Drill2 phasesRuns 6.4 s
Closeout and Contest
A defender starts in help under the basket. The coach passes to a shooter on the wing or in the corner and the defender closes out to the marker a step off the shooter, high hand up, then recovers to help for the next pass.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Ages
- U10–Adult
- Minutes
- 8
- Players
- 3–9
- Coaches
- 1
- Balls
- 2
- Equipment
- 2Marker
Run it, tilt it, change it to fit your practice. Free to start. No account, nothing to install.
Coaching points
- Leave on the pass: sprint the first two-thirds, then chop your feet with short, quick steps.
- Arrive with a high hand at the shooter's shooting hand and the other hand low for the drive.
- Hips down, weight back: a closeout that flies past the shooter is a free layup.
- Take away the shot first, then slide to contain the drive.
Phase by phase
1Phase 1
Coach passes to the wing. Sprint the first two-thirds, chop your feet to the marker, high hand on the shooting hand.
- C passes to 1
- X1 cuts to the right wing
- 1 shoots
2Phase 2
Back to help in the lane, then close out to the corner: shorter, flatter, and take away the baseline.
- X1 cuts to the right block
- C passes to 2
- X1 cuts to the right corner
- 2 shoots
Variations
- Live 1-on-1 after the catch: shoot or drive with at most two dribbles.
- The coach passes to either player, so the defender has to read the pass.
- Start on the opposite block and close out across the lane.
Guides that use this drill
- How to plan a multi-week basketball practice block
- Basketball defense drills: shell, closeout and box out
- Basketball shooting drills for team practice
- Cone and agility-ladder drills for basketball
- How to draw a basketball drill diagram
- Youth basketball drills by age: U8 to U14
- A 90-minute basketball practice plan template