The YBCA conducts the Level I certification course as an on-court coaching clinic for  organizations that prefer a live clinic. The on-court clinic requires a small fee. Costs depend on the numbers and location.

The YBCA Level II certification course includes an on-court clinic. The YBCA will offer the Level II course starting in early 2010.

To start the Level I course, please click on one of the sections below. To schedule, an on-court Level I clinic for your organization, please contact the YBCA.

Level I Coaching Course

1. The Youth Player
2. The Youth Coach
3. Practice
4. Skill Development
5. The Game
6. YBCA Level I Certification Test

• A more consistent approach among coaches;
• The development and implementation of a league-wide philosophy;
• Quality control;
• More prepared coaches.

Most youth sports organizations rely on volunteer coaches, and the knowledge, preparation and coaching skills of these volunteers varies greatly.

The volunteer coach becomes the face of the organization for a player and parent. Often, the coach provides a great experience and the player and parent are very happy.

As an organization, how do you insure the same experience in the next season when the player has a different coach?

Occasionally, the player and parent are unhappy with their coach. How does the organization remedy the situation?

The best answer is a coach education course and certification. If all coaches meet minimum qualifications through a certification process, the organization knows that the coach understands the basics of the game and the basics of coaching.

Click here to go to the Coaching Course

1. Fun.
2. Beginning a lifetime of fitness and physical activity.
3. Developing the mental and physical skills of future competitive athletes.

While college and professional coaches grab the headlines and get the publicity, youth coaches work with players during the most important years of the players’ development.

We need coach education programs because we enlist and trust volunteer coaches – often with little to no supervision or training – with our children at their most vulnerable and formative periods.

During these years (8-14 years old), two things occur:

• A child falls in love with sports or a sport and loves to play the game, compete, improve and work hard or the child has a negative experience and quits the sport or sports.
• Children pass through the “skill hungry years” when they are  prepared to learn and develop the important motor and sports-specific skills that make-up any game or sport.

Therefore, to enhance the experience of all players, coaches must understand their athletes’ needs and motivations to keep each child active and understand and be able to instruct the basic skills that prepare players for higher levels of competition.

Click here to go to the Coaching Course

Are you a beginner or novice coach seeking a resource to help you get started as a volunteer coach?

Are you a returning coach looking for additional information to enhance your coaching?

The Youth Basketball Coaches Association Level I course differs from other online courses in three ways:

1. Youth coaches designed the course for youth coaches.
2. By completing the course and passing the test, you certify your basic knowledge of basketball skills and coaching concepts.
3. The forum provides a space for you to ask questions about the material or applying the material to your coaching. Our mission is to help coaches.

The Level I course is an introductory course that covers a number of subjects broadly. For coaches interested in bettering their coaching ability and assisting their athletes, this course provides the basics to expand your horizons and learn more or improve your weaknesses. A certification course offers one way to improve your coaching ability and level of knowledge in an efficient manner.

The Level II course is more involved and covers these and other subjects in more detail, while also requiring attendance at a coaching clinic.

Certification Process

Level I: Volunteer Youth Coaches – Online Course

Level II: Experienced Youth Coaches – Online Course + On-Court Clinic

Level III: Club Directors/Varsity High School – Coaches Clinic + Project

Click here to go to the Coaching Course

Vern Gambetta presented the idea of adapted vs. adaptable athletes. In terms of game awareness and understanding, an adapted player learns a specific offense and runs from spot to spot because the coach tells him where to go. An adaptable player understands the fundamental principles and cuts to a spot because it is the right cut or the open space, not just because the team’s offense dictates that a player cut to a certain spot.

The Flex Offense is a series of cross screen-down screen actions. However, when I learned the Flex, we never learned the basics. When we received the cross screen, we ran to the block; when we received the down screen, we ran to the elbow.

We adapted to the offense. We knew where to run within the offense, but when we left and played for a coach with a different system, we could not adapt our knowledge of screens to a new system. We knew how to use a screen specifically – provided it was within the Flex – but we never learned to use a screen generally in a way that we could adapt to any offense.

Spacing

In youth basketball, spacing is often condensed because the lack of strength impacts the length and speed of passes and the distance from which players can shoot successfully. However, the more that a team spreads the court and forces the defense to defend from sideline to sideline, the more space the offense will find for open and higher percentage shots. As St Louis University Head Coach Rick Majerus says, “Offense is spacing and spacing is offense.”

Floor Spacing

• Ideal court spacing is to have 12 to 15-feet of space between players.
• Use numbered spots to teach spacing: five spots outside the three-point line and four spots inside the three-point line.
• When the ball moves, all the offensive players move to a new spot.
• To keep the good floor spacing, some basic sets are:

Four players out and one player inside and low.

Four players out and one player inside and high.

Three players out and two players inside.

Five players out.

String Spacing

• Imagine you are on a string: keep the string taut. Do not let the string get too lax or so tight that it rips.
• When a player dribbles in your direction, you have three primary options: (1) Flare; (2) Cut backdoor; or (3) Loop.
• If your teammate dribbles toward you, flare away from him to keep the string taut.
• If there is no more room to flare, cut backdoor or loop behind the dribble. If you loop, keep space between you and the ball handler so your defender cannot steal the ball. Before you cut backdoor, see if there is space for the cut.
• If he drives away from you, loop behind him to keep the string taut. Follow to the open area which the drive vacates.

Cuts

A cut is a sudden change of direction, which players use to get open or set up a screen.

V-Cuts

• Cut in one direction to set up the cut, plant and cut at a different angle (making the shape of a V).
• To cut from block to block, set up the cut by cutting low; as the defender reacts to the initial cut, plant and cut over top of the defender.
• To set up a screen, cut in one direction, plant and cut in another direction to rub off the screen.
• Add a change of pace to the change of direction to increase effectiveness.

L-Cuts

• Cut in a straight line toward the ball, plant and cut at a sharp angle (shape of an L) to break away from the defender.
• Start on the block and cut straight up the lane-line. Assuming the defender denies the pass to the elbow, step in to the defender, plant and cut to the wing.
• Use a change of pace: it is not how fast you cut that determines your ability to get open. Make contact with the defender – without pushing off – to get the defender on his heels and clear a passing lane for the passer.

Give-and-Go

• After passing, cut. Defenders often relax or turn their head to follow the ball after their player passes. This makes it the easiest time to get open.
• First player (P1) passes to the second player (P2) and cuts. P2 catches and passes to P1.
• If P1 is not open, he can fill an open spot or set a screen for another player. Meanwhile, another player cuts to replace his spot.

Screens

The screen, when executed properly, is a legal maneuver where a player blocks a defender to help his teammate get open. To set a legal screen, the screener cannot move into the defender; he must be stationary and allow the defender to run into him.

Setting Screens

To set a good screen:

• Headhunt: find the defender and move to him rather than relying on your teammate to run his defender into the screen.
• Jump stop a half-step before running into the defender.
• Set a strong screen with a wide base.
• Communicate verbally (“Use me!) or non-verbally (closed fist) with your teammate so he knows that you are setting a screen.
• Move opposite the cutter – if he cuts to the basket, roll high; if he cuts high, roll to the basket.
• The better the screen that you set, the more likely you are to force your defender to switch or hedge, which gets you (the screener) open.

Using Screens

To use a screen:

• Run shoulder to hip off the screen to prevent your defender from fighting through the screen.
• Wait for the screen to be set to prevent a moving screen and to force the defender to show how he is going to defend the screen. St. Louis University Head Coach Rick Majerus says that it is better to be late than early when using a screen.
• Read the defense and make the appropriate cut.
• Show a target to the passer.

Cross Screens

• Move across the court to set a screen, like an underneath out of bounds play or a post to post screen with the ball on the wing.
• Set a hard screen and seal; if the defense switches, the screener should be open with good position close to the basket.
• Cutter cuts below the screen or on top of the screen depending on the way his defender plays him.
• If his defender trails the screen, the cutter cuts toward the ball.
• If his defender goes under the screen, the cutter fades higher to create an open passing lane.

Down Screens

• Wait for the screen; it is better to be late than early when using a screen.
• Read your defender and make the appropriate cut:

1. If the defense follows the offensive player around the screen, the offense curls off the screen toward ball and basket.
2. If the defense goes underneath the screen, the offense flares or fades away from the screen.
3. If the defense beats offensive player to the screen, the offense cuts backdoor.
4. If the defense fights through the screen, the offense straight cuts away from the defense.

• Show the passer a target and be ready to catch the pass as soon as you hit the screen.

On-Ball Screens

To set the on-ball screen:

• Set the screen inside the ball handler’s shooting range so the defense cannot go under the screen.
• Set a strong, wide screen.

When using the screen:

• Get low to protect the dribble.
• Go shoulder to hip with the screener.
• Run your defender into the screen.
• Turn the corner and get into the lane for a shot or pass.
• Extend a hedge or trap with a second dribble to force a switch, create a better passing lane or open a shot or lane to the basket when the defenders recover.
• Attack; do not decide to pass before the play develops.

Help Defense

Team defense depends largely on a coach’s strategy. However, the overall defensive goal is to prevent easy shots and limit the offense to one shot. Stop the ball in transition and keep the ball out of the key (three-second area).

When teaching man-to-man defense, the help defense concept is difficult for young players to comprehend because of the ambiguity: sometimes you defend your man, but other times, you defend another man. The important point for players to understand is that each player defends his own man, but everyone defends the ball. The priority for each defender is (1) ball; (2) basket; (3) your man. In transition, for instance, players need to understand that stopping the ball and protecting the basket take precedence over finding their own man to defend. For young players, these are hard concepts to understand.

Help Defense Basics

Different coaches have different defensive philosophies. These ideas are just a couple basic rules to use with young players when teaching help defense.

• Head on a swivel; see ball and man at all times.
• When the ball moves, everybody moves. When your man moves, you move.
• The further your offensive player is from the basket, the further you can be from him when playing help defense.
• Communicate. Every player needs to communicate. Use small phrases.
• Contest every shot. Force players to dribble into a shot: do not allow a catch and shoot.
• Possession does not end until defense gets the rebound. Everyone blocks out and rebounds.

No Splits

• Do not get split. Do not allow the ball handler to drive between his defender and the help defender.
• Help over not up.
• Play the gap to discourage penetration.
• Do not over-commit: read the angle of the drive. If the ball handler’s drive is toward the sideline or baseline, stay with your man. If the ball handler turns the corner to the basket, slide over and force the pass.

Weak side rotation on penetration

• Weak side rotation must step in front of posts to eliminate interior passes and offensive rebounds if the post leaves to help.
• Weak side defenders are on a string: if the bottom defender moves to the strong side to help, the next defender drops.
• Protect the basket first and then move away from the basket to worry about shooters.

Fast Break

Transition is the easiest way to build offensive confidence because of the open space and numbers advantage. The defense is disorganized, and you learn to attack its weakest point. When the defense is set, you must choose the right tactics and strategy to disrupt or disorganize the defense so you have the advantage, but transition plays provide the advantage.

2v1 Fast Break

Two rules:

1. Always finish a 2v1 fast break with a lay-up; and
2. Always be the second man. Never assume that your teammate will make a lay-up.

Spread the court and attack aggressively. Mistakes occur when: (1) you attack passively, and the defender takes away your passing lane forcing you to shoot; or (2) the player without the ball runs too far ahead and becomes a stationary target.

Ball Handler:

• Attack from just outside the lane-line to spread the court.
• Dribble with your inside hand to facilitate an easier pass.
• Force the defender to stop the ball completely; if he plays in-between, finish.
• Veer away from the pass to avoid an offensive foul.

Non-Ball Handler

• Sprint just outside the lane-line.
• Trail one step behind the ball handler to facilitate an easier pass, catch and finish.
• Run with hands up ready to catch the pass.

3v2 Fast Break

• Make the defense stop the ball; whether attacking in the middle or on the wing, force a defender to play the ball.
• Spread the court: by running on the sideline, it is easier to look back for the pass over your inside shoulder.

Press Break

Use Diamond Spacing to organize the attack and defeat pressure. When the defense traps, form a diamond:

• One player is ahead of the ball (P2)
• One is behind the ball (P3)
• And one is diagonal through the trap (P4).
• The fifth player (P5) runs to the front of the rim.

Loop

When trying to read the press, use the inbound passer to loop. After passing, sprint up the middle and loop to the ball side. If the defense intends to trap, this will show the trap and the cutter will be open. If not, the loop clears the help defense and the ball handler has more space to handle the ball 1v1.

The inbound passer must read the situation. If the defense traps the first pass quickly and aggressively, the inbound passer should check to the ball to give his teammate a retreat pass. If the defense does not trap quickly and aggressively, he loops to open space to force the defense to identify itself if it plans to run-and-jump or trap on the dribble.

Previous Sections:

Athletic Skills
Basic Technical Skills

Next:
The Game

Defensive Rebounding

• Defensive advantage is positioning – if in good defensive position, the defender should be on the inside (closer to the basket) of the offensive player.
• Defensive rebounding relies on positioning, toughness, physicality, teamwork and creating and maintaining contact.
• Rebounding is not just for big players – if a big player does a great job boxing out a great offensive rebounder, the guards must come back and help rebound.
• The best rebounders are not necessarily those who get the most rebounds. The best rebounders are those whose team gets the highest percentage of rebounds in their area.
• On the shot, make contact with the offensive player.
• Near the basket, the defender must make contact and create additional space to prevent the ball from going over his head. The deeper the shot, the longer the rebound.
• Move to the offensive player and stop his forward momentum.
• To box out, make contact with a forearm to the chest and pivot to put your butt on the offensive player’s knee. Keep hands high and push backward to create more space.
• Further from the basket, make contact with the offensive player and then go get the ball.
• Be careful boxing out the shooter – wait until the shooter lands before making contact.

Offensive Rebounding

• Offensive advantage is anticipation – the offensive player can watch the flight of the ball while the defender tries to find someone to block out and takes his eyes off the ball.
• Offensive rebounding is more about quickness, anticipation and finding space.
• As a defender tries to make contact to box out, create space and move against the defender’s momentum.
• Close to the basket, box out the defender to create more space. If possible, push the defender under the basket or behind the backboard to give you more space to grab the rebound.
• Read the flight of the ball and beat the defender to the ball.

Defensive Stance

• A defensive stance is a basic athletic stance with a flat back, chest and eyes up, hips back, shoulders over the knees and knees over the toes and weight balanced on your two feet.
• Depending on philosophy, most people teach defenders to have one foot forward, while others teach a parallel stance.
• Some coaches teach players to have a “dig hand” down to poke at the ball and the other hand high to defend passes; others teach players to have active hands to distract the offensive player and force him to devote his attention to protecting the ball.
• Against a player holding the ball, use a wide stance with feet wider than shoulder width. Be ready to move in either direction.
• Against a player dribbling, use a slightly narrower stance with feet about shoulder width apart. Keep your feet moving.

Positioning

• Defensive positioning depends on a team’s defensive strategy. Some teams force players to their weak hand; some force to the sideline-baseline; and some force to the middle.
• The on-ball defender generally should be an arm’s length away from his offensive player though that changes depending on court location and individual match-ups.
• Above the free throw line, the defender’s backside is toward the baseline.
• Below the free throw line, the defender’s backside is toward the opposite sideline.
• Nose on the ball.

Defensive Movement

• An individual has three general speeds: defensive shuffle, crossover step and sprint.
• When the defender is in front of the offensive player, he uses the defensive shuffle.
• When the offensive player starts to get an advantage, the defender uses a crossover step.
• If he cannot keep pace with the offensive player, he turns and sprints.
• Defensive Shuffle: To move to your left, push with the inside of your right foot. Lift your left foot slightly off the ground and push with your right foot. Push with the trail leg rather than stepping with the lead leg.

• Crossover Step: When moving to the left, the right foot crosses in front of the left foot (like carioca). As the right foot pushes down, the left foot steps and pushes. Keep your hips square to the offensive player.
• Sprint: Turn and run. Pick a point ahead of the offensive player and beat him to the point. When you get there, do not stop moving; stay even with the ball – not the player.
• To change directions, stop with your foot outside your knee and knee outside your hips to stop momentum and push in the desired direction. Meet your momentum. Prevent your upper body from swaying. When your upper body sways, your shoulders continue in the direction that you were moving, making the change of direction more difficult and slower.
• To change direction and angle, use a hip turn.
• Hip Turn: If the right foot is slightly forward, angling an offensive player to the defender’s left, the hip turn moves the left foot slightly forward to angle the offensive player to the defender’s right. On the hip turn, as the feet hit the ground, they reactively push in the direction of the desired movement.

Closeout

• Sprint two-thirds of the way to the offensive player and then break down your steps. Sit your hips back and down and keep your head centered over your center of gravity.
• Either stutter-step or use several quick jumps to cover the last couple feet.
• Close out with a hand up to contest the shot and take away the player’s vision for a quick pass.
• Against a shooter, close out so you can touch the shooter.
• Against a non-shooter, leave space to contain penetration.
• Be prepared to move in any direction.

Next:

Rebounding

Related Content:

Defensive Footwork Drills
Example of On-Ball Defense

• Chest Pass: Elbows out, hands on the side of the ball, extend straight from one’s chest, aiming for teammate’s chest and finish with thumbs down, chest over thigh.
• Bounce Pass: Similar to a chest pass, but bounce the ball one-half to two-thirds of the way to your teammate. The ball should bounce up to the receiver’s thigh.
• Overhead Pass: Pass from the forehead, not behind one’s head. Aim for teammate’s throat. Follow through and finish with thumbs down. Use as an outlet pass or a skip pass*.
• Wrap-around Pass (Air and bounce pass): Extend around the defense with your hands and feet. Step to the defender’s side with two hands on the ball; follow-through with your outside hand. Use as a post entry pass (a pass to a player on the low block).
• Push Pass (air or bounce pass): Pass off a dribble. One hand behind the ball and push the ball with arm extending like a horizontal shot. Most commonly used pass, as it protects the ball from the defense by using the outside hand to throw the pass. Quickest pass off the dribble.

*Skip pass: a pass that skips a player/position. For instance, if passing from one wing to a player on the other wing, the pass skips the top of the key. Usually, the overhead pass is the most appropriate pass to use for a skip pass.

Competitive Passing

• Use the dribble, the pivot foot and fakes to create a passing lane.
• Pass Fake: Use to move the defense or hold the help defense, similar to a quarterback faking a hand-off to hold the linebackers. As a rule, the pass fake is used to fake the player who is covering the pass receiver or to freeze scrambling defenders.
• Ball Fake: A smaller, quicker fake used against the player guarding the passer to create a passing angle. Fake low to make an air pass or fake high to throw a bounce pass. The pass follows directly from the fake with no wasted motion.
• Throw the ball away from the defender, not to the offensive player.
• Use windows: there are two windows high and two low for the player to pass through. The defender can only close two windows as a time, leaving two windows open. Pass through an open window or use a fake to open the desired passing window.
• Receivers run all the way to the catch: do not wait for the ball.
• Show a target to the passer.

Next:

Individual Defense

Shooting Form: The BELIEF system

Balance: control of the center of gravity over the base of support.

Athletic Stance:

• Back is flat; no rounded shoulders or humpbacks

• Chest and eyes are up
• Hips are back
• Shoulders over the knees, knees over the toes
• Weight is evenly displaced on each foot

Eyes: Find a target and fine-center on it through the entire shot; use a narrow-external concentration area when shooting

Line: The shooting toe points at the target with the knee over the big toe. The elbow is over the knee with the hand over elbow and ball over hand: one vertical line runs from inside the big toe to the ball. At the set point for a right-handed shooter, the right thumb points at the right eye. The elbow starts under the ball with the forearm in a vertical line. The exact position depends on one’s body and proportions – there is no one size fits all (see picture to the left).

Index finger: The index finger and middle finger split the center of the ball. At the finish, the index finger points to the target. When gripping the ball, some players center their index finger and some players center their middle finger, while other players center the ball somewhere between the index finger and middle finger. The exact position depends on one’s body and proportions – there is no one size fits all. While we advise a finger position which centers the ball somewhere between the index and middle fingers, find a comfortable position which enables you to shoot the ball straight to the basket.

Extension: Extension begins with the triple extension of the ankle, knee and hip joints and moves to the elbow. Start small (flexed) and end tall (extended).

Finish: As the elbow reaches near full extension, wrist flexion begins: the fingers push the ball up and to the basket. The off-hand falls naturally off the ball, imparting no force. After the release, the shooting hand falls forward naturally with index finger pointing at the rim. Fingers remain spread and relaxed through the entire shot. Follow through with the entire body.

Shooting Footwork – 1-2-step

• A quick step-step stop.

• Use the inside foot – the first step of the 1-2-step is the inside foot or the foot closer to the middle of the court.
• Sit the hips back and down; flex the ankle, knee and hip to diffuse the force over a larger area and reduce the impact on any one joint.
• Stop with the shooting foot forward.
• When a right-handed player stops right-left, he stubs his left foot rather than take a full step to keep his right foot forward.
• Square to the basket on the catch – pivot while stepping into the shot with the second foot.

Catch and Shoot

• Call for the ball with the palm of your shooting hand; fingers point to the sky.
• Anticipate the stop on the first step of the 1-2-step to slow one’s momentum.
• Use the inside foot.
• Step with your first step (inside foot) as you receive the ball and step quickly with the second step.
• Catch at the depth of your shot with feet slightly wider than shoulder width.
• Know where your defender is upon reception, so you know if you are open.
• Eliminate dipping the ball; use the Hard2Guard position as the shot pocket.
• Shoot early in the jump and land in the take-off spot.

Shooting of the Dribble

• Use the same basic shooting technique and shooting footwork.
• If dribbling with the right hand, a right-handed shooter brings his left hand to the ball as he picks up his dribble.
• If dribbling with his left hand, he sweeps the ball across his waist to his right hand to pick up his dribble. The right hand stays on the right side of the body, ready to rotate in a straight line into the shot.
• Step in with a 1-2-step, using the inside foot as the first step.
• Get low on your last two steps to control momentum and jump straight up as you shoot.
• Players tend to take an extra step and to shoot flat when they move to the dribble. Focus on the footwork to get into position to shoot well and focus on the same release – shoot from small (crouched position at the stop) to tall (extended position after the release).

Next:

Passing

General Lay-up Technique

• The final step should be low and the knee should flex to absorb the force of slowing the horizontal momentum and directing it vertically to the basket.
• Start with the hand behind the ball.
• Protect the ball from the defense. Do not rock the cradle: rocking the ball to the inside before exploding into the shot.
• Bring your off-hand to the ball; do not bring the ball to your off-hand.
• Jump up, not out (like a rocket not an airplane) when shooting a lay-up; it is a high jump, not a broad jump.
• Aim for the near top corner of the square on the backboard.
• Hit the backboard on the way down to soften the shot. Focus your eyes on your target, the spot where you want the ball to hit.

Power Lay-ups

• Use a jump stop or stride stop to stop on two feet and establish balance.
• Use an athletic stance or a power stance: feet wider than an athletic stance and hips lower, more like sitting in a chair.
• Jump off two feet.
• Square shoulders to the backboard; use your body’s width to protect the ball.
• Use the outside hand (right hand on the right side) to shoot.
• Use when your advantage is height or strength. Use to improve balance and stay under control on the shot. [Video 8]

Traditional Lay-up

• Jump off the opposite foot: to shoot a right-handed lay-up, jump off the left foot.
• Imagine a string connects the elbow and the knee; as the elbow moves up to shoot it pulls the knee on the same side.
• Drive the outside knee higher than the hip.
• Use when your advantage is quickness.

Lay-up Teaching Progression 1: Two-Step Lay-up (right-hand)

• Start with feet together.
• Step with right foot and dribble.
• Step with left foot, pick-up the dribble, jump and shoot the lay-up. [Video10]

Lay-up Teaching Progression 2: One-dribble, three-step lay-up (right-hand)

• Move to the elbow and use three steps; for a right-handed lay-up, step left-right-left.
• Step with the left foot and dribble. Step with the right foot and pick up the dribble.
• Step with the left foot, jump and shoot.
• Stride on each step to cover ground; eliminate baby steps and stutter-steps. [Video 11]

Reverse Lay-up

• Use the right hand on the left hand side and the left hand on the right side.
• Use when dribbling along the baseline or when extending past a defender anticipating a regular lay-up. Turn your back toward the baseline and your chest to the court.
• Shoot over your head while traveling away from the rim.
• Turn your hand to finish your shot with your fourth and fifth fingers touching the ball last. As you shoot the ball, rotate your hand with your pinky finger leading your other fingers toward your nose.
• Wave good-bye to the basket as you finish.
• Finish with your palm to your target.

Crossover Lay-up

• Use the right hand on the right side and the left hand on the left side.
• Move across the front of the rim (using the rim to protect the shot) and finish on the other side of the rim. Face the baseline.
• With shoulders parallel to the backboard, finish with a “hook-like” motion with the hand and wrist.

Next:

Shooting

• Use your fingers pads and calluses to dribble.
• Pound the ball: extend from the elbow, not just the wrist and follow through on the dribble.
• Hand stays on top of the ball.
• Eyes up: practice with proper body posture – athletic stance with eyes and chest up to see the floor.

Protect Dribble

• Turn perpendicular to your defender to use the width of your body to protect the ball.
• Use a wide stance and an arm bar with your inside hand.
• Dribble the ball low (mid-thigh) and near the back foot.
• Put chin to the inside shoulder to keep eyes up the court.

Speed Dribble

• Use the speed dribble in the open court to go from Point A to Point B as fast as possible.
• Dribble the ball waist-high.
• Push the ball out in front and cover as much distance as possible on each dribble.
• Eyes up to see the floor.

Control Dribble

• As you near a defender, lower your body posture and the ball’s height.
• Pound the ball and keep the ball’s height below your mid-thigh.
• Keep the ball directly in front of your feet rather than pushing the ball out in front.
• Keep chest and eyes up to see the floor.

Crossover

• Dribble the ball low (knee level) and snap the ball across the body.

• Bounce the ball toward the foot in the direction of your drive. Your hand should be on the side of the ball, not directly on top. Your palm should face the middle of your body.
• Change directions by planting and pushing off the outside foot; when crossing over from right to left, plant on the right foot.
• Receive the dribble at knee height.

Space Dribble and the Pullback Crossover

• Use to create space from the defensive player and square shoulders to the basket.
• Stop in a protect dribble stance, using the width of your body to protect the ball.
• Push off your inside (front) foot and shuffle backward for one to two dribbles.

• As you retreat, evaluate your defender; if he grants the space, square shoulders to the court and make a move or pass; if he tries to close the distance, cross over and attack his momentum.

In-and-Out Move/Fake Crossover

• Use to fake a crossover and continue a straight line drive.
• With hand on top of the ball, make a “C” with the ball – on the downward flight of the ball, bring the ball toward the middle of your body and then push it to the outside.
• Use your body to accentuate the fake – body and ball move together.

Next:

Finishing

Triple Threat/Hard2Guard position

When a player has the ball in his hands, as opposed to dribbling, coaches call the desired position the Triple Threat position. The Triple Threat refers to the ability to pass, shoot or dribble. In practice, however, the Triple Threat often becomes a defensive position with the player hiding the ball from his defender. Therefore, I use the Hard2Guard position, which is the same basic principle.

• Triple Threat: the player holds the ball at his hip with his pivot foot forward. The tendency in this position, when pressured, is to turn away from the pressure and go into a “turtle” position, especially with young players. [video 35]

• Hard2Guard: the player starts with the ball cocked into shooting position in the shot pocket (roughly the armpit). Body is squared to the basket, eyes toward the basket and lead foot forward. To protect the ball, he keeps the ball active using pass fakes, ball fakes, shot fakes and pivots. [video 36]

Ball Protection

Regardless of the terminology and position, the point is to be strong with the ball, protect the ball from the defense and be in a position to make a play with the pass, shot or dribble. In that respect, a complement to the Hard2Guard position is the Box:

• Box: When defended closely, avoid the area in the middle of your body between your knees and chest. To move the ball from side to side, rip through low with wrists below your knees or rip through high leading with your elbows across your hairline. [Video 37]

To protect the ball, combine the idea of the Box with front and reverse pivots to keep the ball active, rather than holding the ball in one spot for the defense to grab.

Live Ball Moves

The basic footwork to protect the ball, create space and initiate an offensive attack are the space step, jab step, drive step, direct drive and crossover drive.

To set up a move, keep the defender off-balance and protect the ball, use the jab step or the space step, as the situation dictates.

• Jab Step: A small step used to set up a move, create space or keep the defender off balance. The jab step must be long enough to make the defender believe it is a drive step, but short enough to keep the offensive player well-balanced. Make a quick, hard step. Rip ball to knee. Keep 60-70% of one’s weight on the pivot (push) foot to avoid the travel.
• Space Step: Step your lead leg between the defender’s legs; if the defender does not move, sweep low and attack. If the defender gives ground, sweep to a Hard2Guard position to find a teammate, an open shot or an opportunity to attack. Use the space step to clear space and square to the basket when receiving the ball with back to the basket. A quick space step clears space to reverse pivot into a Hard2Guard position or for a sweep-and-go move. The space step is like a jab step, but is a bigger step used to create space and relieve ball pressure, not necessarily to set up a move.

When making your move, your drive step is your first step. If your pivot foot is your left foot, your drive step will be with your right foot. To make a quick, aggressive first step:

• Attack the defender’s top foot to force him to turn his hips.
• Attack directly past the defender: Put your shoulder on his hip, going body up, body in.
• Attack with a big first step, but keep your nose over toes. Do not over extend.
• Knock away the defender’s hand and keep your inside shoulder low.
• Extend with your dribble.
• Keep head and eyes up to see the floor.

There are two possible directions for your drive step: a direct drive or a crossover drive.

• Direct Drive: your first step is in the direction of your lead foot. The first step and the hand that dribbles are on the same side of the body. For example, if your left foot is your pivot foot, you step with your right foot and dribble with your right hand. You attack to the right of the defender (from your viewpoint).
• Crossover Drive: your first step is across your body so you attack in the direction of your pivot foot. The first step and the hand that dribbles are different. For example, if your left foot is your pivot foot, you step with your right foot and dribble with your left hand. You attack to the left of the defender.

Next:

Dribbling

Players who possess great footwork use their foot placement and weight distribution to enhance their moves. Footwork is the economy of motion and is enhanced by anticipation.

A player’s footwork either enhances or detracts from his moves. It is more than the actual steps, but how the player uses each step. Proper foot placement and weight distribution create more effective moves and eliminate extra steps or inefficient movements which result from a subtle lack of balance or lack of acceleration when the foot placement or weight distribution is off.

Stopping

• Quick Stop (in the rule book, this is called a “jump stop” too, but to differentiate the two stops, we refer to one as a “quick stop” and one as a “jump stop,” although to call this a “jump stop” is also correct): A two-foot stop on a one-count, either when receiving a pass or off the dribble, with feet shoulder width, knees bent and butt down to stop under control. On the quick stop, the player does not jump into the air, but hops off one foot and lands on two feet. The hop is small, quick and controlled. Land like a ninja, without a sound. The player picks up the ball or receives the pass with both feet in the air and lands on two feet simultaneously. He can pivot on either foot.

• Jump Stop: Similar to a quick stop, except the player stops the dribble or receives the pass with one foot on the ground, hops off the foot and lands on two feet simultaneously. The player does not have a pivot foot in this instance. The difference is when the dribble stops or when the catch occurs.

• 1-2-Step: A quick step-step stop off the catch or the dribble. The first step becomes the pivot foot. Sit the hips back and down; flex the ankle, knee and hip to diffuse the force over a larger area and reduce the impact on any one joint. Stop with the shooting foot slightly forward in a heel-toe relationship (the shooting foot’s heel even with the toes of the other foot). When a right-handed player stops right-left, he stubs his left foot rather than take a full step to keep his right foot forward.

• Stride Stop: A step-step stop, except the player takes a full stride with the second step, as opposed to stopping this step in a parallel stance or heel-toe position, like the 1-2-step. The player stops with a staggered stance. The pivot foot is the first foot to step in the step-step.

Pivot Foot

In basketball, you cannot run without bouncing the ball. However, you can pivot. A pivot foot is the foot that remains planted on the ground while the other foot moves to change body position or direction to protect the ball or find a more offensive position.

For young players, the concept is difficult. However, the pivot foot is essential to offensive execution. Too many times, when the defense pressures a young player, he twists and turns with two feet firmly planted. Or, worse, he moves both feet. The pivot foot is an offensive player’s tool to combat pressure.

• The pivot foot stays on the floor while the lead foot (free foot) moves.
• Keep 60-70% of one’s weight on the pivot foot. Stay low and keep head level as you pivot.
• There are two basic pivots: front pivot and reverse pivot.

1. Reverse pivot: The player pivots opposite the direction he is facing (leads with his heel).

1. Front pivot: The player pivots in the direction he is facing (leads with his toe).

• When establishing a pivot, players use two methods: a permanent pivot foot or the inside pivot foot.

1. Permanent pivot foot: the player pivots with the same foot every time; a right-handed player uses his left foot as his pivot foot, regardless of the situation.
2. Inside pivot foot: The player pivots on the foot closest to the mid-line of the court (the line running from basket to basket); players use both feet, which creates consistent body movement on each side of the court.

Next:

Live Ball Moves

• Footwork
• Live Ball Moves
• Dribbling
• Finishing
• Shooting
• Passing
• Individual Defense
• Rebounding

Previous Section:

Athletic Skills

Next Section:

Tactical Skills

“People may say Steve Nash’s not athletic,” Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Scott Skiles continued. “What they should say is he’s not a great leaper. But everything else athletically he does well. He moves well laterally. He’s fast. He has great hand-eye coordination. He pivots on either foot. He has no real offensive weakness.”

Athletic skills run the gamut from reaction time to visual acuity to speed. Vern Gambetta says that athleticism is the ability to execute a series of movements at optimum speed with precision, style and grace. Developing athleticism begins with the five bio-motor qualities: strength, speed, power, flexibility and endurance.

Youth coaches focus on developing the proper technique for basic athletic skills so the player has a solid foundation for developing these qualities. Youth basketball coaches do not have the time to develop all these qualities, but teaching the proper technique for the major athletic skills improves a player’s performance and prevents injuries. Before a player learns to do a speed dribble, he needs to be able to run; before he jump-stops, he must know how to land from a jump. These basic techniques enhance the player’s basketball-specific development and provide the foundation for the player to develop his bio-motor qualities through general play and eventually through more structured training as the player matures.

Athletic Stance

Balance is control of your center of gravity. A balanced position is when your body is positioned over your base of support. A general athletic stance is a balanced position:

• Back is flat; no rounded shoulders or humpbacks

• Chest and eyes are up
• Hips are back
• Shoulders over the knees, knees over the toes
• Weight is evenly displaced on each foot

The athletic stance is the basic position for everything from shooting to defense. The entire game should be played in an athletic stance.

Jump/Land

Vertical Jump

• Use arms and drive into the ground. Triple extension of the ankle, knee and hip.
• Push away the ground.

Landing from a jump

• Push hips back and land on the balls of the feet, sitting back to a flat foot with shoulders over knees and knees over toes.
• Land “like a ninja,” soft and quiet.
• Land with knees over the toes – do not allow the knees to move too far forward or cave in toward each other.

Acceleration/Deceleration

Running Mechanics

• The PAL System: Posture, Arm Action and Leg Action

• Posture: Run tall
• Arm Action: Opposes the leg action to assist with balance and propulsion
• Leg Action: Foot contacts the ground under the center of gravity

• Focus on quick sprints with young players, not running laps.
• Incorporate reaction drills to improve reaction time.

Hockey Stop

Hockey stop is used when turning to run in another direction.

• Turn the hips, legs and feet so they are parallel with the end line, like when running line drills.
• Outside leg is the final decelerator and is the most important leg to control momentum and to change direction.
• Inside leg begins deceleration because in a normal stride pattern (r,l,r,l,r) it touches down first as the body turns (Taft).

Lunge Stop

The lunge stop is used to go from a sprint to a back pedal (or from a back pedal to a sprint).

• Used when running forward to stop quickly in the split stance or lunge position.
• Lower the hips and stop the lead leg knee over the foot, like a lunge.
• Shoulders should be more forward than a strength training lunge.
• Back leg bends close to 90-degrees.
• In live situations players do not hold the lunge position, but reactively push off to back pedal.
• The reverse lunge is done off the back pedal position with the rear or stopping leg much further back and the shoulders forward to accelerate quickly (Taft).

Next Section:

Basic Technical Skills
Tactical Skills

Three Stages of Skill Acquisition
According to Fitts’ Stage Theory of Motor Learning, we go through three distinct phases when learning a skill: Cognitive, Associative and Autonomous. These sequential stages illustrate the process of skill acquisition.

Cognitive Stage
The Cognitive Stage is the initial stage. In this stage, athletes:

• Struggle to make sense of language and translate it into action.
• Think rather than act.
• Cannot differentiate between the feel of the correct execution and the incorrect execution.
• Lack body awareness.
• Need the coach to be the primary source of feedback.

During this stage, skill execution is:

• Inconsistent
• Awkward
• Slow
• Requiring great effort
• Unnatural

After a clinic, I worked with an 8th grader who was new to the game. I demonstrated a couple basic moves. She struggled to translate the demonstrations into performance. After several repetitions, I played “teaching speed” defense (I reacted to the offensive player and applied gentle pressure based on her success and understanding). With a defender present, she thought too much.

Rather than giving her time and space to learn, her school coach grew frustrated. After a couple mistakes, he yelled at her. The skills were not very difficult, but they were new.

The coach saw the moves as easy due to his experience and could not relate to the difficulty of the learning process. The player’s mistakes were not an indictment of her ability, but a part of the learning process. The player developed a fear of failure and never maximized her talent.

The answer to skill acquisition is typically more repetitions. However, if the player is in the Cognitive Stage, he must concentrate on each repetition and receive frequent feedback to develop consistency. If he practices with a lack of concentration, his execution remains inconsistent. Quality matters more than the quantity. In a sense, there is such a thing as too much practice if the player lacks the concentration required to focus on consistent skill execution.

Associative Stage
There is no defining line between the stages. The progress is gradual and individual. As players execute more consistently, they naturally transition to the Associative Stage. In this stage, skill execution is:

• More consistent.
• Not yet automatic.
• Requiring full concentration.
• More fluid.

In this stage, players feel the difference between the incorrect and correct execution, but cannot always explain the difference. They know they made a mistake, but they are not sure of their mistake. They rely on the coach for feedback, but start to develop the ability to self-correct and make their own adjustments. The execution starts to feel more natural, and they make sense of instructions more quickly.

The questioning method is more appropriate once players reach this stage, as players start to self-correct, and the questions help players move in this direction rather than relying too heavily on the coach.

Autonomous Stage
As the player improves and skill execution becomes more consistent and requires less thinking, the player moves to the Autonomous Stage. In this Stage, skill execution:

• Requires little to no thinking.
• Is automatic.
• Is consistent.
• Is habitual.

Once the player reaches the Autonomous Stage, thinking hurts the skill execution. Thinking distracts his attention away from the external skill performance.

Practice makes permanent. If the player practiced and developed with a flawed technique, he must re-start the skill acquisition process. The only way to change a habit is to concentrate fully on making a change.

Assuming that the player developed with proper skill execution, thinking interferes with the automatic processing. When shooting, your body learned to shoot through thousands of repetitions with full concentration and feedback. Now, if you think about your shooting technique as you shoot, you interfere with the body’s execution.

You do not think about walking: you walk. When you think about it, you lose coordination for a moment as you make sure your hands and feet are properly synced and you think about your foot strike and you try to change your gait to take a longer step or a shorter step or to land on the ball of your foot not your heel. At this point, you do not think about shooting: you shoot.

Your concentration moves from the internal – monitoring the skill execution – to the external – focusing your eyes on the target and quieting your inner voice to allow your body to flow.

Teaching Skills
When teaching a new skill or drill, use the IDEA method of instruction.

• Introduce. Put the drill or skill in game context. If introducing a new dribble move, use a defender and show the actual move in a game context. For a protect dribble, show the players how to use the move to evade a trap.
• Demonstrate. After introducing the move, demonstrate the move without the defense. Use cues to direct their attention to the important points. For instance, point out that the ball is by your back foot when you use the protect dribble and that your eyes see the entire court.
• Explain. Use verbal explanations to teach the proper skill execution. “Get low in a stance and pound the ball. Use the off-arm to protect the ball.”
• Attend. As players execute the move, give feedback where necessary and appropriate. Use individual feedback where possible; however, if the whole group makes the same mistake, stop the action and re-demonstrate and re-explain to confirm that the players understand. Continue with the drill and give each player individual feedback.

Basketball Skill Breakdown
This course breaks down the basic basketball skills into three sections: Athletic Skills, Tactical Skills and Technical Skills. The skills are interdependent. While you may want to jump straight to shooting technique, without the ability to bend and squat properly (athletic skills), players will struggle with their balance and ultimately their shooting technique.

Basketball is a simple game that is made more complex because coaches feel they have so much to teach before the first game that they ignore the basics or teach several things concurrently.

When teaching something new, isolate the skill. With young players, do not teach more than one thing at a time. For instance, when working on ball handling and lay-ups, separate the skills: teach the lay-ups separately and teach basic ball handling separately.

Once the players have learned the basics, combine the skills to train them and increase the repetitions. There are a lot of skills to teach, but players do not have to know everything to play in a game.

• Athletic Skills
• Basic Technical Skills
• Tactical Skills

Presented by University of Utah, Department of Exercise and Sport Science

Where:

University of Utah, HPER-East 101 – Crimson Court

When:

Saturday October 22

Time:

9:00A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

Email:

ybca@learntocoachbasketball.com

More info:

http://learntocoachbasketball.com and http://developyourbballiq.com

Cost:

$50

Registration:

Anyone who registers by October 5 receives a FREE paperback copy of 180 Shooter: 5 Steps to Shooting 90% from the Free Throw Line, 50% from the Field and 40% from the 3-Point Line

Agenda

8:30A.M. – 9:00A.M. Registration
9:00A.M. Introduction
9:30A.M. Movement Skills for Basketball Players
10:15A.M. Break
10:30A.M. Small-Sided Games for Skill Development
11:30A.M. Skill Progressions & Feedback in Offense
12:30P.M. Q&A

Clinician: Brian McCormick

• Professional Head Coach, Europe
• High school, AAU Head Coach
• Author of 13 books for basketball coaches
• Founder, Youth Basketball Coaching Association
• Founder, Playmakers Basketball Development League

Dr. Oliver Eslinger
Head Coach, Caltech Men’s Basketball
Sport and Performance Consultant
www.docsheadgames.com

Emily Nkosi, MS, CSCS
Basketball Coach & Athlete Wellness Mentor
2005 NCAA National Champion, Baylor University

Harrison Omondi Kaudia
Founder, All.One Basketball School
Co-Founder, Another Level Sports Associates (ALSA)

Marquis Taylor
Founder, Coaching 4 Change

Andy Twellman
Director of Operations, Train for the Game
Facilitator for the Gray Institute of Functional Transformation (GIFT)
Fellow of Applied Functional Science (FAFS)

Casey Wheel
Athletic Development Coach and Basketball Coach
Pacific Ridge School, Carlsbad
cwheel.blogspot.com

The Youth Basketball Coaching Association Level I course is an introductory course for first-year coaches or youth coaches working with 8-14 year-olds. The Level I certification course covers basic coaching methodology and basketball fundamentals and is divided into five broad topics:

1. The Youth Player
2. The Youth Coach
3. Practice
4. Skill Development
5. The Game
6. YBCA Level I Certification Test

(Click on the topics above to start the course or read below to see a course outline).

Part I: The Youth Player

• The Early Years/Romance Period
• Child Development
• Psychological Development
• Learning Orientation
• Learning Styles
• Attention
• Motivation

Part II: The Coach

• Coaching/Leadership Styles
• Coaching during the Romance Phase
• Coaching Philosophy
• Communication Skills
• Instructions
• Demonstrations
• Feedback
• Cue Words
• Questioning

Part III: Practice

• Create a Seasonal Goal
• Parent’s Meeting
• Expectations/Guidelines
• Planning Practice
• Practice Concepts
• Practice Activities
• Fun Games
• Types of drills
• Drills: Random vs. Block Practice
• Good vs Bad Drills
• Everyday Drills
• Dynamic Warm-up
• Sample Practice Format

Part IV: Skill Development

• Three stages of skill acquisition
• Teaching Skills
• Basketball Skill Breakdown
• Footwork
• Stopping
• Pivot foot
• Live ball moves
• Triple Threat/Hard2Guard
• Ball Protection
• Finishing
• Lay-up technique
• Dribbling
• Shooting
• Passing
• Individual Defense
• Rebounding
• Athletic Stance
• Jump/Land
• Acceleration/deceleration
• Court Spacing
• Cuts
• Screens
• Help Defense
• Fast Break
• Press Break

Part V: The Game

• Game Preparation
• Learning about Competition
• Rules of the Game
• Coaching in the Game
• Teaching through the Game
• Post-Game

An organization or league can provide a great facility, new uniforms, plenty of practice time and great management, but nothing affects the player’s experience like his or her coach.

Why do kids quit youth sports?

• Practice is boring (too many drills)
• Emotional stress from excessive performance demands (too focused on winning too early)
• Feelings of constant failure, typically due to negative coaching
• Not playing enough

All four issues directly relate to the coach’s effectiveness. Therefore, an organization’s success depends on each and every coach.

The Youth Basketball Coaches Association Level I certification course is a FREE online program that covers basic individual and team skills as well as sports psychology, motivation, learning, communication and practice planning.

Level I  is targeted for new and volunteer coaches working with elementary and junior high school players and designed so coaches can work at their pace on their schedule.

The certification course and accompanying web site and forum provide a resource for coaches to learn, ask questions and seek additional advice.

Register a League or Organization

The YBCA goal is to create an easy-to-use platform to assist organizations and leagues in their efforts to provide great programming for youth athletes, and to help coaches learn more about the coaching process to assist their efforts to provide a great environment for all players.

When you register, your organization will be listed with other organizations that support the Youth Basketball Coaches Association.

When a coach within your organization completes the course and passes the test, you will receive an email notifying you with the coach’s name and team name (if applicable) for your records.

YBCA

Through the YBCA Level I certification course, you will learn:

• More about the developmental stages that a child goes through with a special emphasis on children in ages 8-14 years old.
• About the different participatory categories within basketball.
• Children’s motivations for playing and quitting organized sports.
• Different roles for a coach to follow with this age group.
• Some basic physical and psychological differences between athletes at the beginning and end of this age group.
• About creating a coaching philosophy, setting your team goals and creating expectations and guidelines for players (and parents).
• More about communication skills and its role in coaching.
• More effective instructional techniques.
• To use questions as a teaching technique.
• About the stages of skill acquisition.
• The difference between a Growth Mindset and a Fixed Mindset and why the difference matters.
• About different learning styles and the way children process information.
• About attention and its importance in athletic performance.
• About the two kinds of motivation and how to develop intrinsic motivation in players.
• The basic technical skills.
• The difference between a quick stop, jump stop and stride stop.
• The general lay-up technique.
• The proper dribbling technique and several different moves.
• The proper shooting form.
• The basic passes and ways to pass under pressure.
• The basic defensive stance, positioning and movement.
• About rebounding.
• The basic athletic skills which underlie basketball performance.
• The proper ways to run, stop, jump and land.
• The basic tactical skills.
• About offensive spacing, screens and movement.
• General team defense concepts.
• General spacing and cuts against a press.
• How to plan a practice and why it is important
• The difference between block and random drills.
• Drills to use in a dynamic warm-up.
• Three different types of general drills.
• How to differentiate good drills from bad drills.

Provide a comprehensive, easy-to-use coaching education program for youth coaches working with players from 8 – 14-years-old.

The YBCA defines success in two ways:

1. Developmentally: Creating an environment which leads to more skilled, global players.
2. Recreationally: Creating a more positive, encouraging experience for ALL players.

We target coaches because the coach has a direct impact on the experience of each player in a league, within an organization or on a team.

The YBCA program works with coaches in three ways:

1. A FREE coaching course that covers basic basketball skills and coaching concepts and leads to a Level I certification.
2. A FREE coaching forum for coaches to post questions or seek assistance from other or more experienced coaches.
3. A site filled with coaching resources and additional information, including additional certification courses, clinics, books, DVDs and more.

The curriculum outlines information and tools to improve coaching effectiveness. Some information centers on the HOW of coaching: communication strategies, learning techniques and types of practice. Other information focuses on the WHAT: the basic fundamentals and technique that every player must develop to improve and continue playing competitively.

Through helping coaches and partnering with different organizations, we believe these coaches will create a better experience for their players, and slowly we can help local organizations and coaches create a better overall youth basketball system focused on fun, learning, development and the spirit of competition, not just wins and losses.