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.

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Rookie Practice Plan 3

Cultivating Values & Developing Wellness

5%
5%

Confidence

+ −
  • Have players define confidence and explain how to build confidence.
  • Believe in yourself. You can do it! The coaches and your parents believe in you.
  • Coaches throughout this practice and all practices help instill confidence in your players. Encourage players to practice confidence building actions for their teammates.

Warm Up

5%
5%

Running Stop Drill

(1 x 3 minutes)
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  • Players will start on the baseline without a ball.
  • The coach will say “Go!” and the players will start running around the gym in any direction keeping their head up and scanning.
  • The coach will then say either “2-Feet!” “Left-Foot!” or “Right-Foot!” to indicate how the players should stop.
  • The players will then stop in the manner in which coach has commanded and hold that position.
  • Stopping should be very quick and work on balance.
  • Repeat the process. Add in confidence elements by players giving themselves a ‘pat on the back’ or giving a ‘high five’ or ‘good job’ to a teammate if they were able to stay on balance before moving again.

PHYSICAL LOAD

  • Change the movements around the court to skipping, hopping or other movements
  • After calling out left or right foot have players take an airplane balance stance (arms out to the side and non standing leg back as the tail) moving their center of gravity forwards, backwards and side to side.

TECHNICAL LOAD

  • Add a ball and dribble while moving around the court. Switch to have players dribble with their non-dominant hand.

Building Skills

70%
70%

Ball Handling

Smacks

(1 x 20 seconds)
 ► + −

• All players need a basketball (or share) and should stand in a designated area.
• Players will hold the ball with 2 hands in front of them and alternate smacking the ball with each hand.

Key Points

Get comfortable with the ball, warm-up the fingers and hands, and develop comfort being physical by smacking the ball in this fun ball handling warm-up.

Taps Part 2

(1 x 30 seconds)
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  • All players need a basketball (or share) and should stand in a designated area.
  • The players will start with their arms extended over their head and tap the ball quickly from hand to hand for the allotted time.
  • The players will then bend their arms and tap the ball quickly from hand to hand in front of their face for the allotted time.
  • The players will again tap the ball from side to side the same motion in front of their waste now for the allotted time.

Key Points

Get comfortable with the ball, warm-up the fingers and hands, and develop the ability to control the ball. Emphasize using their fingertips to develop comfort moving the ball which will directly translate to dribbling. Keep the hands close to each other as these should be small, quick taps.

Stationary Crossover Low, Middle, High

(3 x 20 seconds each)
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  • All players need a basketball (or share) and should stand on the sideline.
  • Players should bend their knees and begin dribbling back and forth swinging the ball from right to left low and quick below the knees.
  • After 20 seconds, the player will dribble at knee level and continue for another 20 seconds.
  • Last, the player will dribble the ball higher swinging it from from side to side for 20 more seconds.

TECHNICAL LOAD

  • Have the players get into pairs and stand a short distance apart facing each other. One partner will be the leader and crossover dribble low, middle or high. The other partner will try to mirror the leader. The leader will continue to change the level of the dribble in an effort to “lose” the other partner. Switch partners and continue.
  • As players improve, add in 1,2, or 3 dribbles before each crossover. Partners will have to mirror the stationary and crossover dribbles.

Key Points

Keep the players in a good stance with their chest and eyes up. Remind them to use their fingertips and push the ball back and forth from side to side with quick dribbles to improve coordination and ball control.

Four Corners Game

(2 games)
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  • Every player has a ball and starts in any of the four corners of the court. Assign each corner of the gym a number: 1-4. The coach stands at the center of the court with his/her eyes closed.
  • When coach says “GO” all players dribble to any other corner. Coach will count to 10 out loud. On “Zero” all players must stay in their chosen corner.
  • The coach will then call out a corner number based on where they think the most players are. Any player in the corner that is called is “out” and joins the coach in the center. Continue the game until there is only one player remaining. That player then becomes the “coach” in the center of the court!

Key Points

Players should try to move from corner to corner as fast as they can and must dribble whenever they move.

Make the Connection Game

(3 minutes)
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  • Group players in small groups of 4 or 5. All but one of the players should have a basketball. The player without the ball is the “connector”. Each group should find space on the court. The
    connector will stand in front of the other 4 players.
  • All players will dribble their ball in one place. The connector will approach each player and ask for a pass by showing their hands and calling out the name of a teammate. The player will make a good bounce or chest pass to the connector, who the passes it back.
  • The connector moves to each of their teammates. When coach says “switch” a new player becomes the connector.

SOCIAL LOAD

  • The connector only shows their hands and does not call out names. The other players must keep their heads up and be ready to pass when the connector makes eye contact and shows their hands.

TECHNICAL LOAD

  • Players must execute 3 crossover dribbles before passing to the connector.

Key Points

Ensure that the players make eye contact before passing and show their hands as a target before catching. With a bounce pass, the pass will need to bounce more than half way to the teammate. Encourage the players to make good quick sharp passes, communicate loudly by calling names, and work on their ball-handling.

Passing

Stationary Wall Passing – Chest

(3 x 10 passes)
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The players should get a basketball (or share) and stand a short distance from a wall and find a target on the wall.

  • Teach the players to step with a lead foot toward the target as they snap their thumbs down and extend their arms to pass the ball to the target.
  • After the ball hits the wall, the players should let the ball bounce catch it and repeat.

TECHNICAL LOAD

  • Add a dribble(s) before passing to the wall.
  • Adjust the distance from the wall while still hitting a target.
  • Create multiple targets by using existing wall markings, using tape or drawing with chalk. Coach calls out the designated target.

SOCIAL LOAD

  • In partners have the passer pass to the targets announced by their partner.

Key Points

Make sure the players have good balance, look at the target, step towards the target, extend their arms, and snap their thumbs down as they pass the ball. The ball should have backspin as it is in the air.

Shooting

Perfect Shot No Basket Drill

(3 x 8 attempts)
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  • All players need a basketball (or share) and should stand on the sideline.
  • Remind them of the perfect shooting form; knees bent, elbow under the ball and shoot up and follow through.
  • Now, on the coach’s command, have the players do this by shooting the ball up in the air.
  • To make a perfect shot to self, the player must hold up their follow through from where they finished their shot and not move their hand.
  • The ball must go up in the air then bounce on the floor just in front of the player and bounce up and hit their shooting hand follow through without them moving it!

COMPETITIVE LOAD

  • After each player completes their set of 8 attempts see who had the most perfect shots and identify a winner for each round.

TECHNICAL LOAD 

  • Have the players get partners with one ball. One partner will dribble the ball creatively until the coach says “pass.” The player will then pass to the shooter who will catch and attempt a perfect shot.
  • The partners will change roles and continue.

Key Points

Make sure the players are focused on everything being perfect and don’t allow them to move their hand after they follow through. Good rotation will help the ball bounce back up to the player’s hand.

Pick Your Shot Game

(2 games)
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  • Place several cones or objects around the court randomly, with some close to the basket and a few farther away.
  • Divide your group into multiple teams and give each team a basketball. The teams start the game lined up at half court or another designated area.
  • To start the game, the first player in each team line dribbles to any of the cones or objects on the court and takes a shot from that spot. If they make the shot, they take the cone and bring it back to their team’s line and hand off the ball to the next player on their team. If they miss the shot, they leave the cone where it is and dribble the ball back to their team and hand off the ball to the next player on their team.
  • The game continues with players picking the cones they want to shoot from. When all the cones have been picked up, the game ends and the team with the most cones wins. The coach can also end the game within a designated time if needed.

TECHNICAL LOAD

  • Players must complete a crossover or other dribble move before they shoot at a cone.
  • Two players from each team go at a time, with one player passing to the other for a shot at a cone.

DELOAD

  • If players are having trouble making shots, move the cones closer to the hoop or allow them to take a cone if they just hit the rim on their shot.

Key Points

Have the players count the makes out loud for all teams to hear. Encourage the players to cheer for their teammates and utilize the shooting form they have worked on.

Team Concepts

10%
10%

Teamwork Carry Drill

(2 games)
 ► + −
  • Pair the players up according to their height and have all partner pairs stand on the baseline.
  • The partners will place the basketball on their hips and put their hands in the air. Partners will try and move together from the baseline to the other side of the court (or another designated line) and back without the ball dropping.
  • They are not allowed to use any other body parts to carry the basketball, and must always be in the side-to-side position and not back-to-back or side-to-back.
  • If the ball drops, simply pick up the ball and go back to where the ball was dropped and continue.
  • After each partner pair finishes, give them a a couple minutes to huddle up for a “time-out” to strategize on the first round and figure out how to get done faster.

COMPETITIVE LOAD 

  • Group partner pairs into teams for a relay race!

TECHNICAL LOAD

  • Have players carry the ball with only their shoulders.

Key Points

This is a fun team building exercise that forces players to work together. Have all the players encourage each other and have fun.

Competing

10%
10%

Coach Says

(1-2 games)
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  • Coach says is similar to Simon says.
  • The objective is to do everything the coach instructs, but the coach must first say “Coach Says” before every request.
  • If the player does the action that a coach says without the coach first saying “Coach Says,” they player is out.
  • When the coach states “Coach says defense!” the players will slap the ground and yell “Defense!” as they assume the defensive stance.
  • When the coach states “Coach says this way” and points in a direction, all players will quickly hop and twist there body to face that direction and immediately hop back facing the coach.
  • When coach states “Coach says foot fire!” the players will quickly tap their feet against the floor as fast as they can while yelling.
  • When the coach states “Coach says up!” the players will jump as high as they can to grab an imaginary ball with their arms and yell “Rebound!”
  • Coaches can add other elements but remember this is a listening game and the player is out if the player does something that the coach didn’t preface with “Coach Says”.
  • The game finishes when there is just one player remaining.

Key Points

If the players do a great job listening be creative with what you ask them to do in an effort to trick the players.

Advantage Numbers Game

(1 game)
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  • Divide the group into two even teams and assign each player on both teams to a number. For example, if there are six players on each team, players will be numbered 1 through 6 on both teams. Each team will line up on opposite sidelines. Pick a team to start on offense.
  • The coach should stand at the free throw line facing the offensive team with both arms extended fully at your sides. Balance one basketball in the hand farthest from the hoop. Call out any group of numbers up to 3 total. For example: 1, 3, and 5.
  • The players assigned to those numbers on the offensive team will run out and grab the basketball from your hand and try to score. The players assigned to those numbers on the defensive team each must give a high five to the coach on the hand without the basketball BEFORE they can play defense. This gives the offensive team a slight advantage to score.
  • Play continues until the offensive team scores or the defensive team secures a defensive rebound or a steal. Once a possession ends, the offensive and defensive teams switch. The game can continue to a set number of offensive possessions for each team or a set time limit.

TECHNICAL LOAD

  • Every player on offense must touch the basketball before a shot is attempted.

PHYSICAL LOAD 

  • All players whose numbers are not called must complete a physical movement like jumping jacks, high knees, or skips until the possession ends.

Key Points

Ensure players are always ready as they never know when their number will be called. If there is an odd number of players, assign two number to one player to make the teams even. This small-sided game is designed to give the offensive team a slight advantage, so instruct the offensive team to make quick decisions and try to get a good shot before the defensive team is set.

Compliment Session

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Gather the players together. Players group with 1-2 players next to them and share answers to the prompted questions.

  • Ask players to share something they did well, what enjoyed about today’s practice or something positive about another player’s actions.
  • Have players switch groups and ask some players to share their groups answers. Coach can build onto the player responses.

Key Points

All compliments should be natural. Not every player has to give or receive a compliment.

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