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Basketball · Intermediate · i9

Get between ball and basket

Park or court 12 min 2 players Park, hall or court

Ready when: Slide and stay in front (b6) done.

Start a session

What you are learning

Defending a dribbler: stay between the ball and the basket, about half an arm away, feet moving first and hands second. If you are beaten, sprint back to get between again.

Words on this card Dribble, Foul, Free-throw line, Drive, Defensive stance, Slide
Dribble
Bouncing the ball with one hand while moving or standing.
Foul
Illegal contact, such as pushing or holding.
Free-throw line
The line in front of the basket where free throws are taken.
Drive
Dribbling hard toward the basket.
Defensive stance
Low, knees bent, feet wide, back straight, arms ready.
Slide
Moving sideways in the defensive stance without the feet crossing or touching.

Set up

A hoop, the free-throw line, a ball.

Weather: dry ground

The base setup for basketball

Show it first for the one teaching

  1. Take the defensive stance between the attacker and the basket, half an arm away.
  2. As the attacker dribbles, slide to stay in front.
  3. If they get past, turn and sprint back to get between them and the basket again.

Your part while they practise

Be the attacker. Start when you like; the child may start only after your first dribble.

Step by step

  1. 1 against 1 from the free-throw line.
  2. One dribble per turn with the ball.
  3. If the attacker gets past, they stop and wait while the child sprints back between them and the basket.
  4. 8 turns, then swap.

How much: 8 turns each, 3 rounds 12 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: Stop the drive

The defender scores when the attacker has to stop or pass without reaching the basket.

Who plays: an attacker and a defender; swap after 8 turns.

How to play, turn by turn
Turns
  1. The attacker starts at the free-throw line with the ball
  2. The defender may move only after the first dribble
  3. The attacker tries to reach the basket and score
  4. The turn ends with a shot, a stop or a pass back
Fair play
A grown-up attacker walks.
Points
The defender scores 1 point when the attacker has to stop or pass back; the attacker scores 2 points for a basket.
Fouls
  • The defender touches, pushes or hits the arm: 1 point to the attacker
  • The attacker travels or runs into the defender: 1 point to the defender
Winning
More points after both have defended.
Stars
  1. 2 points for 1 star
  2. 4 points for 2 stars
  3. 6 points for 3 stars

Easier or harder

Easier

The attacker walks.

Harder

From farther out with two dribbles.

What you will see, and what to say

  • runs beside the attacker Get between ball and basketYour body is in their path, not next to it.
  • reaches for the ball Feet first, then handsMove the feet to stay in front.
  • too far off Half an arm awayClose enough to touch with a bent arm, without touching.

Self-check

4of 8

4 of 8 drives stopped with no foul.

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 on-ball defence, recovery.

Intermediate is done when the child can play a small game and make sensible pass-or-shoot choices.

awiseathlete.com/sports/basketball/basketball-i9