Sample Basketball Evaluation Drills

Sample Basketball Evaluation Drills

Since the evaluation spreadsheet is broken up by “dribbling, passing, shooting and comments,” you can make things easy on yourself by moving in that order with multiple kids at one time. Having one child of 40 perform while 39 others watch is very intimidating and not the best use of your time. You may want to try some of these simple exercises and just run the kids in the alphabetical order that they appear on the spreadsheet. The coaches can roam around so they can see all the kids perform. Remember, we are just looking to see levels of command of fundamental skill, not who can bury the three or pull a reverse layup using the correct spin on the ball.

Dribbling: Try dribbling lines as Coach Edgehill outlined for us last year.

Break the kids into groups of 2 or 3 in a line facing across the court at another group of 2 or 3. Depending on the number of kids that you have, you may be looking at 5 or 6 lines on each side of the court facing each other. Each line has one ball in the hands of the first person. It’s critical that players do not start their dribble until the person in the line opposite the court from them is ready as well. You can try all of these or just a couple. Either way, you’ll be able to assess dribbling prowess at a few different levels and with both speed and control.

-Speed dribble, right hand – when the player with the ball in each line is ready, they dribble toward the opposing player and pass each other closely to the right. Watch for control with some speed but this isn’t a race. When the players get within 10 feet of the opposing line, they come to a jump stop on both feet and make a bounce pass to the next person in line. After their pass, they proceed to the end of that line. Now, when the players in front of each line has a ball, they start toward each other at the same time for their speed dribble, passing closely to the right.

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- Same thing but with the left hand.

-Delay and pass – In the same formation, players dribble with the right hand right at each other. When they are within 6 feet of each other, they stop running but continue dribbling. They make 3 low dribbles at the same time and then explode to past each other on the right.

-Same thing but with the left hand.

-Cross over with the right – Same set up but players dribble right at each other. When they are within 6 feet of each other, they make one cross over dribble to their left hand, pass each other to the left and dribble the rest of the distance with the left. Jump stop, make the bounce pass and end of the line.

-Same thing but starting with the left hand, cross over dribble to the right hand and pass to the right. Make sure the players are passing each other on the correct side or you are teaching bad habits.

-Double cross over – Like the cross over move above but this time the players dribble at each other with the right. When they are within 6 feet of one another, they make one cross over dribble to the left and then another immediately back to the right hand. Pass to the right and continue to the other line.

-Same thing but start with the left, cross over to the right and then right back to the left and pass to the left.

-Back dribble and cross – Dribble with the right hand until within 6 feet, wait for other dribbler to arrive but don’t stop dribbling. Take three dribbles while stepping backward, cross over to the left hand, pass to the left and continue dribbling to opposing line with the left hand.

-Same thing but starting with the left.

Regardless of how much time you spend on any of these, you will make the coaches jobs easier if you line up the kids as they appear on the list. Coaches can be walking behind the lines and evaluating as they work their way down their lists. The kids won’t feel the pressure of a whole gym watching them.

Passing: You really don’t need much more than bounce passes and chest passes. Try one of the following drills:

Long Line Rapid Passes – Line the players up along one sideline of the court (again, alphabetically). Take out as many basketballs as you have in the gym. If you have 10 basketballs, give them to the first ten players in line, if you have 20, the first 20 and so on. Take the first player in line and line her up facing the first player with a ball. So, you have one long line of players, many of whom have a ball. That first player stands 12 (vary the distance base on the age) feet away from the first player with a ball but facing her. On coach command, the first player with a ball makes a chest pass to the player without a ball. That player receives the ball and makes a chest pass right back to her. That single player then slides to the second player in line and holds her hands out as a target to receive a chest pass from the next player in line with a ball……and returns with a crisp chest pass. So, one player is moving down the line receiving and making chest passes while the coaches evaluate her. Once the players in the line make their pass to the lone player and receive it back, they slide over toward the start of the line where the next person now begins. Once the lone player has received and made about 5 passes, you can start the next player so the drill keeps moving with more than one player at a time making passes down the line. Once the lone player makes it to the last person with a basketball, they then join the line.

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Now, do the same but advance to a bounce pass. Make sure the players are stepping to receive each pass and stepping to make each pass, whether a chest or a bounce pass. For older players, you may want to now advance to the player who receives the pass taking a step to the side and making a one handed push pass.

Triangle Passing – Form three lines all facing each other in a triangle formation with lines behind each other. The lead person in each line should be about 15 feet from each other. With one ball for the whole group (although you don’t want more than 3 players in a line so set up other triangles). Person with the ball makes a chest pass to the person at the head of the line to the right and then runs to the end of that same line. Receiver steps to receive the ball and then makes a pass to her right and follows into that line.

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Advance to making bounce passes. Depending on age group, move lines further apart. First person in line takes a dribble and then makes a push pass off the dribble, following to the line to the right.

Four Corners – Set up one line under the hoop with four players on the court set up as follows:

Player under the hoop has the ball. She passes (bounce pass) to player on left and follows to the left. Player on left passes across lane to elbow, who passes to baseline player. Once pass is made to base line player, the player on opposing elbow starts to move toward hoop for layup. Player gets her own rebound and returns ball to line. Ball has to move quickly so players following pass (each player follows their pass) stays out of the way of the play.

Shooting: Rather than torture the players by making them take one layup at each end of the court, use multiple hoops so you have 3 or 4 or more players shooting at the same time. Coaches can camp out under one hoop and see all players. One player at each hoop starts at the elbow. When they are ready, they dribble in for layup, get rebound, dribble out to touch opposing elbow with their foot while maintaining dribble and come in for layup on opposite side. Get rebound and dribble back to first elbow, touch with foot and come in for layup and repeat until she has taken 6 shots. Get lay up and return ball to next person in line. The first player now moves to the next hoop to do the same in front of different coaches.

Once each player has taken 6 shots in front of each of the 3 or 4 hoops, advance the drill so that the player then takes a jump stop and shoots from just outside the low post block, dribbling to opposite elbow after each shot. After 6 shots, she moves on to the other hoop. At no time in between shots does the player stop dribbling. Encourage the players to come to a stop with both feet, get a good angle at the backboard and to try to use the backboard with their shot.

Scrimmages:

By using some of the drills above, the coaches should get a good feel for the skill level of the players. If you choose to have some live action, try 3 v 3 scrimmages instead of 5 v 5 so more kids get touches on the ball. Try to balance the skill level so each kid gets an opportunity to shine in front of the coaches. Once a player dominates, record her score and sit her down to balance the field.

Run efficiently, the kids will feel like it’s just a practice and the coaches will have ample opportunity to see each player.