What is a youth basketball passing drill?
A youth basketball passing drill is a practice exercise that can help young players develop throwing and catching techniques while also emphasizing hand-eye coordination.
How to understand the diagrams on this page
In reference to any diagrams below, each player is assigned a number, usually ranging from 1 to 6. However, these numbers are utilized mainly for demonstrative purposes and do not typically represent the standard basketball positions, unless otherwise noted.
What’s more, in terms of a brief legend for the diagrams:
- Black Dot or Small Circle: The black dot or small circle represents the basketball.
- Solid Arrow: The solid arrow denotes indicates movement on the basketball court.
- Dotted Arrow: The dotted arrow signifies a basketball pass.
What is an example of an around the perimeter passing drill for youth basketball?
This is an example of an around the perimeter passing drill for youth basketball that focuses on ball movement, especially by way of reverse passes.
To start, 1 passes the ball towards the right side wing area, which is received by 2. Next, 2 passes the ball towards the right side corner with 3 as the recipient.
Following that, 3 passes back to 2 who also passes the ball again back to 1. From there, 1 passes the ball towards the left side wing, which is received by 4. After that, 4 passes the ball towards the left side corner with 5 as the receiver.
From that point, 5 passes the ball back to 4 who passes it back to the top.
This drill can continue for a certain amount of time or pass attempts between the players.
What is an example of a three-man weave passing drill for youth basketball?
This is an example of a simple half-court variation of the three-man weave passing drill for youth basketball.
It should also be noted that during the drill, players should not generally dribble the basketball.
To start, 2 runs slightly ahead and receives the ball from 1. After that, 1 follows behind 2 and moves toward the right side wing. At the same time, 3 runs ahead of 2 and moves toward the high post area.
As that happens, 3 receives the ball from 2. Furthermore, 2 runs behind 3 and moves toward basket in the general vicinity near the lane line area on the left side.
Next, 1 receives the ball from 3 and immediately passes it towards the lane where it can be received by 2. From that point, 2 can make a layup.
It should mentioned as well that the initial pass of the drill can be thrown on the opposite side as well. Moreover, the players can switch starting locations too.
It’s also possible to do the drill with three passes. In that instance, the player who would be the layup finisher would have to sprint a little bit harder to receive the ball around the basket in time.
What are the main types of passes that youth players should practice?
The main types of passes that youth players should practice and prioritize first the fundamentals first, which includes the chest pass, bounce pass, and overhead pass.
Chest pass
A player performs a chest pass by throwing it with two hands from their own chest area towards the chest area of a teammate.
The chest pass is important because it can help young players learn how to create ball movement as well as possible scoring opportunities for other teammates.
These are brief steps on how to perform the chest pass:
First, grip the ball near the chest area with both hands on the side of the ball.
Second, take one step towards the target, usually with the dominant foot.
Third, extend the arms, snap the wrists, and release the ball towards the target’s chest area.
Fourth, follow through with the fingers spread towards the target and the thumbs pointing in a downward direction.
Bounce pass
A player performs the bounce pass by it with a sufficient amount of strength and at a certain angle to the floor so that a teammate can receive it, preferably near their chest or waist area.
The bounce pass could be particularly useful, especially at the youth level when one or more defenders’ hands are high and as a result, it could become difficult for the player in possession of the ball to throw an effective air pass without the possibility of a deflection/interception occurring.
The bounce pass is important to consider because it gives the player an alternative option when it is not viable to throw an air pass such as a chest pass or overhead pass.
These are brief steps on how to perform the bounce pass:
First, grip the ball near the chest/stomach area with both hands on the side of the ball.
Second, take one step toward the target, usually with the dominant foot.
Third, extend the arms, snap the wrists, and release the ball with enough strength towards a spot on the floor between self and the target.
Fourth, follow through with the fingers spread towards the target and the thumbs pointing in a downward direction.
Overhead pass
A player performs the overhead pass by places it over their head before throwing it with two hands towards a teammate who is able to receive it.
The overhead pass is commonly used to move the ball faster than the chest pass or bounce pass. Additionally, the overhead pass is generally executed when the passer is far away from the target.
These are brief steps on how to perform the overhead pass:
First, grip the ball slightly over or above the head with both hands on the side of the ball. However, don’t place the ball directly behind the head or neck area when attempting the overhead pass because a defender could knock the ball loose and cause a turnover.
In addition, placing the ball too far behind the head/neck could slow down the velocity of the ball, which would probably make the overhead pass highly ineffective.
Second, take one step towards the target, usually with the dominant foot.
Third, extend the arms, snap the wrists, and release the ball towards the direction of the target. This could be directly to the target’s chest area or ahead of the target such as a situation where the target could be cutting towards the basket.
Fourth, follow through with the fingers and thumbs pointing downward.
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Related: A Hierarchy of Individual Skills for Youth Basketball – John Tauer