Developing strong defensive skills is crucial for young basketball players as it contributes significantly to team success. Here’s a list of youth basketball defense drills to help young players improve their defensive abilities:
| Drill: | Type: | Best For: |
| Shell Drill | Team | Intermediate/Advanced |
| Closeout | Individual | All levels |
| 1 on 1 Defense Drill | Individual | Intermediate/Advanced |
| Zig Zag Drill | Individual | Basic/Intermediate (Great for warmups) |
| Boxout Drill | Pairs | Basic/Intermediate |
1. Shell Drill:
Players practice defensive positioning and communication in a half-court setting. Emphasize proper stance, quick movements, and teamwork. This is the perfect drill for teaching and emphasizing man-to-man-defensive concepts. Check out this article for a step-by-step guide on how to implement the shell drill which includes a video.
2. Closeout Drill:
Focus on teaching players how to close out on an offensive player effectively. Emphasize proper footwork, hands up, and maintaining a defensive stance. Here is a great article explaining how to setup this drill.
3. 1-on-1 Defense Drill (by the numbers):
Pair players and have them practice one-on-one defensive situations. Emphasize on-ball defense, staying low, and using quick lateral movements to stay in front of the offensive player. Check out this awesome one on one engaging and dynamic defensive drill that adds in some offense.
4. Zig-Zag Drill:
Set up cones in a zig-zag pattern and have players practice moving laterally between them. This helps improve agility and lateral quickness, essential for on-ball defense.
5. Box Out Drill:
Pair up partners along the three point line. One set of players will be offense and should face the basket with a basketball. The other players will be defense and will setup along the three point line facing the offensive players. First, the coach will go over the fundamentals of boxing out and then players will work on boxing out. Check out this link for more details.
Conclusion
These youth basketball defense drills can be modified based on the skill level and age of the players. Consistent practice of these drills will help young athletes develop strong defensive fundamentals and contribute to their overall basketball skill set.