2 players inside the centre circle. The remaining players must stand still outside the circle until the ball is tapped. Players involved in the jump ball must attempt to tap the ball on its downward flight to players from their team. Any member of the team may take the jump ball. Once a team has possession of the ball from the jump, the directional arrow on the scorebench is pointed towards the shooting basket of the team that win the ball from the jump. At other times in the game when a jump ball is called, the team with the arrow pointing to their shooting basket will be awarded the ball out of bounds. The directional arrow changes to the opposite direction once the inbound pass has been made.

Out of Bounds: The ball is considered out of bounds once it hits something on or outside the boundary lines (sidelines and baselines).

A Field Goal: A player throwing the ball through their opponents basket scores a field goal. That players teams score is increased by two points for a successful field goal. After a field goal the opposing team must inbounds the ball from behind the baseline. Foul Shots: A player who is fouled whilst trying to shoot a field goal is awarded 2 free shots from the foul line. Each foul shot is worth 1 point. If the last foul shot is missed the game goes on as if it were a normal shot, if it is made the other team passes the ball inbounds from behind the baseline. Fouls: No player may use contact to put off an opposition player. If he does, he has fouled. Once a player has five personal fouls called on him he can take no further part in the game. FOUL ON DEFENSE Illegal use of hands FOUL ON OFFENSE - Charge

Inbounding the Ball: After a violation or a foul the team getting the ball throws the ball inbounds from behind the sideline of the court nearest to where the violation happened. Travelling: A player holding the ball must always keep one of his feet on a spot on the floor, unless he passes, dribbles or shoots. The player may pivot on this foot. If a player moves this foot off the spot without dribbling, passing or shooting he has committed a travelling violation and the other team gets the ball from the sideline. Time-Outs: A coach may request a time-out from the scorers bench anytime the referee blows his whistle. He may also call for a time-out when the other team scores a goal, before his team throws the ball inbounds. One minute is allowed for a time-out and a coach is allowed 2 timeouts in the first half and 3 timeouts in the second half of the game. Substitutions: A coach may substitute his players in the following instances: 1. Anytime a foul is called. 2. Anytime his team has a sideline possession. 3. A jump ball (except if the player he wants to sub is in the jump ball). 4. Time-outs. 5. When the other team subs on their possession from the sideline, you may also sub. 6. If a player is injured he may be substituted out. 7. Half time. A team can consist of 12 players. 5 players only are allowed on the court at one time. A player who has been subbed off may be put back in the game anytime a coach wants.

FUNDAMENTALS OF THE GAME AND DRILLS FOR TEACHING

BODY MOVEMENT AND CONTROL
Running Body weight slightly forward Run on balls of feet Head always in centre of body Eyes up

Change of Direction with Side Step Push off rear foot the direction required Transfer body weight forward Knees bent

Change of Direction with Reverse Pivot Turn away from opposition Thrust off pivot foot Knees bent

Stopping with Jump Stop Upon gaining possession of the ball either by receiving a pass or by picking up a dribble the player must establish a pivot foot. The first foot to touch the ground after gaining possession is the pivot foot. A jump stop enables the player to use either foot as his pivot foot. Both feet land simultaneously Knees bent to absorb stop Head in centre of body Feet shoulder width apart

Stopping with Stride Stop First foot to land is pivot foot Second foot is stopping foot Second foot restores body balance

Pivoting Pivot foot remains on floor Stepping foot may move in any direction Knees bent Pivot on ball of foot

Shuffling (Defensive Movement) Athletic stance Never touch feet together Short sharp steps Knees bent always

Drills for Practicing Body Movement and Control: 1. Two lines of cones are placed along the court. Players line up at first cone. Players run through cones changing direction at each cone, running, side step, jump stop and reverse pivot.

2. Players line up on court as shown, begin in athletic stance, the coach will point to one side and the players slide in that direction, he may then point to the other side and the players must react by changing direction and sliding the other way.

3. The players form 4 lines across the baseline. On the coaches command the first player from each line must run forward, when the coach raises his hand all must either come to a jump or stride stop (depending on coaches instruction) and then pivot forward, backward, right then left and begin running again, if coach raises his hand again they must repeat stop and pivot.

BALL HANDLING
The following drills are designed to give the players better confidence when handling the ball. Each drill should be done for 30 seconds. 1. Body Wrap Push ball around body as fast as possible Control ball with fingers Feet shoulder width apart Keep middle of body still

2. Figure 8 Speed Dribble Feet wider than shoulder width Weave ball around legs in Fig. 8 Keep ball close to ground Tap ball with fingertip

3. Straddle Flip Hold ball at waist height Bounce ball between legs Catch with two hands behind back Bounce forward from behind back

DRIBBLING
To legally commence dribbling the player must release the ball from his hands before his pivot foot leaves the ground. SPEED DRIBBLE Control ball with fingers Keep ball in front but to side of body Eyes up Keep ball below waist height

CONTROL DRIBBLE Push ball down using fingers Ease ball back into hand Keep ball below waist height Eyes not looking at ball Knees bent

CHANGING DIRECTION WITH CROSS-OVER DRIBBLE Body movement same as side step Push ball across body to other hand Keep ball low Control ball with fingers

CHANGING DIRECTION WITH REVERSE DRIBBLE Body movement same as reverse pivot Transfer ball between hands when back is to defender Control ball with fingers

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Dribbling 1. Alley Drill Players form lines across end line and dribble full length of court and back again, first dribbling in straight line and then zig zaging to practise changes of direction.

2. Dribble Chasey Give ball to two or three players and they must dribble and chase rest of team over court area and attempt to tag with non-dribbling hand. If they tag a player that player must take over the ball.

3. Obstacle Course Place witches hats around court to form a circuit, players must complete circuit as fast as possible while the coach may time players to see who is fastest.

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PASSING
Two Handed Chest Pass Hold ball with fingers, not palm Step in direction of receiver when passing Snap wrist when releasing ball Follow through with fingers to target Receiver should catch ball at chest height

Two Handed Bounce Pass Same technique as chest pass Follow through to ground or floor Receiver should catch ball at waist height

Two Handed Overhead Pass Hold ball with fingers Hold ball directly above head Deliver ball to chest

One Handed Push Pass Right hand directly behind ball Push ball from chest Snap wrist upon release

Baseball Pass Right hand behind ball Step forward when releasing ball Follow through to receiver

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Drills for Practising Passing

1. Two lines down centre of court, passing between pairs. Practise all passes.

2. Four lines across baseline. Players run xx~x in straight line up court and back passing in pairs.

3. Player-in-the-middle: Using the centre circle and keyway circles, five (or more) players line up around the edge of the circle. One player in the middle attempts to stop the player with the ball passing. If he touches the ball, those two players exchange positions. Players around the circle may not pass to players directly beside them.

4. Cat and Mouse Drill. Players in groups of three. Players stand in a straight line with one in the middle. Two players on the outside must attempt to pass the ball to each other past the player in the middle. If the player in the middle touches the ball the passer must replace him. Players in the outside must be 45 metres apart and must keep a pivot on the ground at all times. 13

Holding the Ball to Shoot Hold the ball with fingers, not palm Fingers comfortably spread Non shooting hand on side of ball Keep ball on shooting hands side of body

SHOOTING

Shooting

Push ball in one smooth action from chest Right foot and right shoulder forward, aiming towards target Snap wrist on release of ball and follow through

Use legs to help push ball upwards Release ball before peak of jump

Lay-up Shot

Lay ball onto backboard Jump off foot opposite shooting hand Jump as high as possible, high jump not broad jump
Extend shooting arm, releasing ball at peak of jump

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Drills for Practicing Shooting 1. Lay-ups

Players form two lines. First player from one line dribbles in and shoots ball, first player in other line rebounds the ball and passes to next player in

shooting line. The two players

then go to the end of the opposite line.

2. Spot Shooting
Players break into four groups. The first player in each group shoots the ball, rebounds it if it misses and shoots again, once he has made the shot he passes the ball to the next player in his line and he goes to the rear of the line. Practise catching the ball and shooting and shooting off the dribble.

.3. Horse Shooting Game Can be played by 2 or 3 (or more) players outside of training sessions. One player will shoot the ball from any position on the court he wants. If he makes the shot he is in control of the ball and the next player in order must also make the shot, if that player misses he is then punished with a H. The first shooter may then move to another spot on the floor and shoot again, if he makes it again the next shooter must again make that shot, if that player misses again he is then labeled HO and the game goes on until one player is labeled HORSE. To gain control of the ball the second player must make a shot after the first player has missed. 4. Golf Shooting Game The Coach marks out nine spots over the court area for players to shoot from. The players begin at first spot and attempt to make goal, each player counts the number of shots it takes him to complete all nine spots. He must stay at each spot until he makes a

shot. 15

INDIVIDUAL OFFENCE
In order for a player to get himself open to shoot the ball he must be able to get past the man guarding him. Two efficient ways of doing this are: Jab Step and Go Quick 1/2 step forward by player Defence do not react to step Player continues forward in direction stepped

Jab Step Fake and Crossover Quick 1/2 step forward by player Defence reacts and moves in that direction Player crosses stepping foot across body Moves in opposite direction to first step

REBOUNDING (Recovery of missed shots) Always get inside position on opposition Make contact with rear of body on front of oppositions body

Hands up all the time

Grab ball with two hands Block oppositions path to rebounding area Dont ball watch be sure to block man out and then look ,for ball

Drills for Practising Rebounding

1. Coach -shoots the ball, players on defence must block their man out and rebound ball, if they rebound they become new offence, and coach shoots ball again, if they do not rebound offence keeps shooting the ball until they make a goal and defence remains in

for next shot by coach.

3. Three players stand inside key area, coach shoots the ball, whichever player rebounds the ball he must try and score, other two players must try and stop him. The player of the three who eventually scores rotates out of group and a new player comes in.

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DEFENCE
Teams can play 2 types of defence, these being man to man or a zone defence. MAN TO MAN DEFENCE Each player must guard one man Players must always be closer to the ring and ball than the player they are guarding Players must always be able to see both their man and the ball

Players must always be in athletic stance

Sag off man towards middle of court as ball gets further away

Drills for Practising Man to Man

1. Alley Drill Players pair up, one player with the ball, player with ball attempts to dribble past defensive player, man on defence must attempt to block offensive players path down court.

2. Four on Four Players play half court with offence trying to score. Coach must watch and see if players on defence are in good position and block out when offence shoots. ZONE DEFENCE Each player must guard players in their area Players must be in athletic stance with hands up Players must be concerned with guarding key area Players must find opponent to block out when ball is shot Players should move in direction of every pass Team Offence Always keep the court balanced (even spacing between each player, not crowded around the ball) Move without the ball Do not dribble too much A pass is mostly better than a dribble

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Zone Offence Alignment Players should move the ball as quickly as possible Two biggest players should play two inside positions Dribble into zone and pass off

Man to Man Offence Alignment Move from one area to another Look for open players Never stand still

HOW TO PLAN A TRAINING SESSION

Preparation Be prepared, be sure to use all training time to the fullest. Plan each drill and allocate time to be spent on it e.g. dribbling 10 minutes. Content Cover all fundamentals. A team that can perform all fundamentals better than other teams will win, be sure to cover as many fundamentals during each training session as possible. It may not be possible to do everything in every training session but a coach should in his long term plan make sure to cover all the skills as often as possible. Strategy Review team offence and defence during training sessions. *Do not waste training time on fitness work, this should be done outside training time. * Encourage players to work on individual skills (i.e. dribbling, ball handling, shooting etc.) on their own outside of training sessions. Give them individual programs to train on their own or with partners. * lntroduce 2 on 2 and 3 on 3 half court games which players can enjoy outside of training sessions. *Respect the skills and age level of your players. Be patient

and work for long term improvements, it wont happen overnight 18

TERMINOLOGY
1. 2. 3. 4. Backboard The rectangular shaped board behind the goal. Baseline The end line running under the basket from sideline to sideline. Basket The goal. Blocking Out The position of a defensive player in such a manner as to prevent the offensive player from going to the basket for a rebound. Drive A quick dribble towards the basket in an effort to score. Defence The team without possession of the ball. Fake A deceptive movement used to trick the defensive player into the wrong position. Follow Through Arm and wrist movement after ball is shot. Fast Break A situation in which the defensive team gain possession of the ball and moves into scoring position so quickly that its members out number the opponents.

5. 6. 7.

8. 9.

10. Jump Ball The situation in which the official tosses the ball into the air and two opposing players jump in an effort to tap it toward a teammate. 11. Key Area The area defined by the free throw line and the two lines running to the baseline. 12. Offence The team with possession of the ball. 13. Penetrating Move made by offensive player by dribbling past the man guarding him in an effort to draw more defensive players to create an open offensive man. 14. Pivot Footwork that enables the ball handler to move one foot while keeping the other in the same position of contact on the floor. 15. Rebound An attempt to catch a missed shot. 16. Sideline The lines running up the side of the court. 17. Substitution A player put in the game to replace a player already playing in the game. 18. Score A made field goal. 19. Scorebench Table where scoresheet and clock are kept. 20. Time-out A sixty second period called by the coach when play is stopped.

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