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Ball-screen coverage reps

Rehearse the team's base coverage against side and middle ball screens. Grade point-of-attack angle, big depth, low help, and finish. 6 to 18 players, 1 basket, about 15 minutes.

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Ball-screen coverage reps drawn on a half court in 3 steps. 1. Drop: guard over, big below: O1 turns shoulder-to-shoulder around O5. X1 is caught by the screen and chases over while X5 stays between the ball and rim at the team's drop depth. 2. Switch: exchange assignments: This frame isolates the exchange: X5 moves up to O1 while X1 drops below O5. The two arrows cross, but each defender finishes on a different player. 3. Show: stop ball, then recover: X5 shows two steps toward O1, then sprints back to O5. X1 uses the temporary help to recover in front. Only those two defensive movements are shown.
1. Drop: guard over, big below: O1 turns shoulder-to-shoulder around O5. X1 is caught by the screen and chases over while X5 stays between the ball and rim at the team's drop depth. 2. Switch: exchange assignments: This frame isolates the exchange: X5 moves up to O1 while X1 drops below O5. The two arrows cross, but each defender finishes on a different player. 3. Show: stop ball, then recover: X5 shows two steps toward O1, then sprints back to O5. X1 uses the temporary help to recover in front. Only those two defensive movements are shown.Credit: Drawn by Ball Coach

What it needs

Players
6 to 18 players
Baskets
1 basket
Court
Needs a half court
Time
About 15 minutes
Equipment
basketballs, two colors of pinnies, coverage depth cone, scoreboard or score sheet
Type
Team work, intermediate

Set it up

Use groups of six at one basket: a ball handler, screener, and weak-side spacer against a point-of-attack defender, screen defender, and low helper. Start with a side ball screen, then move the same group to a middle ball screen. The coach names the coverage before each round—drop, switch, or show-and-recover—and places a cone at the required depth for the screen defender.

Run it

The screener arrives set and the ball handler uses the screen at game speed. In drop, the point-of-attack defender chases over, the big contains the ball below the screen, and the low helper tags the roll until the guard recovers. In switch, the big takes the ball handler, the guard gets below the screener, and both defenders finish the matchup without a slip to the rim. In show-and-recover, the big shows two steps at the ball, the guard gets back in front, and the big sprints back to the roller while low help tags and releases. The possession remains live after the first action. Defenders must communicate the call early, take away the rim, recover to shooters, and finish with a rebound before rotating guard to helper, helper to big, and big to guard.

What to coach

Rehearse the team's base coverage against side and middle ball screens. Grade point-of-attack angle, big depth, low help, and finish.

Score it

Award the defense one point for executing the called coverage without a paint touch, one for a correct low-help tag and recovery, and one for finishing the possession with a rebound or turnover. The offense earns two points for a rim score or uncontested three and one for forcing a coverage breakdown even when the shot misses. A silent or incorrect coverage gives the offense one automatic point. The defense must earn six three-point possessions before the coach changes the coverage.

Make it harder

Teach side drop, switch, and show-and-recover separately without a weak-side shooter. Add the weak-side spacer and low helper, then move the action to the middle. Finish with the coach calling the coverage as the screener runs into the action so all three defenders must recognize and execute it live.

Use it in practice

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Where this drill comes from

Ball Coach wrote this drill for its practice planner's drill library. The curricula below shaped how the library organizes practice; no text or diagram is copied from them. The diagram is drawn by Ball Coach.