Basketball Rebounding Drills for Kids

Rebounding is a skill in basketball that relies heavily on courage, aggressiveness, pride and hard work. Rebounding is a fundamental area of basketball that allows players who aren't very offensively talented to become a valuable asset of the team. While size and jumping ability are assets of rebounding, some of the best rebounders are those who have learned the proper techniques. There are several drills out there to teach the proper fundamentals of rebounding.

  1. Box Out Shooter Drill

    • This is a very basic drill that teaches the fundamentals of rebounding. It starts out with three lines underneath the basket. The first person in each line will come out on the perimeter of the floor to play offense. The next players in each line will step out to play defense on the player who was lined up in front of them. The coach or manager will shoot the ball, trying to miss so that the ball bounces off the rim. On the shot, the players playing defense will match up with the offensive players, pivot and box them out trying to keep them from the basketball. The offensive team goes to the back of the line and the defensive team moves to offense as the next people in line step out to match up with them.

    Gutter Ball

    • This is an effective drill that can be done with one person and a basketball hoop is not required. Using a volleyball or a soft rubber ball, this drill utilizes the roof of a house or a garage. The player throws the ball on the roof and stands under the gutter unable to see where the ball is going to land. When the ball comes off the roof, the player goes to it, jumps as high as he can and grabs the ball with both hands just as he would a rebound. Add a second player to work on correct boxing out technique.

    Center Court Rebounding Drill

    • This drill can be done as a cool down activity. Using the half court circle as a ring, this drill is similar to a sumo-wrestling match. Two players start in the middle of the half court circle facing the opposite direction in correct rebounding position. When the whistle is blown, the players attempt to push each other out of the circle using only their behinds and correct rebounding fundamentals. The winner of the match stays in the circle and faces the next player while the loser is eliminated.

    Superman Drill

    • One of the most common drills used in basketball practice, this drill improves stamina and jumping ability. Starting on the block underneath the basket, jump as high as you can with the basketball above your head. If the player is tall enough and can jump high enough, he taps the ball off of the backboard on each jump. Do five repetitions on both sides and on the last jump, put the ball in the basket. As stamina increases, the player increases the number of jumps in each repetition.