(Rental)-Pack Line Defense And Rebounding Drills

Pack Line Defense & Rebounding Drills

Rebounding and defense are what win championships in basketball. Former Utah and Drake University head coach Ray Giacoletti opens up a practice session and shows you 10 defensive and rebounding drills in both half-court and full-court settings that can help your players improve in both aspects of the game. You get an inside look at a Drake practice and learn how Coach Giacoletti’s players are taught to defend screening actions, transition defense, and more.

Breakdown Drills for Defense

Great team defenses are built with great individual defenders. Coach Giacoletti builds great individual defenders with the basics. He starts with the stance, body position, footwork, and, most importantly, a player’s mentality.

Coach Giacoletti presents the following drills to build the defense:

• Zig Zag Drill: You will see several versions of the full-court 1-on-1 drill that teaches players to slow down the ball, contain a dribbler, and contest a shot.
• 3-on-3 Full-Court Drill: Players learn to stunt from the help position in order to contain a dribbler.
• Take the Charge Drill: This teaches players the correct and safe technique for drawing a charge.
• Throw and Go: This transition drill teaches defenses to deal with a trailing post player. Learn how to force the ball to the baseline on side ball screens with the “Blue” strategy.
• Centerfield Drill: You will see how Drake is taught to use the post to mirror the dribbler on middle ball screens.
• Five-Man Shell Drill: Learn the rotations needed for doubling the post, gapping, and closing out.

Rebounding Drills

Coach Giacoletti wants his players to develop a physical mindset and he does so with three rebounding drills.

• 3-on-0 Rebounding: Players go through multiple repetitions working on refining their offensive and defensive rebounding technique.
• 3-on-3 Rebounding: The skills learned in the first drill are put to use in competitive play while also including closeouts, help positioning, and cutting off baseline penetration.
• Five-Man Box Out: This is a more complex drill that emphasizes transition concepts like getting back on defense and trying to score on fast breaks when there is an advantage.

Coach Giacoletti puts all of his defensive and rebounding concepts together in the ultimate test – the Turkey Game. The game is highly competitive and is a great way to get players to understand the importance of every possession. Players fight to get a defensive stop and rebound and earn a “Turkey.”