PRACTICE PLANS SKILLS CHECKLIST

Rookie Practice Plans

Welcome to the Rookie Level practice plans. The Rookie level focuses on having fun, being active, and learning the basic fundamental skills of basketball. There are three options for viewing these practice plans.

  • Download a full practice plan to review and study
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Rookie Practice Plan 10

Cultivating Values & Developing Wellness

5%
5%

Respect: Opponents

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  • Discuss how to respect your opponents.
  • Another important component of basketball is respecting your opponents. After all, without opponents, we wouldn’t have a game. Jr. NBA partner Positive Coaching Alliance uses the phrase “fierce but friendly” to describe the best type of competition. A player may hit the deck trying for a loose ball or rebound, and it’s OK for everyone to play to the whistle, but then it’s also fine to help that opponent up off the floor.

Warm Up

5%
5%

The Escape Game

(3 times each partner)
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  • Have the players partner up and designate a partner “1” and a partner “2.”
  • All 1’s will go to the center of the gym, face the center, and cover their eyes. Have all 2’s stand next to their partner (1).
  • The coach calls out “Partner 2’s Skip!” and partner 2’s skip away. Note: coaches can substitute skip with various actions such as hopping on 1 foot, hopping on 2 feet, lateral slide, running, running sideways, running backwards. To keep it fun, include movements like crab walk, frog hops and lion leaps.
  • When coach says “Tag your partner!” partner 1 looks for partner 2 and skips to tag them as partner 2 tries to skip away. Note: To keep the flow of the game, you may need to start a countdown. If the players haven’t been tagged at the end of the countdown, they should find each other.
  • Once tagged or the countdown expires, pairs start to return to center court. Partner 1 asks partner 2 questions to get to know their teammate until the coach has them switch roles and play again.
  • Here are a few suggested questions: “What is your name?” “What is your favorite color?” “What is your favorite basketball team?” “What is your middle name?” “When is your birthday?”

Movement Options: Hopping on 1 foot, hopping on 2 feet, skipping, lateral slide, running, running sideways, running backwards.

Key Points

This is a great game to get the players actively warmed-up. Remember the players should only move with action the coach commands and should not run to tag their partner even when the get close.

Building Skills

70%
70%

Ball Handling

Up or Down Game

(2 games )
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  • Divide the players into 2 teams – Team “Up” and Team “Down.”
  • Spread cones around the gym facing up, and the same number of cones around the gym facing down.
  • All players will have a ball and the players on the “Up” team will dribble around the gym and try to put all the cones standing up. The players on the “Down” team will dribble around the gym trying to put all of the cones facing down.
  • Players must continually move around and cannot guard the cones.
  • Players can only use their hands and will adjust as many cones as possible in the allotted time. After the allotted time, count how many cones are up and down to determine the winning team.

TECHNICAL LOAD 

  • Before the players are able to turn the cone to up or down, they must complete a designated dribble move. If the player messes up during the dribble move they cannot turn the cone and must go to a new cone and try the dribble move again.
  • Potential Dribble Moves: “5” consecutive crossovers, “2” consecutive behind the back dribbles, “2” consecutive between the legs dribbles etc.”

COMPETITIVE LOAD 

  • Have all the players compete against the coach or coaches!

Key Points

Make sure the players continue to move around and do not guard the cones. Try to use at least as many cones as the total number of players if not more.

Cone Dribbling

(3 x down and back)
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  • Divide the group into even groups.
  • Place five cones from sideline to sideline in a straight line for each group.
  • The first player in each line will have a ball.
  • The player will dribble through the cones in a zig-zag motion switching hands as they change directions all the way past the last cone and then stop.
  • Once the player is half way through the cones, the next player can begin.
  • After all the players in the group have dribbled through the cones, the first player will repeat the process by going back through the cones in the opposite direction.

jrnba_rookie_pp7_conedribbling_diagram1of2

TECHNICAL LOAD 

  • Have one or two players act as defenders and stand in place of the cones in each line. The defender will either jump in the path of the ball-handler or stay in their position. If the defender jumps in the path, the ball-handler switches hands as they change directions. If the defender stays in place, the ball-handler continues on their path to the next cone.

COMPETITIVE LOAD 

  • Make this a relay race. The first team to finish wins!

Key Points

Make sure the players are staying low and controlling the dribble. The players should also be pushing off their outside foot to change directions.

diagram

Capture the Cones Game

(2 x 4 minutes)
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  • Divide the players into four teams and assign them a corner.
  • The team goal is to collect cones from the other corners and place them in their team’s corner.
  • Players are not allowed to protect their team’s corner.
  • Coaches can move around the area and tag players as they try to take cones. When players are tagged they must return the cone they have from where they took it.
  • The game will end after 4 minutes and the team with the most cones wins.
  • Make sure players dribble at all times and encourage them to go for the cones diagonal from them.

TECHNICAL LOAD 

  • After a player has been tagged by the coach (or other taggers) they must return the cone and complete 1 lay up at a hoop before returning to the game. (Could also be 2 lay ups at 2 different hoops).
  • Players dribble with their right hand while going to collect a cone and dribble with their left hand after stealing a cone.

PHYSICAL LOAD 

  • When successfully stealing a cone and bringing it back to your team’s corner, players must do a physical activity before being able to attempt another cone. This activity could be 10 wall jumps, air squats, single leg jumps over
    a line, or pushups. The exercise could change during the Game.

Passing

Open & Decide Drill

(3 minutes)
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  • Three players start in a line across the key. One player starts on each block and one player starts in the middle standing under the basket with a basketball. Add a defender behind the player with the basketball.
  • When the coach says go, the player with the ball will dribble up to the free throw line, jump-stop, and pivot to face the basket.
  • The defender will pick one of the other two players on either block to guard. The player that dribbled to the free throw line will have to make a quick decision to pass to the open player for a shot.
  • After a shot, the passer will take the place of the shooter. The shooter will take the place of the defender and the defender will go to the back of the line.
  • Keep a tally of how many made baskets the team scores in 3 minutes so you can compete against this number in later practices.

Key Points

Make sure the defender clearly guards one player and does not leave that player until the pass is made! Have the player make a quick decision and a good pass to their teammate. Next, make sure the receiver of the pass works on finishing the shots with a defender contesting. Since the team is trying to make the most shots possible, ensure that the defense contests hard.

Footwork and Conditioning

Land, Air, Sea

(2 games)
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  • Find a line that the entire team can stand behind (sideline/baseline). If the coach says “Land” the players must jump behind the line. If the coach says “Sea” the players must jump in front of the line. If the coach says “Air” the players will jump straight up and down in the air.
  • If the players do the wrong action, they are out and can try to make funny faces to disrupt their teammates still competing.

Key Points

This drill forces the players to focus, balance and react quick.

Shooting

Rock, Paper, Scissors Game

(2 games)
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  • Place 3 pylons spaced out along the half-court line. All players have a ball and are divided into two teams. Each team creates 3 lines on their baseline lining up with the pylons at half court.
  • The first players in each line dribble to meet each other at the pylons at half court. They keep their dribble in 1 hand and play rock, paper, scissors with the other hand.
  • Rock, paper, scissors is played by each player counting to 3 and showing a hand signal. Rock is a fist, paper is a flat hand and scissors is two fingers out. Rock beats/smashes scissors, scissors beats/cuts paper and paper beats/covers rock.
  • The player that wins rock, paper, scissors pivots and dribbles to their hoop for a chance to score. The other player dribbles after chasing put pressure on the player doing the layup.
  • If the layup is score then the team gets 1 point. First team to 10 points wins. Players return to their team’s baseline and fill a different line.

Key Points

If there are players in the key when going for the layup, players can come to a jump stop for a shot.

Team Concepts

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10%

Drive & Kick Competition Drill

(games to 10)
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  • Have two lines next to each-other at the half-court line on the right or left side of a half-court. Setup one cone or other object on the three point line above the elbow and another cone or object on the three point line at the wing.
  • One line has a basketball. The first two players in each line high-five each other to start the drill. After the high-five, the player with the ball will dribble to the cone above the elbow and either go to the left or to the right around the cone. The other player, the cutter, will run to the cone at the wing and react to what the dribbler does.
  • If the player with the ball goes to the left around the cone, the cutter will cut to the the middle of the key for a pass and layup in front of the basket. If the player with the ball goes to the right of the cone, the cutter will cut to the short corner for a jump-shot.
  • The players will get the rebound and switch lines.
  • This drill can be run with two groups on two sides of the same half court, or two sides of a full court. The two groups will compete to be the first team to make 10 shots.

jrnba_rookie_pp10_driveandkickcompetitiondrill_diagram1of4 jrnba_rookie_pp10_driveandkickcompetitiondrill_diagram2of4 jrnba_rookie_pp10_driveandkickcompetitiondrill_diagram3of4 jrnba_rookie_pp10_driveandkickcompetitiondrill_diagram4of4

diagram

Key Points

The ball-handler should make sure to keep their head up and make an accurate pass to their teammate. The cutter should read the ball-handler and stay ready to catch the pass with their hands up.

Make For a Cone Game

(games of 3 minutes each)
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  • Players are separated into 2 even teams and go to 2 designated spots at a basket (the wings, elbows, corners etc).
  • There should be a line of cones equal to the number of players on each team that lines up next to the team.
  • The first player from each line will shoot the basketball get their rebound and pass to the next person on their team.
  • If the player makes the shot, they will take a cone from the other team and put it in their line of cones and move to the back of the line.
  • If the player misses the shot, they will get the rebound and pass to the next person on their team and continue to the back of the line without getting a cone from the other team.
  • After 3 minutes, the team with the most cones wins.

Competing

10%
10%

2v2 Surprise

(games to 3)
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  • Create teams of 2 or more with substitutions. One team is on offense at a basket and one is on defense. Use multiple baskets.
  • An offensive player starts at the top of the key on the 3 point line with the ball and a player from the other team guarding.
  • The second defender is under the basket facing the ball. The second player on offense is standing behind the defender and cuts to an open right or left wing on the 3 point line for a pass.
  • The offensive player at the top passes to the teammate on the wing and they play live 2 v 2 as the defender under the hoop closes out to guard the ball.
  • Switch offense and defense each possession and the first team to score 3 wins.

COMPETITIVE LOAD 

  • Have a third or fourth team ready on the baseline that will rotate in on defense on a score (for the team that got scored on) or on a stop. First team to 5 points wins.

TECHNICAL LOAD 

  • Offensive players move their starting positions to the wing with a cutter filling corner or top. Different positions on the floor can be used to start the 2v2.

Key Points

Players that catch on the wing can practice drive and kick or give and go concepts. Offensive players can use fakes to move the defense under the basket as they are cutting out to a wing.

Skills Checklist

PDF Skills Checklist: Preview/Download
PDF Full Skills Checklist

At the conclusion of the Rookie Level, Jr. NBA players should be proficient at each of the following skills. Judging proficiency at this level is the responsibility of the coach.

Ball Handling

    Passing

      Shooting

        Rebounding

          Footwork & Conditioning

            Offense

              Defense

                Other