Basketball: Improve Practice with Constraints of Advantage, Space, Time, and Rules

David Mamet has three words engraved on the back of his wristwatch, "WHAT HINDERS YOU?" Constraints are restrictions or limitations. Adding constraints adds pressure or difficulty to practice. 

Constraints can impact the individual or the group. Create our rules, our world. 

Individual constraints. 

Ask players to work on their non-dominant hand for dribbling, passing, or layups is a common example. Limit the type or distance of shots. We can also add external constraints like weight vests or practice passing with weighted basketballs or medicine balls. 



...or dribbling a ball in a plastic bag? 

I used to practice wearing gloves (not those fancy ones) and put masking tape on the bottom half of glasses. 




Larry Bird's "left-handed" game wasn't all left-handed, but he scored 10 of 21 field goals that day left-handed. 

Time and space constraints.

Kirby Schepp encourages practice passing and cutting within the volleyball backcourt lines. 

Some coaches tape the split to enforce constraints on the ball side. 

In addition to the 3, 5, and 10 second rules and shot clock, we can add our own time limitations. Practice against the zone with a "two second" decision rule. And practice end quarter and end game situations with your defined time intervals. 

Add time constraints to shooting drills, e.g. measuring shots made in 30, 60, or 90 seconds. Add time limits to favorites like around the world. 

Rules constraints.

Modifying rules is another way to practice. Mike McKay starts transitions from dynamic possessions, such as a steal or blocked shot. 

This three-on-three transition drill has the 'rule change' that a defender must take three steps in before pursuing. We can constrain the offense by adding "no dribble" rules. 

My favorite rules change is advantage-disadvantage combined with 1) no dribbling and 2) turnover if the ball hits the floor. This encourages precision passing and catching. Practicing five versus seven no-dribble against the press catalyzed a thirteen-game win streak for us in high school. 



In Hoosiers, Gene Hackman as Norman Dale, expected four passes to start the offense. The players chafed under the restrictions. 

Consider portions of practice using additional constraints: 

• Scrimmage scoring by shot quality (Dean Smith)
• Half court offense with required paint touch and ball reversal before shooting
• Variable number of passes (e.g. ten) before a shot (forces cutting/passing habits)
• Limiting dribbles (not a fan of east-to-west youth basketball dribbling)
• Substituting out based on turnovers.

Only our creativity limits our use of constraints. 

Lagniappe: "Basketball is a game of separation." TeachHoops.com shares a drill. 




Lagniappe 2: Expand horizons with mental models like "Circle of Competence."