Total Pageviews

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Basketball: Constraints Inspire Solutions "It's Our World to Develop"



Image capture from MasterClass, Bill Nye, The Science Guy

"You gotta have regulations." - Bill Nye. 

"No, I need freedom." Basketball has a myriad of regulations/constraints:

  • space constraints (e.g. boundaries) 
  • time constraints (time periods, shot clocks, 5 and 10 second rules)
  • combinations (3 second rule)
  • ball handling constraints (double dribble, palming, traveling)
  • contact constraints (fouling) 

You may have seen the "four lines" solved by thinking outside the box.

Constraints help us design (players).

Apply constraints during practice:

1. Manmaker (Stay in your lane)


Rules: 1) Tight man defense 2) One dribble per catch 3) Stay in your lane 
4) Footwork is key  Goal is to advance the ball to mid court

2. Carolina (SLOB disadvantage) 


Rules: 1) x1 and x2 start one yard away from 1 2) Coach flips ball to 1
3) x1 and x2 trap 4) escape the trap 

3. Gauntlet (Defeat the gauntlet)


Rules: 1) Divide court into 4 quarters 2) 2 offensive players navigate pressure
3) One dribble per catch 4) Offense becomes defense at the back of the pressure

4. Zone offense development


Rules: 1) Define type of zone (diamond or box) 2) Define scoring type (e.g. layups only or paint only) 3) Remaining players at other end play 2 on 2 with assistant view

5. Offensive development (Time constraint to score)


Rules: 1) Coach enters ball 2) 3 must get open 3) 1 must pass and cut or pass and screen 4) Ten seconds to score 

6. Eldon Campbell 25 (Individual warmup drill)


Rules: Must make five consecutive to advance to next spot 

7. Roy Williams Rule. (Must make 60% of threes in practice shooting to have "green light" for threes (reset to an appropriate number for our level). 

8. Pressure free throws. Force better concentration. Groups of 2 free throw practice (10 shots apiece). Rebounder may say anything to shooter but not touch shooter or interfere with shot. 

9. Kirby Schepp "get open" basics (Keep away inside the volleyball lines). 



These are only a few possible constraints. It's our world. 

Lagniappe. BOBs from TeachHoops. Steal from everywhere.