5-on-5 possession control
Begin each live trip after an opponent make or dead ball. Organize the press break, advance without a live-ball turnover, and take an uncontested rim chance; otherwise call the half-court entry and play to a paint touch or inside-out shot. On every attempt, send assigned rebounders and keep two…
Add it to a practice plan
What it needs
- Players
- 10 to 15 players
- Baskets
- 2 baskets
- Court
- Needs the full court
- Time
- About 15 minutes
- Equipment
- basketballs, two colors of pinnies, possession clock, scoreboard or score sheet
- Type
- Team work, intermediate
Set it up
Play 5-on-5 full court with a 24-second possession clock. Assign a primary inbounder, middle flash, two sideline receivers, and a safety before the round begins. Name the two offensive players responsible for floor balance on every shot. Start each possession after a simulated opponent make or a dead ball under the far basket.
Run it
The offense must inbound within five seconds, fill the press-break spots, and advance with diagonal passing and a receiver behind the ball. Attack immediately only when the break creates an uncontested rim chance; otherwise pull the ball out, call the team's half-court entry, and create a paint touch before a shot. On the shot, the two assigned rebounders pursue while the safety players retreat above the ball and identify the opponent's first two transition threats. The defense pressures live, converts immediately on a rebound or turnover, and plays the return trip to the opposite basket.
What to coach
Begin each live trip after an opponent make or dead ball. Organize the press break, advance without a live-ball turnover, and take an uncontested rim chance; otherwise call the half-court entry and play to a paint touch or inside-out shot. On every attempt, send assigned rebounders and keep two players in floor balance.
Score it
The offense earns one point for entering the front court without a live-ball turnover, one for creating a paint touch, and two for a made basket. Add one bonus point when both floor-balance players are behind the ball before the defense gains possession. The defense earns two points for a live-ball turnover, one for forcing a rushed or contested shot without a paint touch, and two for scoring during the conversion trip. Play to 15 and reset the score if the offense fails to inbound within five seconds.
Make it harder
Begin with token pressure so the offense can organize all five press-break spots. Progress to live full-court pressure, then vary the start between a made basket, sideline dead ball, and defensive rebound. Finish with a one-possession game in which the offense must recognize whether to attack the break or flow into the called half-court entry while preserving its assigned floor balance.
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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.
- USA Basketball Player Development Curriculum: progressive teaching and practice-planning methodology
- Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Instructional Curriculum: small-sided games, random starts, decision-making, and load/de-load methodology
- NFHS Coaching Basketball: high-school fundamentals, offense, defense, and practice organization reference