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Triangle blockout

Three defenders locate, make legal contact, and pursue against three crashers. Award the defense only for a two-hand rebound outside the paint. 6 to 18 players, 1 basket, about 10 minutes.

Add it to a practice plan
Triangle blockout drawn on a half court in 3 steps. 1. Find and make first contact: On the shot, X1, X2, and X3 turn into their matchups and make legal contact before looking for the ball. 2. Release and pursue in a triangle: After contact, only the three defenders are shown. X1 and X2 pursue outside the lane while X3 fills the top of the rebounding triangle. 3. Secure, chin, and outlet: The nearest defender owns the ball with two hands, pivots away from pressure, and completes the outlet above the free-throw line.
1. Find and make first contact: On the shot, X1, X2, and X3 turn into their matchups and make legal contact before looking for the ball. 2. Release and pursue in a triangle: After contact, only the three defenders are shown. X1 and X2 pursue outside the lane while X3 fills the top of the rebounding triangle. 3. Secure, chin, and outlet: The nearest defender owns the ball with two hands, pivots away from pressure, and completes the outlet above the free-throw line.Credit: Drawn by Ball Coach

What it needs

Players
6 to 18 players
Baskets
1 basket
Court
Needs a half court
Time
About 10 minutes
Equipment
basketballs, two colors of pinnies, scoreboard or score sheet
Type
Team work, intermediate

Set it up

Use one basket with three offensive rebounders and three defenders. Place one offensive player at each block and one at the free-throw line, with a defender matched inside each player. A coach or player shoots from the top with a ball supply. Extra groups wait safely behind the baseline and rotate offense to defense after three shots.

Run it

On the shot, each defender turns into the assigned player, makes first contact with a forearm and hip without extending the arms, and keeps the offensive player outside the lane. After contact, defenders release to pursue the ball with two hands while maintaining a triangle: one player at the front of the rim and two players outside the lane lines. The nearest defender secures the rebound above the shoulders, calls ball, chins it, pivots away from pressure, and outlets above the free-throw line. The other two defenders protect the rebounder and fill the first transition lanes. The rep is not complete until the outlet is caught.

What to coach

Three defenders locate, make legal contact, and pursue against three crashers. Award the defense only for a two-hand rebound outside the paint.

Score it

The defense earns one point when all three defenders make legal first contact, one when the rebound is secured without a second offensive touch, and one when the outlet is completed. The offense earns two points for an offensive rebound and three for an immediate putback. A defender who watches the shot before finding a body loses the contact point. Play to 15.

Make it harder

Begin with a coach tossing the ball off the rim so contact and pursuit are predictable. Move to live coach shots from different angles, then allow an offensive player to drive and shoot so defenders must help, recover to a body, and form the triangle from a scrambled position.

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.