Basketball Drill - Press-Break Passing Drill

From the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook, @ http://www.coachesclipboard.net

This drill teaches players facing full-court pressure and a trap, not to panic, to locate a receiver and make a good, crisp pass. Often the first pass after the in-bounds pass is the crucial pass in breaking the press, and is also the one often intercepted by the defense. This drill practices the in-bounds pass reception and the first pass up the court, either to the center on the ball-side sideline. And we can also use it to learn how to deal with the trap itself (see below).

Use three lines for the offensive players (yellow). Use three defenders (assistants). Have two set the trap, after allowing the in-bounds pass. Have the third defender play the gap between the two offensive receivers and try to intercept the pass. You could use a manager or coach to make the in-bounds pass.

The offensive O1 player receives the in-bounds pass. We teach our inbounds receiver to get into "triple-threat position" when receiving the pass, rather than just putting the head down and starting to dribble. We like to square up and face the trap, bent over in a basketball position, with the ball on hip away from the trap. We never want our trapped player to either stand straight up, or to hunch over and turn his/her back to the trap as in both cases, the defenders can simply close-in and tighten the trap. Instead, get into triple-threat, see the floor and your open teammate and make the pass. Or, aggressively attack an outside leg of one of the defenders. Sometimes, you can split the trap if the defenders are not "knee-to-knee"... here we teach our players to bend over, get low and strong like a football player going through the line with one low power dribble forward.

In this drill, we immediately try to locate the open receiver and make the correct pass, with "zip". The passer should use an "air" pass if possible (as the bounce-pass is easier to intercept), and may need to use a head, shoulder or pass fake to free up a receiver.

Helpful DVD-Video

	Bruce Weber: Drills for Breaking Full-and Half-Court Presses with Bruce Weber, University of Illinois Head Coach; 2005 NCAA Runner-Up. In this DVD, Coach Weber assembles the pieces that make up a successful press attack; it must be simple, provide continuity and be consistent. Features of this presentation include Press Attack by Fast Break, which requires a quick inbounds pass to the point guard up the floor. Nine drills are shown, including the 18 second drill and 35 second drill that challenge players in the full court. A big part of Weber's press breaker is running the baseline to counter what the defense presents. Weber shows over 10 drills that he uses every day in practice. These include the Keep Away drill, which teaches passing and playing against double teams. It doubles as a conditioning drill as players can work with 10 lb. weighted balls in passing drills. The Circle Drill, 2-on-1 backup dribble drill, 3-on-3 drill, 3 vs. 4 drill and the Chaos drill are just some of the excellent drills featured in this presentation. In addition, Weber covers two attacks - Zone Control and Texas - to use against half court traps. Weber's DVD on press offense reflects years of observation and coaching at the highest levels. The principles and drills presented are rooted in time-tested fundamentals. Assure error free basketball when facing pressure by installing this sound system of attacking pressure... (more info) Price: $39.99
	Roy Williams: Tar Heel Offense & Transition Drills with Roy Williams, University of North Carolina Head Coach; 2009 and 2005 NCAA Champions. Explore the secrets of the Tar Heel offense with four-time National Coach of the Year, Roy Williams Get easy baskets using this tournament-tested transition offense. Discover drills to improve your primary and secondary breaks. This offensive system guided North Carolina to 90.2 points per game in 2009. Many of Roy Williams' current beliefs were developed in his early days of coaching high school basketball in North Carolina. This basketball DVD will illustrate the "Tar Heel Running Game" with the use of players in an impressive on-court demonstration. This style relies on running the floor and sharing the ball with teammates. Advantages of this style are that the running game negates the defense's ability to get set, which leads to many easy baskets. Coach Williams covers his three offensive rules against a set defense... (more info) Price: $39.99
	Jim Calhoun's Fastbreak Drills with Jim Calhoun, 2004 and 1999 NCAA Championship Coach! Coach Calhoun presents his system for putting continuous pressure on a defense and scoring quickly off made or missed baskets using 10 drills to simulate a variety of fastbreak situations. Drills simulating 1-on-1, 2-on-1, 3-on-1, and 3-on-2 game situations are demonstrated on-court, concluding with a 5-on-5 scrimmage drill. Drills are supported with game footage to demonstrate their effectiveness when your team is in action! (more info) Price: $39.99
	Transition Offense & Fast Break Drills with Joe Mihalich, Niagara University Head Coach. Coach Mihalich begins this DVD with coaching philosophy and beliefs that have led him to a successful coaching career. Mihalich believes strongly... Moving to the full court, Mihalich introduces the full court passing drill. This drill is fast paced where players run, pass, catch and shoot lay-ups as quickly as possible in one minute. Four spot passing is a drill that prepares a team to play against pressure and fosters communication among teammates. Five Fast Breaks is an excellent drill played 5-on-5 in the full court. Each break has a different finish based on Mihalich's instructions. Line transition drill is a fast paced 2-on-1 drill that works on both offense and defense. Another fast break drill that provides conditioning and decision making is 4-on-4-on-4 in the full court. Mihalich's transition game flows from the break into secondary offense then into continuity offense... (more info) Price: $39.99