BETTER Basketball More FUN

First game: Most “Basketball-like”, half court with two goals, or half court with one goal. 6 minute games with two 3 minute halves and a one minute break, etc.

Remaining games: change something each game, “solve a basketball problem”, play with the elements.

Last game: walking backwards, cool down, dribble ball over endline (or arc or centre line) for a point then shoot a free throw for validation.

Tally points scored for the team plus 10 points for a team win, 5 points for a tie. At the end, reward  “Mr. Big.”

 

Playing With the Elements Adjusting the game
Problems: 1. own team in possession 2. losing possession, 3. opponents in possession and regaining possession: 1. defence, 2. build up, and 3. the attack

Players: 1v1, 2v2 … 5v5v5

Goals: line scoring, area scoring, dribble into an area, pass into an area, free throw scoring, extra points for specific types of shots

The court: must run through certain areas/gates/cones, example: only play on the left side, only play within or outside the arc

Rules: only one dribble, no back pass, only back passes

The ball: flat ball, two balls, play with a dodge ball or volleyball

 

Small sided game basic rules

• 3-6 minute periods, switch teams every 2 periods.
• count 1s, 2s, and 3s.
• winning team gets 10 more points.
• ties – each teams adds 5 more points
• free throw validation (must score a free throw for the bucket to count)
• all non shooting fouls and and ones shoot 1 free throw
• shooting fouls shoot two or three

 

Small sided game variations

Limited dribbling:

• only left hand dribbling
• one dribble
• only dribble below or above free throw lines
• no dribble
• no dribble in back court
• only dribble in back court

Ball screen:

• each possession starts with a pick and roll
  • from “left back”
  • between the circles
• defense can or can’t switch
• Around cones
  • ball carrier goes around a cone
  • other players go around other cones in transition

Frenzy:

• one player stays in offensive circle
• one player stays on left wing
• one player stays on right wing

Man Advantage:

• one defender must always stay behind in front court
• two defenders must stay behind
• three defenders must stay behind

Don’t miss your free throws:

• after every two or three, must shoot a single free throw
• if free throw missed minus 5 points.

Bad Blood:

• ball carrier starts from own end line
• all other players in the middle cirlce
• when ball carrier crosses centre line, one defender can defend.

Ball Drop:

• every time coach blows a whistle, the ball must be dropped and team hustles back on defense
• everyone except ball dropper goes back on defense
• blow whistle every three possessions
• ball must be placed on the floor where it is dropped.

Skip Pass:

• offensive team must throw a skip pass bellow free throw line, wing to wing
• the receiver of skip pass must shoot or drive
• reset with a skip pass

Corner recovery:

• after every change possession – missed shot, score etc
  player last to touch ball must run around a cone in the corner.

And One:

• every made bucket includes a free throw
• missed free throw = minus three points

Flat Ball:

• play with a deflated ball

Medicine ball:

• play with a medicine ball

Post Play:

• Score from a post play
  • up and under, drop step, hook/jump shot

No Pass in Back Court:

• Player with ball after rebound, inbound, change possession must dribble accross centre.

More Free Throw Validation:

• each period ends with the team ahead shooting one free throw
• a made free throw counts 1
• a missed free throw minus 3 or minus 5

Out of the Strings:

• defense can take the ball out of the strings and advance up the court immediately
• no inbound play
• quick transitions

Relentless Transition:

• 5v5
• play 3v3 with two players in defensive corners
• on a defensive change in possession the corners lead outlet,
• player with ball must pass to an outlet and join the new 2 for 3v3

Shot Clock:

• set shot clock to 14, 10, 6
• really speed things along

Inbound advantage:

• after every inbounds play, the defender guarding the player who catches the ball, must sprint back to the endline, cone, corner, before rejoining his team on defense.
• no dribbling allowed.
• defender sprints to half line instead on endline.

Triple Split:

• 3 v 3 but in 3 pairs of 1v1
• 1v1 in one arch, 1v1 in other arch, 1v1 between the archs,
• take turns in each arch(switch each period).
• all 1v1 matchups, no 1v2

Three Stops in a Row:

• count only stops
• three stops in a row = 5 points

War:

• 3v3 to 6v6
• number each player 1,2,3,4,5,6
• coach yells out a number, or pair, or 3: “1,4,5”
• those players play till a basket scored.

Home Run:

• any score within 5 seconds of inbound from the defensive endline counts 5 points

Press Virginia to Carolina:

• everyone marks 1v1 in full court press on any inbound and bucket
• whoever receives the pass -their defender “chases rabbits” and the others continue with man advantage
• on a turnover, get the ball down to the one for the quick score.

Score and Keep:

• When you score, you keep the ball

Pass out of the Post:

• each team has a player unmarked on the post that must be passed to to start the offense, but he can only score on a rebound.
• the post passes out to a team mate then steps off the court
• change post position: low, mid, high, elbow, “Spain”, between circles

Grab a towel

• player last to touch the ball or score or whole team must defend holding a towel with both hands behind the back.

The Whole Shebang:

• Score a buzzer beater, plus the free throw – if behind forces the tie.

The Walking Dead

• Players without ball walk backwards

Gatekeeper:

• players with or without ball must pass through a “gate”
  • before joining offense
  • before joining defense

Pass for Points:

• score a point for executing a pass
  • pass into paint,
  • pass to weak-side inside
  • pass to weak-side three
  • pass to Carolina

Back Your Man Down:

• pass to a man with his back to the glass
• he then must “back his man down” into the paint.

White Rectangle:

• only 2 point shots off the backboard/white rectangle count

Change the goal:

• use a big bin
• hit a pylon
• complete a pass or dribble over the endline/center line
• hit the rectangle from inside/outside the key/arc
• two hands on ball jump and hit the backboard while still holding the ball.

Download Excel Workbook: Small Sided Games