5 on 2 Passing

This is another great passing drill to do at the beginning of practice.  It is going to get the players passing and catching the ball.  It is going to get the players anticipating and moving within the drill as well.

One of the things that most players struggle with is the ability to anticipate what is going to happen.  An anticipating player is constantly going to be a step or two quicker than everybody else on the floor.  So how can we help coach and teach anticipation?

This drill is broken down into offense and defense.  Offensively the players are working on passing and catching.  In working on this they will be reading the 2 defensive players to make good passes.  Defensively the players are working on anticipating and trying to get steals or deflections.  Put simply, it is a drill focused on not turning the ball over offensively and trying to increase turnovers defensively.

The drill is run with 7 players.  There are 5 offensive players and 2 defenders.  The 2 defenders are in the middle of the offense.  The offensive players are standing around the lane.  The distance between the offensive players can be increased to make it easier to pass and decreased to make it harder to pass.  This can be adjusted to make the drill easier or harder.

The offense has 2 players on or just outside the blocks.  Two players are about a step or two outside the lane mid-post.  And one player just above the foul line.  This is the start of the 5 players.  This can be extended out making the defense have to cover more area.  Or the offense can be brought in closer where all players have a foot in the lane.  The smaller the distance the harder it will be for the offense to make passes.

There is one ball for the drill.  In the diagram player 1 has the ball to start.  Player 1 has to make a pass to another offensive player without getting it deflected or stolen.  The two defenders, 6 and 7 in the picture, are trying to get touches on the ball.  One defender is always going to go to the ball and guard the ball closely.  The 2^nd defender is playing in the passing lanes trying to get a deflection while the ball is in the air.

In the picture, defender 6 is guarding the ball and defender 7 is playing in the passing lanes.  The offense is not allowed to dribble or move.  The offensive players are staying in their spots and cannot move around.  The other key to this drill is the player with the ball cannot pass to their teammate right next to them. 

So, player 1 can only pass to players 3 and 5.  Player 2 can only pass to players 4 and 5.  Player 3 can only pass to players 1 and 4.  Player 4 can only pass to players 2 and 3.  And player 5 can only pass to players 1 and 2.

This passing restriction means one defender is on the ball and the 2^nd defender can play in between the two players across the drill from the ball.  The defender is trying to read the ball and eyes of the ball handler to anticipate the pass to get a steal or deflection.  The offense is trying to move the 2^nd defender to make a good pass to the teammate they moved away from.  The passer and far defender are both trying to read the other and anticipate what the player is going to do.

The offensive player with the ball not only has to worry about the far defender but has to make a good pass so the on the ball defender does not get a deflection on the pass.  I do not allow passes to be made where the entire ball is over the head of the receiver.  This prevents high arching passes that are easily stealable in games.  This makes all the passes have to be made going through the 2 defenders.

The drill is run with passes going between the offensive players and the defense trying to get deflections.  Each successful pass will switch the 2 defenders as who is on the ball and who is in the passing lane.  For instance, using the diagram a successful pass to player 5 will put defender 7 on the ball and defender 6 going in between players 1 and 2 for the next pass.  So, both defenders will be getting both on the ball and off the ball work.

The drill runs this way for each successful pass.  The players will rotate on every deflection or steal by the defense.  The defender that gets a touch will go on offense.  The offensive player who made the pass that the defense was able to deflection will go on defense.  For instance, using the diagram if player 1 makes a pass to player 3 and defender 7 is able to deflect the pass, players 1 and 7 will switch.  Player 1 will go into the middle as the defense and player 7 will go to player 1 spot to play on offense.  This rotation keeps the drill moving quickly without a bunch of stopping and starting.

Good passing drills are needed especially at the younger grades.  This is not something that is going to take 10 or 15 minutes of practice time.  5 minutes at the beginning of a practice to help get the players moving and loose is all that is needed to improve passing fundamentals.  As a coach you can also see very quickly which defenders are able to read the shoulders and eyes of a passer.  This information can be vital in putting those players in the best spots for different presses and defenses. 

I enjoy this drill.  It is something I do once or twice a week for about 5 minutes early in practice.  The players enjoy it.  I would recommend trying it out with your team. I look forward to hearing what your thoughts are on the drill.