Girls Basketball Drills

Individual versus Group Drills 

When coaching girls basketball, there are two different types of drills that must be incorporated into each practice.  First, there are individual drills for players to hone their skills such as shooting. While these drills are important, they should be the lesser focus for most practices, since they can easily be done in a player’s leisure time.  

The second type of girls basketball drills are group drills that help players develop their skills both individually and as a team.  These drills focus on skills such as receiving and making passes and reading the play to determine the course of action.  These girls basketball drills are equally effective for practice or warm-ups prior to game play as a method of getting players into a game time mindset.    

Pass and Dash 

The first of the group girls basketball drills, which is called the “Pass and Dash” requires at least 6 players.  To begin the drill, players assume a basic 3-2 court position, with player 1 under the hoop, player 2 in the left wing position, player 3 on the right baseline corner, player 4 on the left baseline corner, and player 5 on the right wing.  Player 6 and any others are behind player 1, ready to rotate in upon completion of the first rotation of the drill. 

Player 1 has the ball, and at the sound of the coach’s whistle, she passes it to player 2.  As player 2 passes the ball to player 3, player 1 assumes player 2’s position at left wing.  As player 3 catches and passes the ball, player 2 assumes player 3’s position.  Play continues in this manner until player 5 receives the ball and drives to the basket for a lay-up.  

The first player at the start of the line where player 1 began, known as Player 6, catches the rebound from Player 5’s shot, and they become the new player 1, and begin the drill from the start.  Player 5 takes the spot at the back of the line of players waiting to become the new player 1.  Play continues in this manner until every player has a few opportunities to make their way through the line.  Quick, sharp passes and hustle should be emphasized in this drill.    

She Shoots, She Scores! 

When searching for girls basketball drills, it is also important to focus on drills that will hone the girls’ shooting skills, as shooting is key to winning basketball games.  This fun shooting drill is a welcome addition to any practice or pre-game warm-up series of drills.

First, divide the team into partners, and assign each pair to a basket.  If there are more pairs than baskets, some players will have to take turns.  Player 1 has a ball and performs a series of 4 shots from 12 different locations on the court.  The first shot is a three-point shot from the edge of the key, the second shot is a standstill jump shot from approximately five feet away from the basket, the third is a catch and shoot jump shot from the same position and the fourth is a lay-up from beside the basket.    

Starting the left corner, as player 1 performs these 4 shots, player 2 catches the rebounds and passes back to player 1.  After player 1 has taken all 4 shots, they trade positions with player 2, so she now has a chance to shoot.  After player 2 has taken all 4 shots, both players move one step to their right, and player 1 becomes the shooter again.  Repeat this process for a total of 12 sets around the key.