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War rebounding

Play live from a coach's shot with matched numbers in the lane. Score clean rebounds, tip-outs recovered by a teammate, and outlet completion. 6 to 18 players, 1 basket, about 10 minutes.

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War rebounding drawn on a half court in 3 steps. 1. Find, hit, and pursue: On the shot, each defender finds a matchup, makes legal first contact, and releases to pursue with two hands. 2. Win the live rebound: The three rebounders attack separate lanes. The ball remains live through tips and loose-ball touches until one team controls it. 3. Protect and outlet: After securing the ball, X1 chins it, pivots away from pressure, and outlets above the free-throw line.
1. Find, hit, and pursue: On the shot, each defender finds a matchup, makes legal first contact, and releases to pursue with two hands. 2. Win the live rebound: The three rebounders attack separate lanes. The ball remains live through tips and loose-ball touches until one team controls it. 3. Protect and outlet: After securing the ball, X1 chins it, pivots away from pressure, and outlets 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. Start the offense outside the lane lines and match each defender between a player and the rim. A coach shoots from the top with a ball supply. Extra groups wait behind the baseline and rotate offense to defense after three live shots.

Run it

On the coach's shot, all six players play live. Defenders find a body, make legal first contact, and pursue the ball with two hands; offensive players may swim, spin, or retreat to space but may not displace a defender with extended arms. A controlled two-hand rebound ends the battle only after the rebounder chins the ball, pivots away from pressure, and completes an outlet above the free-throw line. A deliberate tip to a teammate stays live and counts only if the teammate controls it. Any loose ball, contested tip, or missed outlet keeps the rep alive.

What to coach

Play live from a coach's shot with matched numbers in the lane. Score clean rebounds, tip-outs recovered by a teammate, and outlet completion.

Score it

The defense earns two points for a clean two-hand rebound and one additional point for a completed outlet. The offense earns two points for an offensive rebound and three for an immediate putback. A controlled tip-out recovered by a teammate earns one point before the possession continues. No point is awarded for a rebound that is stripped before the outlet. First team to 15 wins.

Make it harder

Begin 2-on-2 with the coach tossing the ball off the rim so players learn contact and pursuit. Progress to 3-on-3 live coach shots from different angles, then allow the offense a putback or kick-out after an offensive rebound. Finish with a five-second outlet clock so the defense must rebound, protect the ball, and organize transition under pressure.

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.