Fun Basketball Drills for Kids

Improve your team workouts with some of my favorite fun basketball drills and games.

Players love these high energy, competitive skill-building activities. I've used these drills with players of all ages. 

Dribble Tag

Cut & Shoot

Survivor

See more of my favorite basketball coaching drills.

Or find drills that focus on specific skills:

Dribbling drills

Shooting drills

Passing drills

Rebounding drills

Defensive drills

Photo: Some rights reserved by Regina/acrphoto

Fun Basketball Drills 
Dribble Tag

This is one of my favorite basketball dribbling drills, and it's perfect for warmup. It's similar to Team Dribble Tag, except in this version of the game it's every man for himself! 

• Every player needs a ball. 
• The object of the game is to keep control of your ball while knocking everyone else's ball out of bounds.
• Players spread out within the half-court area to begin. On the whistle, everyone begins dribbling.
  
• While keeping their own dribble alive, players try to knock the basketballs away from other dribblers.
• If your ball gets knocked away, you can chase it down, pick it up, and start dribbling again if you get it before it goes out of the half-court boundary lines.
• If it goes out, you're out of the game.
• You cannot pick up your dribble to knock someone else's ball away or to keep from getting your ball knocked away. If you do, you're out. 
• If you see a loose ball, you can knock it out of bounds.
• As players are eliminated, decrease the size of the playing area every minute or so. 
• I usually start with half-court for anywhere between 10-20 players and then decrease it to inside the 3-point line, inside the free throw lane and jump circle, inside the key below the free throw line, and I finish inside the free throw circle.
• The winner is the last player to have a ball.

Fun Basketball Drills
Variations

• When players get knocked out they should work on ball handling drills on the sideline until the game is over.
• Designate one hand for the players to use. Have them use only their strong hand one round and then only their weak hand the next round.
• Allow players to be eliminated after their second or third time getting knocked out to keep play going.

Dribbling goggles

Shot markers

Youth size basketballs

Fun Basketball Drills
Cut & Shoot

This drill works on making good basketball cuts and moves.

• Have players form 2 lines, one on each wing. Coach passes from the top of the key.
• First player in line makes a basketball cut and gets the pass from coach. After receiving the pass, he can shoot or make some type of basketball move before shooting.
• Coach then passes to the first player in the other line to perform the same type of cut on the other side of the basket. 
• Once players shoot, they get their own rebound and get in line on the opposite side.
• After a period of time, move one of the lines to the top of the key to be passers.
• Coach drops down to play defense on the wing cutters. The passers try to pass the ball to the cutters while coach plays defense.

Fun Basketball Drills
Variations

• This is a good way to work on 2-player youth basketball plays like the Give & Go and the Pick & Roll.
• Work on all different kinds of cuts. Use the "V" cut, "L" cut, and "backdoor" cut.
• Use different types of basketball passes.
• To make the drill more exciting, make it a team competition where points are kept for each basket made. 
• Or, you can play Kids vs Coach where players get 2 points for every basket scored and coach gets 1 point for every basket missed.

Fun Basketball Drills 
Survivor

This drill definitely needs to be modified for really young players because it allows too much physical contact, but my older players love it!

The point of the drill is to develop physical and mental toughness in players.

There are many times during a game, especially for players underneath the basket, when they get knocked around with no fouls called. Players need to learn how to respond to this type of rough contact without losing their cool.

• The drill starts with 3 players in the free throw lane. 
• All players must stay in the lane.
• No dribbling is allowed.
• Coach starts the drill with an intentional missed shot, so there's a rebound.
• It's every player for himself going after the ball, and every player is trying to score while keeping the other 2 players from scoring. 
• Once a basket is made, the ball goes back out to coach for another missed shot to put the ball back in play.
• Each player stays in until he scores 3 baskets, at which point he rotates off, and a new player comes in.
• If the ball gets too far out of the lane, let it go, and coach shoots another ball.
• Don't allow players to foul intentionally, but players should expect to be fouled.
• Pay attention to player frustration level, especially for those who get stuck out on the floor without scoring.
• Modify rules for age and skill level to make it competitive but not too frustrating.
• Find a way to turn it into a team competition so kids will pull for each other on the floor.

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