More”
• Less dribbling will make us more effective at all levels.
• Less error in dribbling will mean more possessions for the team.
• Less dribble ability means more deliberate dribble practice. • The less dribbles taken to beat a
defender the more effective the dribbler
What The Coaches Are
Saying
“All players must be able to dribble the ball to point guard standards. The dribble is a huge part of the modern game.”
Tom Maher, 2012 GB Women’s coach
“All players must use the dribble effectively. A good dribble/pass skill set for each player will minimise unforced turnovers.”
Ken Shields 2012 GB Women’s assistant coach
“Too much dribble will kill most team’s offense.”
Chris Finch, 2012 GB Men’s coach and NBA D league coach of the year
“Our challenge is to develop dribbling skills and competence individually in our players but not misuse the dribble in our team game.”
Warwick Cann, British Basketball National Teams Director
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Recommendations For The
National System
• Players in development programmes should be encouraged and directed to regularly practice dribbling technique away from team practice. This is a most important area for U12’s, U14’s and U16’s player development.
• All development level coaches in the national system should familiarise themselves with the various techniques and how to coach and teach them for the first time (acquisition and refinement stages) at the various levels.
• For team offense development and reading the play, “motion offence” including the use of the dribble drive situation will be taught. The dribble use will be coached in context and in line with the spirit of the Areas of Emphasis. • The use of the dribble and point guard
play will be a focus at all representative development levels.
• National team players will be taught the dribble but more importantly the phases and situations where dribbling is used and is most important.
• The speed dribble, change of pace combined with the onside (or in and away move), should be developed in all players. This should be extended to “moves on the move” at speed in the full court situations where the ball is also crossed over at speed.
• Defining the dribble height when coaching needs to be consistent. As such the general teaching cues for dribble height are; rib height for the speed dribble, hip height in the control phase and below the knee for the crossover height. Players must dribble the ball hard and quick into the floor (not bounce it), become proficient at controlling the dribble at these various heights and get used to moving quickly, stopping, and varying the heights of the dribble depending on the situation and phase they are in.
• All players at all levels should be proficient to competent with the control dribble in the half court or front court offensive situation(crossover to protect the ball), combined with the retreat dribble and the ability to pass out off a dribble or to use the hand-off with the control dribble at their age level. • The bust out speed dribble (in the fast
break/defensive stop phase) with a quick pass ahead will be encouraged in all players in the development system.
• The dribble drive kick offense will not come at the expense of effective passing out of the back court for the fast break.
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Recommendations For Clubs
• The various dribble techniques and phases on the Technical and
Individual Tactic Checklists should be
used as a point of reference for all coaches. All coaches at all levels must be able to teach the dribble to
beginners and also advanced players. • Clubs should note that the preferred
British style is one which is more orientated to passing than dribbling but relies on the effective use of the dribble individually.
• Encourage players to practice dribbling technique in out of team sessions at the U12, U14 and U16 levels.
• Ensure that effective situational
techniques are encouraged at the U16, U18 and youth levels.
• Fun games like “dribble tag” and “cops and robbers” at U12’s and U14’s are used regularly in team practice.
• Provide a common training time where players from various age groups can come onto a court and practice their dribbling and shooting in addition to their team sessions. This additional training time to team practice is crucial for skill development at the junior age levels.
Recommendations For
Coaches
• The Area of Emphasis “technical points” and “where we can make the biggest improvements” should be considered in determining your team or clubs game style and in coaching the use of the dribble during games.
• The key points identified in the national system recommendations are
appropriate for all coaches. The master checklists are a guide and a reminder to diversify and progress the coaching of the dribble.
• Coaches should create an environment and sessions where all players at the junior level, and eventually where point/lead guards (when specialisation occurs) particularly, can master all the dribble techniques; especially should they seek a career or to specialise in basketball.
• These basics of “ball handling” (handling the ball in a stationary non game like situations) need to be extended into situational dribbling that is required within the game. Refer to the
Technical and Individual Tactic Checklists.
• Coaches should familiarise themselves with the drills and DVD’s of Pete Maravich and Gannon Baker. These are available commercially. They can be used with players of all levels.
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• Dribbling should be progressive and situational. Dribbling should be
scrutinised and coached progressively from stationary to dynamic to overload through constrained drills at speed. A challenge needs to be consistently set with dribbling to continually challenge the player’s development. Coaches are well placed to teach technique and situational dribbling at training.
However the detail and the key points for coaching the dribble in phases and situations are required. Refer to
Individual and Team offence checklists.
Recommendations For
Schools
• Consider the other recommendations and the desire to pass the ball more than dribble the ball as a team at the school competition level.
• Passing is the heart of team basketball and dribbling combined with good footwork and ability to shoot is the heart of individual offence. This is the foundation for team basketball.
• The use of the dribble in a game should be monitored.
• Creating an environment where the player has a “love affair with the basketball” is what we seek. This will be created by fun drills and repetition in constrained drills which challenge but encourage players to become
proficient.
• Open school courts to individual or small groups of players who may want to practice their dribbling and shooting.
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GUIDELINES FOR COACHES
Actions:
• Understand the British game style: • Coach Spacing
• Coach Ball Movement
• Coach Movement without the ball • Coach Vision and Timing
• Plan and prepare players to execute under pressure
• Teach game context awareness
• Teach and emphasise the ”ready” and ”triple threat” positions
• Teach “sealing”, “leading” and
“receiving” as part of individual offence