Off-Ball Defense Drills for Basketball
Free off-ball defense basketball drills with court diagrams, coaching points, and variations. Browse the list below, then add any drill to a practice plan in Relyx.
13 drills
1v1 5-second Deny
Competitive 1v1 denial drill that teaches defenders to work before the catch. The defender must prevent...
1v1 Defensive Combo: Jump, Backdoor, Deny
1v1 off-ball defensive drill that trains positioning relative to the ball in different situation: jumping...
2v1 Help and Recover
Basic help-and-recover drill that trains close-outs in a live situation.
2v2 Continuous Off-Ball Screen Game
Competitive, fast-paced 2v2 game that starts from a screen-away action. Players work on setting and using...
2v2 Help and Recover (or Rotate)
Competitive help-and-recover (or rotate) drill that trains close-outs and simple rotations in a live...
3v3 Help and Rotate
Competitive help-and-rotate drill that trains close-outs and x-out rotations in a live situation.
4v4 Baseline Help Rotation
4v4 shell drill that trains help defense and rotations when the corner defender is beaten on a baseline drive.
4v4 Off-Ball Screen Starts: Neutral or Advantage
4v4 small-sided game that starts from either a neutral toss or an advantage trigger. Players initiate...
4v4 Shell to Live: Defensive Rotations
4v4 starts in a controlled shell, then goes live to train clear communication and correct rotation habits...
4v4 Side Action and Weak-Side Switch Shell
4v4 shell drill with the ball on the wing and players spaced in wing and corner spots on both sides...
4v4 Switching Off-Ball Screens
4v4 small-sided game focused on switching off-ball screens. Offense plays from a 4-out setup with...
5v5 Controlled Scrimmage
Live 5v5 scrimmage with a clear team focus set by the coach. Use the drill to apply offensive concepts...
Half-Court Defense Wins
Half-court 4v4 or 5v5 live play with 2, 3, or 4 teams. Teams score only by getting defensive stops...