Most passing drills are two players standing still, throwing chest passes. That is a fine first week. A pass in a game is different: it is thrown on the move, past a defender, to a teammate who is also moving, often before he is open. The drills below build from the first kind of pass to the second.
The cues every source agrees on
The coaching material behind these drills, from Basketball Manitoba to Coach’s Clipboard and Basketball For Coaches, comes back to the same handful of points:
- Step into the pass and follow through.
- Show a target. The receiver puts up a hand where he wants the ball, and steps toward it.
- Call the name. The passer names the receiver, or the receiver calls for it.
- Lead the receiver. Throw to where he will be, not where he is.
- Speed up as they improve. A slow drill done well is the start, not the goal.
Ball size matters with young players. USA Basketball’s youth rules use a size 5 ball at ages 7 and 8 and size 6 at 9 to 11. A ball that is too big turns every pass into a two-handed shove.
Stage 1: the basic passes
Partner passing
Partners about four metres apart work through the chest pass, the bounce pass and the overhead pass, then pass on the move as they slide down the floor side by side. Every pair has a ball.
The bounce pass hits the floor about two-thirds of the way so it arrives at the receiver’s waist. Shorten the distance for U8 and lengthen it for older players.
Stage 2: passing and moving
Star passing
Five players on the points of a star, one ball. Every pass skips the neighbouring spot, so the ball crosses the circle each time, and in Coach’s Clipboard’s version the passer follows his pass to the spot he passed to.
Basketball Manitoba runs the same idea for 6- to 9-year-olds with players staying on their spots. Its progressions are useful at any age: a wider circle, other pass types, more balls, the pattern reversed, then defenders.
Four-corner passing
A line in each corner of a square. The ball goes around the square; every receiver steps toward the ball, and every passer sprints after his pass to the back of that line. Once it flows, add a second ball in the opposite corner.
The drill dies when people walk. Keep it short and loud.
Stage 3: passing at speed
Three-lane passing
Three players run the floor in three lanes without crossing. The ball goes wing, middle, wing, with the middle player in every exchange, and a wing finishes with a layup. Basketball For Coaches lets the outside players take one or two dribbles to avoid travelling; Lee Rose’s version in Winning Basketball Fundamentals takes the dribble away after the first few days.
The three-man weave
The classic. Three players, no dribble, and one rule: pass and go behind. The passer always runs behind the player he passed to, so the three cross over and over down the floor.
Run it at walking pace first. A weave at full speed with bad passes is chasing the ball. Once it is clean, it doubles as conditioning, which our guide to conditioning drills with the ball covers. For a transition version that starts with a rebound, the outlet and fill the lanes drill teaches the first pass of the break.
Stage 4: passing past a defender
Two-on-one keep-away
Two passers about four metres apart, a defender between them. The passers may pivot but not dribble or walk. A pass fake and a pivot create the lane; a bounce pass by the defender’s hip or an overhead pass by his ear gets the ball through. A deflection and the passer swaps into the middle.
It is tagged for U8 to U12, and it is the best way we know to teach the pivot foot as a passing tool rather than a rule.
Bull in the ring
Six passers in a ring, two defenders in the middle. No pass to the player next to you, no lobs. A steal or a deflection swaps the passer who lost it into the middle; Hoop Coach swaps on the steal, and Basketball For Coaches changes the defenders every minute or two so nobody is stuck in there.
Stage 5: passing in a game
Ten passes
3-on-3 in the half court. The offense scores a point by completing ten passes with no dribble; a steal or a deflection out of bounds changes possession. Basketball For Coaches’ version scales the target from 5 to 20 passes by age, and Coach’s Clipboard’s allows dribbling but not shooting.
Without the dribble, the only way to get open is to cut and space, which is the point. Our guide to small-sided games explains why games like this give players far more touches than 5-on-5: in Klusemann’s study of elite juniors, 2-on-2 produced about 60% more technical actions than 4-on-4.
Pass, cut and replace
For a team that is learning to play without set plays, pass-and-cut is the passing drill. Pass, cut hard to the basket, and fill the empty spot; never pass and stand. FastModel’s breakdown starts with three players 15 to 18 feet apart.
The same pattern, five-out, is the base of our 5-out pass, cut and fill play.
A 15-minute passing block
| Minutes | Drill | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | Partner passing | Clean mechanics, every player has a ball |
| 4–8 | Star passing | Moving, meeting the pass, calling names |
| 8–15 | Ten passes, in two-minute games | Passing against defenders, cutting to get open |
For older teams, swap partner passing for three-lane passing and finish with bull in the ring. Keep score in the last drill; a pass that nobody counts is a pass nobody concentrates on.
Passing drills by age
| Age | Focus | Drills |
|---|---|---|
| U8 | Catch with two hands, step and pass | Partner passing, star passing on spots, two-on-one keep-away |
| U10 | Pass on the move, pivot to pass | Star passing, four-corner passing, ten passes |
| U12 | Lead the receiver at speed | Three-lane passing, three-man weave, pass, cut and replace |
| U14 and up | Pass past help, read the defense | Bull in the ring, ten passes with fewer passes allowed, post entry passing |
Finding and drawing passing drills
Every drill above is in the drill library, with the coaching points, the number of players and balls, the minutes and the age groups. Open one in the app and it runs phase by phase, so players see the pattern before they try it. To change the distances or add a line, use the drill designer.
To put a passing block into a timed practice, the practice planner on the paid plans lets you add these drills as blocks and set the minutes. Passing as a practice focus pulls the “Fill the rest” suggestions toward passing drills.
Questions
What are good passing drills for beginners?
Partner passing with chest, bounce and overhead passes, then star passing in a circle of five, where every pass skips the next player. Both use one ball per group, keep everyone involved, and teach stepping into the pass and showing a target.
How do you teach passing under pressure?
With a defender who is allowed to win. Bull in the ring puts one or two defenders inside a circle of passers, and two-on-one keep-away puts one between two passers. A pass fake and a pivot create the lane, then the pass goes past the defender's hip or ear.
What is the three-man weave?
A full-court passing drill for three players with no dribbling. Whoever passes runs behind the player he passed to, so the three cross repeatedly down the floor and finish with a layup.
How many passes should a ten-passes game need?
Ten is the usual target, and Basketball For Coaches suggests anything from 5 to 20 depending on age. Lower it until the offense can score sometimes, then raise it.