Dribble with the head up
Ready when: Ball play without bouncing (b1) done.
What you are learning
Dribbling: the ball pushed down with the finger pads, kept below the waist, while the eyes look up to see team-mates and the basket. In basketball you may only move with the ball while dribbling it.
Words on this card Dribble, Finger pads, Double dribble
- Dribble
- Bouncing the ball with one hand while moving or standing.
- Finger pads
- The soft pads of the fingers. The ball is controlled with them, not with the flat palm.
- Double dribble
- Dribbling again after holding the ball, or dribbling with two hands.
Set up
Chalk lines, a ball each, 5 m between two cones.
Weather: dry ground
Show it first for the one teaching
- Knees bent, feet a shoulder-width apart.
- Push the ball down with the finger pads; it bounces back up to your waist.
- Look at your child while you dribble, not at the ball.
- Walk forward dribbling, then change to the other hand.
Your part while they practise
Call "walk", "jog" and "stop" (stop but keep dribbling); hold up fingers for the child to call out.
Step by step
- Knees bent, feet apart, eyes up.
- Dribble along the lines with one hand for 2 minutes.
- Then 2 minutes with the other hand.
- Walk, jog and stop on your calls, still dribbling, changing hands smoothly.
- When you hold up fingers, the child calls the number.
How much: 2 minutes with each hand, then the calls 8 min a session 4 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Dribble battle
Everyone dribbles in a small area and tries to knock the others' balls out while keeping their own.
Who plays: 2 to 4, a ball each, inside a box of about 4 m by 4 m.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Everyone dribbles inside the box
- Try to tap the other balls out of the box with your free hand while you keep dribbling
- If your ball leaves the box or you stop dribbling, you are out for that round
- The last player still dribbling wins the round. 5 rounds
- Fair play
- A grown-up plays with the weaker hand only.
- Points
- 1 point for each ball you knock out; 2 points for being the last one dribbling.
- Fouls
- Out for the round
- Holding the ball (the dribble stops)
- Dribbling again after holding it (a double dribble)
- Pushing or grabbing a player
- Winning
- The most points after 5 rounds.
- 3 points for 1 star
- 6 points for 2 stars
- 9 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
Walk only.
Count the hand changes in 30 seconds.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child stares at the ball
Eyes up, look at me
Feel the ball with the fingers; look ahead. - the ball goes too high
Push it down, waist height
A firmer push keeps it low and safe.
Self-check
20 dribbles with each hand, eyes up, no lost ball.
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 control, awareness of space.
awiseathlete.com/sports/basketball/basketball-b2