Ways to use this list
- End practice on a high: spin a shooting game like knockout or around the world for the last ten minutes.
- Driveway or park practice alone: press On your own, spin, and work on whatever comes up for five minutes.
- Coaching 8 to 10 year olds: spin a ball-handling drill to start, then a passing drill, then finish with a game.
- PE basketball unit: set the countdown, spin, and groups rotate round stations doing the drill on the screen.
- Indoors on a wet day: stationary dribbling, ball wraps and figure-eights need only a small space and a soft ball.
Press Spin the wheel, tap the game or press the Space bar. Change the list in the box as you
like: add your own, delete what doesn't suit you, or write *2 after an entry to give it double the
chance. The game buttons switch the same list to a duck race, hat, claw machine and more.
The full list (34 entries)
- Stationary dribbling
- Figure-eight dribble
- Ball wraps
- Crossover drill
- Two-ball dribbling
- Zig-zag dribbling
- Cone dribbling
- Dribble tag
- Red light, green light
- Sharks and minnows
- Form shooting
- Layup lines
- Mikan drill
- Around the world
- Knockout
- H-O-R-S-E
- Free throws
- Spot shooting
- Shooting from the elbows
- Partner passing
- Three-man weave
- Give and go
- Pivot practice
- Jump stops
- Triple-threat drill
- Defensive slides
- Closeouts
- Box-out drill
- Rebounding drill
- 1 v 1 from the wing
- 2 v 1 fast break
- 3 v 2 fast break
- Shell drill
- Full-court layups
📖 Related guide: How to make fair random teams
Questions people ask
What are good basketball drills for beginners?
Start with stationary dribbling, ball wraps, form shooting close to the basket, partner passing and jump stops. They build control and good habits before players add speed or defenders.
What is the Mikan drill?
A close-range finishing drill: stand under the basket and make alternate layups with the right and left hand, catching the ball as it drops through the net and going straight back up. It is named after an early star centre who made it famous.
How do you play knockout in basketball?
Players line up at the free-throw line with two balls at the front. Each shooter tries to score before the player behind them; if the person behind scores first, the one in front is out. The last player left wins.
How can 5 year olds practice basketball?
Use a lower hoop or a big target, a smaller ball and lots of games: dribble tag, red light green light and sharks and minnows with the ball. Press Ages 5–7 to keep the wheel to drills like those.
How do you play H-O-R-S-E?
Players take turns to shoot from anywhere they like. When a shot goes in, the next player must copy it exactly, and a miss on a copy earns a letter. Spell out H-O-R-S-E and you are out; the last player left wins. For a shorter game, play P-I-G.