Every practice should open with 8–10 minutes of warm-ups before jumping into skill drills. See our youth basketball warm-up drill library → — 11 exercises organized by dynamic stretching, ball handling, and agility footwork.
Mini Ballers Short drills, high energy, lots of game time. Keep it fun and moving.
Everyone dribbles in the paint area. One player is "it" and tries to tag others while maintaining their dribble. If tagged or you lose your ball, you become "it".
One "shark" at half court tries to knock away dribbles as "minnows" dribble baseline to baseline. Lose your ball? You become a shark.
Classic game with a basketball. Green = dribble forward, Red = stop and protect ball, Yellow = dribble in place.
Start 3 feet from basket. BEEF: Balance, Eyes, Elbow, Follow-through. Make 5, step back. Make 5, step back.
Two passers, one defender in the middle. Complete 10 passes without interception. Defender who steals swaps out.
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Build a Plan Free →Developing Players Start adding technique — crossovers, layups, passing patterns, basic defense.
Teams of 3–4. Dribble through 5 cones with right hand, come back with left hand. First team done wins.
Two lines — one shooting, one rebounding. Right side layups for 3 min, then left side. Focus on proper footwork and bank-shot angle.
5 spots around the key. Make 2 from each spot to advance. Track total attempts week-to-week to show progress.
5 players in a star shape. Pass to the person two spots over (skip one). Add a second ball for advanced groups.
Defensive stance drill. Slide baseline to baseline following coach's hand signals: left, right, forward, back. Never cross feet.
Need help structuring these drills into a full practice? Read our Youth Basketball Practice Plan Guide — covers timing breakdowns, common coaching mistakes, and practice templates for every age group.
Advanced Youth Competitive pressure, combination moves, team concepts, and live defense.
Dribble baseline to baseline. Crossover at free throw line, between legs at half court, behind back at far free throw line. Both directions.
Shooter catches pass, defender closes out with hand up. Shooter must make a move or shoot over the contest. Rotate every 3 attempts.
Offense passes around the perimeter (no dribbling). Defense practices help-side positioning, ball-you-man principles, and closeouts.
Three players weave down court passing — always go behind the person you pass to. Finish with a layup. No dropped balls or you repeat.
Half court 3v3. Score = stay on. Lose = next team comes in. First to 3 wins. Must make it, take it. Great competitive finisher for any practice.
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