Contact dribble and one-hand pass
Ready when: Change of hand and pace (i2) done, ages and size matched.
What you are learning
Keeping the ball when someone leans on you. The body and the bent free arm shield the ball (the arm protects, it never pushes), and a hard one-hand pass gets the ball away under pressure. In games, players bump.
Words on this card Dribble
- Dribble
- Bouncing the ball with one hand while moving or standing.
Show it first for the one teaching
- Dribble with the ball on the side away from your child.
- Keep your body between your child and the ball; the free arm is bent in front for balance, not pushing.
- Dribble hard twice ("pound"), then push the ball off one hand to your child, fingers pointing at them.
Your part while they practise
Give light, natural contact on arms and shoulders only; stop at the call.
Step by step
- 30 seconds of dribbling while the partner leans lightly on the shoulder and arm, then swap.
- Pound and pass: two hard dribbles, then a one-hand pass, for one minute.
- 3 rounds.
How much: 30 seconds each of contact dribbling and one minute of pound and pass, 3 rounds 8 min a session 2 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Contact stations
Pairs race through three contact stations against the clock.
Who plays: 2 pairs racing, or one pair against the clock.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Set three stations 5 m apart
- Station 1: 10 dribbles while the partner leans lightly
- Station 2: 5 pound-and-pass, each way
- Station 3: dribble to the end while the partner bumps lightly
- Swap roles and come back. Time the whole thing
- Fair play
- A bigger partner leans more lightly.
- Points
- The time in seconds; fewer is better.
- Fouls
- 5 seconds added
- The ball is lost or stolen
- The dribbler pushes with the free arm
- The partner hits the ball or grabs
- Winning
- The fastest pair, or beat your own time.
- 60 seconds or fewer for 1 star
- 50 seconds or fewer for 2 stars
- 40 seconds or fewer for 3 stars
Easier or harder
No contact.
More contact, faster.
What you will see, and what to say
- the ball gets stolen on contact
Keep the ball away from the defender
Dribble on the far side of your body. - the pass is weak
Fingers up on the one-hand pass
Push through the ball and finish with the fingers pointing at the target.
Self-check
30 seconds of dribbling under contact with no steal.
Stop and get a coach when
A contact drill hurts; stop and ask a coach.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains handling under pressure.
awiseathlete.com/sports/basketball/basketball-a1