Coaches tips of the week

COACHES, THE BEST DRILL TO USE FOR TEACHING PLAYERS TO PLAY MAN TO MAN DEFENSE IS TO GET THEM TO MOVE THEIR FEET AND NOT REACH.

1. Have the players guarding the man with the ball to use his/her hands. (See Players Tips of the Week for Guarding a Player with the Ball)

2. Have the players not guarding a player without the ball have them put their hands behind their backs with their hands locked together

3. When the player with the ball passes the ball then the player who is guarding him/her  immediately locks his/her  hands behind his/her back.

4. The player who is going to receive the pass his/her defender immediatlely unl.ocks his/her hands and gets to the guarding a player with the ball position.

5. Players guarding players without the ball must keep the triangle, (the ball, the player they are guarding and themselves). They must have their legs bents and ready to move with their hands behind their back.

6. This forces them to be in the proper defensive position and have to slide step in order to move.

7. Players should be aware who is in the help position depending where the ball is on the court.

8. When a player has to help (close the door) when an offensive dribbler beats his/her defender the help player slides over without using his.her hands to shut down the dribble penetration.

Remeber when a player is guarding a player with the ball or when a pass is made into a post player the defender can use his/her hands and arms, but as soon as the player passes the ball to another player, the defender has to lock his hands behind his back.

Coach: Stand behind your defense on the end line to watch to see which players are doing this correctly. Let yoiur players know verbally if they are not having their hands up when the player has the ball and their hands locked behind them when they doo not have the ball. Can even stop the play and have a player who is not doing it correctly replace the defender and run a penalty lap and replace the defensive player.

Try this dribble as it is the best defensive drill I have ever used and in fact have even used it in games a FEW TIMES TO STRESS MOVING THE FEET AND NOT REACHING.