Basketball Drills - Full-Court Transition Offense Drills

By Dr. James Gels, From the Coach’s Clipboard Basketball Playbook
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These drills can help your running game and conditioning. Also read Transition Offense.

Fred Hoiberg's Speed Drill

This drill emphasizes full-court transition, passing, catching, conditioning, and finishing lay-ups. Diagram 1 shows that there are two rebounding lines (under the baskets), two outlet lines on the left sideline, and two cones on the right 3-point lines.

To start the drill, O1 passes to O2 sprinting in from the outlet line. O3 sprints the opposite sideline lane and gets the pass from O2 and scores the lay-up.

Diagram 2. Rebounder O4 quickly gets the ball out of the net and passes to O5 sprinting in from the outlet line. Notice that after passing to O3, O2 follows the pass and sprints around the cone and back up the right sideline. O5 passes to O2 and O2 finishes the lay-up. O2 goes to the rebounding line. After passing to O5, O4 goes to the outlet line.

   

Diagram 3. The rotation continues with O1 rebounding and passing to O2 sprinting in from the left sideline (O1 then moves to the outlet line). After passing to O2, O5 cuts around the cone and back up the sideline and gets the pass from O2, and scores the lay-up. O5 then moves to the rebounding line.

The drill is continuous for two minutes. Set a goal for your team. Coach Hoiberg wants 28 made lay-ups within two minutes.

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Piston Full-Court Drill

This full court drill emphasizes the speed dribble and lay-up, defensive hustle, and conditioning.

Pair up, each player has a partner, and each twosome has a ball. The first twosome on each end start with one player (O2) sprinting up to the wing and other (O1) passing inbounds quickly to O2. The O2 speed dribbles the length of the court and goes in hard for the lay-up.

O1, after making the inbounds pass, becomes a defensive player and sprints the length of the floor, and tries to catch up, and get ahead of O2 to prevent the lay-up. The shooter O2 then grabs the rebound, steps out of bounds and the roles are reversed for going back up the floor, on the opposite site of the court.

The next twosome in line starts when the first twosome reaches half court. The drill is continuous, no stopping. The idea is to get the defender to sprint and pursue the offensive player.

Option:
Reverse the direction so that the players have to go up the left side of the court, speed dribbling and making the left-handed layup. You can also run this drill from the half-court line.

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"Pitch 'n Fire" Full-Court Drill

This offensive drill emphasizes full-court offensive transition skills and conditioning. Players will use the speed dribble, jump stop, passing and receiving on the move, and the lay-up. The rebounder is taught to get the ball out of the net (after the basket is made) and get the ball inbounds quickly.

Pair up, each player with a partner, and each twosome has a ball. The first twosome starts with one player (O2) sprinting up to the wing and other (O1) passing inbounds quickly to O2. O2 speed dribbles the length of the court to the free throw line, and passes to O1, who cuts full-speed up the sideline, and then 45 degrees to the hoop, for the lay-up.

The non-shooter (O2) grabs the rebound out of the net, before it can hit the floor, steps out of bounds and passes quickly into O1, who is now on the opposite wing, and they repeat the same drill going back up on the opposite side of the floor. The next twosome in line starts when the first twosome reaches half court. The drill is continuous, no stopping.

Pointers:

1. Stress that the rebounder quickly snatch the ball out of the net and get it inbounds, while his/her partner should be ready for the reception on the wing.
2. The dribbler speed dribbles and comes to a jump stop before making the bounce pass for the lay-up.
3. The shooter receives the pass on the move, makes the jump stop to get control, and lays the ball in off the glass.
4. This is a good conditioning drill!

Option:
Reverse the direction so that the players have to go up the left side of the court, speed dribbling and making the layup with the left hand.

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"Pitch 'n Fire" to Z-Drill

This drill starts with the pitch and fire and finishes with the full-court Z-drill. In diagram A, O1 tosses the ball off the back-board, rebounds and makes the outlet pass to O2 on the wing. O2 dribbles the length to the free-throw line, and bounce-passes to O1 cutting hard down the sideline and to the hoop for the lay-up.



O2 gets the ball out of the net, and O1 immediately gets up on O2 as the defender. This is an important point as pressing teams must learn to immediately think "defense" as soon as the basket is made. O2 and O1 then run the Z-drill up the right half of the floor with O2 trying to speed dribble around O1, and O1 trying to stop and turn O2 as many times as he/she can. O1 then goes to the outlet line while O2 goes to the start (back-board) line.

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These next two drills are from coach Ken Sartini, Arlington Heights, IL.

Rebound-Outlet-Break Drill

See the diagrams. O2 throws the ball off the glass, rebounds and outlets to O1. O2 then fills the lane, and shoots the layup at the opposite end. After making the lay-up on the opposite end, O2 sprints to the outlet spot on the wing for the trip back.



On the first trip, O1 cuts to the ball for the outlet pass, dribbles to the elbow, jump stops, and bounce-passes to O2. O1 then rebounds and makes the outlet pass to O2. On the return, O1 fills the lane, and gets the pass from O2 for the lay-up.

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Pepper-Runner Drill

See the diagrams. There are three lines, and three lanes in this drill. O1 and O2 sprint up the floor, passing back and forth (four passes). O1 and O2 should sprint, not shuffle, up the floor. O3 is the runner on the opposite side, and gets bounce-pass for the layup. The pass should always come from the top (not the opposite side) and should be a bounce-pass.



After the lay-up O2 and O3 cross underneath the basket to the opposite sides. Now O1 and O3 pass back and forth on the return trip up the court. O2 is the runner and gets the pass for the lay-up. Passers should yell the receiver's name, and everyone yells "shot".

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Related pages:

• 4-on-4-on-4
  
• 2-on-1 Continuous Transition Drill
  
• Full-Court 2-Line Passing Drills
  
• Full-Court Weave Drills
  
• Transition Offense Drills
  
• 4 on 4 Transition
  
• 5-on-4 Transition Scramble Drill
  
• Rebound-Outlet-Break Drill
  
• Laker Drill
  

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