Drills for Girls Basketball

Practice sessions for a girls basketball team need to emphasize the concepts that are shown during a game. Scoring points can often be defined by successfully executing the layup and the outside shot. Getting to that point, however, involves teamwork, concentration and physical conditioning. Drills that cover all aspects of the game should be run by the coaching staff to get their players ready for competition against other teams.

  1. Full-Court Sprint With Dribbling

    • Speed on the court can give any team the advantage in a game of basketball. For this reason, practice sessions need to involve basic dribbling with speed. Give each player a ball and have her start at one corner of the court. Each player must dribble down each boundary line of the court, eventually encompassing the full rectangle. Set up additional cones as obstacles for the players to dribble around, if desired. Once the team understands the basic function of the drill, add a stopwatch and create a competition to see which girl can complete the drill in the fastest time.

    Passing: No-Dribble Scrimmage

    • Create two teams as you would for a normal end-of-practice scrimmage. This drill will be run in that same fashion but players will not be permitted to dribble to advance the ball. Instead they must make frequent passes to create space for an open shot at the basket. The drill improves a player's ability to locate an open teammate and encourages nonstationary passing, an essential element in a fast-paced matchup.

    Shooting: 30-Second Drills

    • Shooting the ball during a game occurs in different circumstances. As such, stationary shots are best suited for time prior to a practice or a game. The best way to run shooting drills during practice time is to have players constantly on the move. One method is to have a player shoot alternating layups from each side of the basket for 30 seconds, tallying her points along the way. Another 30-second drill involves shooting a layup, a free throw and a three-pointer in succession. Reward the player with the most points in the allotted time.

    Defense: Shuffle-Step Conditioning

    • The defensive half of the game requires the most physical motion. Since practicing against an actual offense will take place during scrimmages, use practice time to work on conditioning for the defense. Line the players up with one foot on the baseline. On command, have the players use the side-to-side shuffle step to move from the baseline to the half-court line and return to the baseline facing the same direction. Emphasize keeping the hips low to the ground and the arms wide open. Run this drill for about one minute at a time, repeating as necessary.