PREPARE YOUR TEAM FOR THESE 20 LATE GAME SITUATIONS

I have put together a list of late game situations that coaches need to prepare their team for.  You may not even encounter some of these situations during the season, but don't get caught off guard, and prepare for them. These are situations that as a coach you need to think about so you at least know what your choices will be if you are faced with them.

1. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Dead Ball. Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
2. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Dead Ball. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
3. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Clock is running.  Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
4. Score is tied or you are behind. Full court. Baseline OB. Clock is running. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
5. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near half court. Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
6. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near half court. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
7. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near free throw line extended or lower.  Less than 3 seconds on the clock.
8. Score is tied or you are behind. Sideline OB near free throw line extended or lower. More than 3 seconds on the clock.
9. You are behind 2 or 3 points with a few seconds left and your player is at the free throw line with one shot. 
10. Tie game with one minute left to play. Your team has the ball.  When do you attempt to score?
1. Do you hold the ball for one shot?
2. Do you take the first available shot?
11. Tie game. Your team has the ball with 10 seconds to play. No timeouts. What do you want your team to run?  Do you want them to attack the rim? Get the ball inside? Run a specific set play? Who do you want to take the shot?
12. You are down 3. Opponent has the ball with 10 seconds left.  Do you foul or play it out?
13. You are down 3. Opponent has the ball with 4 seconds left. Do you foul or play it out?
14. You are down 3 and on defense. If you decide to not foul on a big possession late in the game, how will your team defend ball screens?
15. Your team is on defense. You are behind by 1 point with 30 seconds left in the game.  The offensive team is in the bonus. When, if at all, do you foul?
16. You are ahead by 2 with 10 seconds left in the game.  You are on defense.  Offense will take the ball out baseline OB and has to go the length of the court. Offense is in the bonus. How do you defend them? 
1. Do you apply a full court press?  If so, what type?
2. If you don't apply full court pressure, where do you start defending the ball?
17. You are on defense.  Your team is ahead by 4 points with 20 seconds to go.  You have two fouls to give.  Do you have your team commit non-shooting fouls?
18. You are down 10 points with three minutes to go in the game. At what point to you start fouling and put the other team on the free throw line?
19. You are ahead in a one possession game (1, 2, or 3 points). Your team is on defense. The opposing team calls a timeout with 8 seconds to play.  You've played zone defense the entire game.  Do you play man-to-man on this last possession if it is something you have in your team's arsenal?
20. Do you have a delay game on offense when you are attempting to secure a lead late in games? If so, when do you start using it?

3 STEPS TO HELP YOU ENJOY COACHING

3 SIMPLE STEPS TO HELP YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU DO

Step 1: Surround yourself with good people.

Step 2: Serve others.

Step 3: Repeat.

4-ON-4 TALK & STOP DRILL

The 4-on-4 Talk & Stop Drill forces your players to work on communication, defensive positioning, closeouts, and executing your defensive philosophy.

SETTING UP THE DRILL
Four offensive players align outside the three-point line.  Four defenders line up in a vertical line inside the lane area.  Coach starts with a ball under the basket area.







EXECUTING THE DRILL
The coach calls out the name of one of the defenders and passes the ball to one of the offensive players.  The player whose name was called will closeout on the the ball, while the other three defenders match up with the other three offensive players.  On the flight of the ball the three defenders must communicate, call out the name of the person they are defending, while getting to the proper defensive position based on where the ball was thrown.

They play out the possession until the offense scores or the defense gains possession of the ball.

SCORING THE DRILL
+2 for the defense if they get a *clean stop.
+5 for the defense if they take a charge
+1 for the offense if they draw a foul or for any made shot
+1 for the offense for all offensive rebounds

*A clean stop for the defense is when they prevent the offense from scoring without giving up an offensive rebound.

THE IMPORTANCE OF "GLUE" PLAYERS

Glue players are needed.  They are vital to a team's success.  They contribute things to your team that don't always show up in a box score; things that can't always be measured with a stat. 

SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF A GLUE PLAYER

• Sprints the court in transition
• They might night receive a pass in transition, but the fact they sprint could draw a defender to them and open up a teammate for a score
• Talks on the court
• Call out screens on defense
• Makes sure the team is in the correct offense or defense
• Makes sure the team is matched up on defense
• Motivates their teammates
• Dives for loose balls
• This can be contagious 
• Forces the person they are defending to give extra effort just to get open
• This tests the will of the person they are guarding.
• Makes the extra pass on offense
• Pass up a good shot for a great shot
• Forces the defense to work extra hard
• Follows the game plan.
• They understand the game plan.  
• They execute the game plan. 
• Takes care of the ball on offense
• They aren't careless with the ball.  They are poised with the ball in their hands.
• Genuinely cares for their team
• Speaks positively of their team, teammates, and coaches
• Represents their team to the best of their ability on and off the court
• Serves others

SUCCESSFUL TEAMS NEED GLUE PLAYERS

Any player can be a glue player.  I think some coaches see glue players as players on their roster who maybe aren't the most talented.  This can be the case, however your most skilled players can be glue players as well. If your most talented players are glue players then chances are your team has a great chance to reach its full potential.

The average fan sitting in the stands watching a game might wonder why certain players are getting so many minutes if they aren't scoring, rebounding, or filling other stat columns.  Most likely those are glue type players they are wondering about.  In a team sport like basketball we have to remember that we don't always play our five best, we play our best five. Your best five are the five players that play best together.  Many times a glue player or two are part of that best five.

CELEBRATE YOUR GLUE PLAYERS

I encourage coaches to celebrate their glue players.  In a film session point out an example of a player running the court in transition, setting a great screen, or making the extra pass. Stop play on the practice court to point out an action of a player that makes them a glue type player.  While in a huddle during a timeout you can let your team know how important a dive on the floor for a loose ball was for your team because it gave you an extra possession.  While talking to the media you can highlight players that do these glue player type things that are keys to your team's success.  Your glue players need to be celebrated so let them know how important they are to the team.  

REMEMBER:  Not all of the players on your roster are going to have the same skill, BUT they can all be glue players.  

SHARE YOUR IDEAS

I'd enjoy hearing from other coaches on how they celebrate glue type players.  If you have suggestions, please share with me.  You can reach me by email at dietelgreg@gmail.com

BASELINE OB PLAY FOR A SHOT IN THE POST

1 sets a cross screen for 5.
5 cuts to the opposite side of the rim, looking for a pass from 3.
2 cuts to an opening near the top of the key to give 3 a passing angle.

Immediately after setting the screen for 5, 1 sets a screen for 4.
4 cuts toward the lane area looking to receive a pass from 3.
1 then pops out to the three point line.
5 continues to pin their defender looking for a pass from 3.

5 OFF-SEASON TO-DO'S YOU SHOULD BE DOING...NOW!

1. ANALYZE YOUR PERSONNEL
One of the first things you need to consider when your off-season begins is personnel.  Figure out what the strengths and weaknesses are of each one of your potential returning players.

2. ANALYZE YOUR X'S AND O'S
Once you have a good grasp of they type of players you have returning, now you have to see how your next team will fit into the X's and O's you are currently using.  You may have a 'system' or a way you always do things, but based on personnel some changes may be needed.  These changes might be large or possibly a small adjustment is needed.  The fact is that you need to have X's and O's that will help put your players in the best position to be successful.  When personnel changes, so might your X's and O's.

3. MEET WITH YOUR PLAYERS
Schedule time to have exit interviews with your players after the completion of your season.  This is a time for player can coach to share thoughts on the previous season and where to go from this point on.  Coaches can also use this time to give players guidance on what they need to work during the off-season.  Also, check in with your players from time to time when you see them in the gym or at school. 

4. SCHEDULE YOUR OFF-SEASON ACTIVITIES
This should be done sooner than later.  Give your players a calendar with all of the off-season opportunities your program offers.  Getting this calendar of events earlier gives your players a chance to start planning their own summers. 

5. MEET, SHARE, LEARN, GROW
One of the great things about the coaching profession is that coaches are willing to share ideas.  If you are interested about a certain concept or topic, contact a coach who might.  Or plan a get-together with a group of coaches and share thoughts and ideas.  This can be as easy as sitting down at a restaurant to diagram X's and O's or share philosophies of coaching.  Coaches will share.

BATTLE DRILL: A DRILL FOR POST PLAYERS

The BATTLE DRILL is a three person post player drill that focuses on scoring in the post.  The drill also includes a game-like situation and promotes physical/aggressive play with the ball.

The drill starts with the coach starting on the right wing with a basketball.  The offensive player starts on the left block, which is the opposite side as the ball.  A defender guards the offensive post player.  The third player starts on the baseline underneath the basket.

The offensive player must score twice before they are out.

The offensive player must cut across the lane and gain post position.  The coach can dribble to get a better passing angle.  The defensive player must play "live" defense.  When the offensive player is open the coach will pass them the ball and they will attempt to score.

After the offensive player scores or the defensive player gets a rebound, the ball is passed back out to the coach.  The defensive player steps off and the next player steps in to play defense on the same offensive player and the drill is repeated.  The defensive players keep rotating after each possession until offensive player scores twice.

The offensive player is finished with their rep when they score twice.   Having a fresh defensive player defend each possession forces the offensive player to keep a focus while they are getting tired.

MAKE AN INVENTORY "PUT IN" CHART

The start of the season is still weeks away.  Coaches have all kinds of ideas for their offense, defense, and special teams.  Some of the things that the players will be taught will be a repeat from previous years, but chances are there are some new wrinkles added to the team's X and O inventory.  Regardless if something is new or old to the players TIME will be needed to implement it into your team's arsenal before the first game of the season.

How do you know when to put everything in?  The answer to that is to create an INVENTORY PUT-IN CHART.  This chart is a pacing guide for you as you map out the start of your season.  Coaches must have a plan well in advance to figure out when to put in each of their X's and O's.  You can't fly by the seat of your pants and do things on a whim as you start your season...plan it out!

What is an Inventory Put-In Chart?  What you need to do is create a calendar that starts with your first day of practice through your first game of the season.  On another piece of paper you will need to write down all the of the X's, O's, and special teams you need to have in before the first game of the season.

Prioritize.  You need to decide which is the most important for your team to focus on before the first game.  This will become your top priority and you will want to make sure that is put in first.  Continue from there through each practice leading up to your first game.  You can't do it all early in the season.  Coaches must realize that you don't need to have every single set play, BLOB, SLOB, or defense in prior to your first game.  Start small and work your way up to adding more as the season progresses.

One thing to consider is to add one or two new things a day for the first few weeks.  Doing this will allow you to focus part of your practice in implementing X's and O's, while using the remainder of your practice to review X's and O's already put in and skill work.  If you decide to spend an entire practice implementing a bunch of different X's and O's you are wasting time.  The result of doing this would be too much standing around by the players as they listen to the coach talk, and an overload of information for the players.

Below is an example of a two week "Put-In" chart.  Listed are only the new things being put in.  Obviously you will be reviewing others X's and O's you have already put in throughout the two weeks leading up to the first game.

Nov. 12                Nov. 13                    Nov. 14                   Nov. 15                     Nov. 16
5 Defense            Transition O            Wildcat Zone O       Set Play 4 vs Zone    121 Press
Flex Offense       Press O                     55 Defense                                                BLOB 1
                            Set Play 1 vs Man

Nov. 19                     Nov. 20              Nov. 21                          Nov. 22              Nov. 23

Set Play 2 vs Man    BLOB 3             Set Play 5 vs Zone         Jump Ball          SLOB 1
BLOB 2                   121 Soft Press    Full Court :04 seconds  Free Throw D    Pre-Game
                                                                                                                             BLOB 3

Nov. 26                       Nov. 27
SLOB 2                      GAME #1
Set Play 3 vs Man

COACHES SHARE RESPONSES: WHAT CHANGES ARE YOU MAKING THIS YEAR?

"Thanks" goes out to the coaches who responded to this week's Coaches Share.  Your input helps us all.  All coaches are invited to help with the share each week.

This week's Coaches Share question:  Coaches are always making changes with their teams/programs during the off-season; some big, some small.  Some changes are philosophical, some relate to practice, and some with X's and O's.  Which changes are you most excited about with your team/program for this season?

"I am mostly excited about the new roster we will have this year."
~Coach Roberts

"We made a program-wide decision to make some changes to our man-to-man defense.  We are now going to be more of a pressure team in the passing lanes.  We had been more of a gap control team, and it worked fine for us.  But we are going to take more of an aggressive philosophy in hopes of creating more turnovers.  We need to speed up the game."
~Coach R.T. (TN)

"We are going to be making an effort to shoot more in our practices.  Trying to incorporate as much shooting with drills that have other focuses to it.  Our biggest question mark coming into the season is our ability to score so hopefully this will help."
~Coach Mark T. (TX)

"Our coaching staff added another coach.  I am very excited at the options we will now have with having another coach in the gym."
~Coach Lori

"The biggest changes we are making this year are with our side out of bounds plays.  We have a series of them we are going to use that will give us more quick scoring options."
~Coach B (IL)

COACHES SHARE: WHAT CHANGES ARE YOU MAKING THIS YEAR?

We would enjoy hearing from you.  Saturday Coaches Share is a way for YOU to help other coaches.  Each Saturday this blog gives you an opportunity to comment on a different basketball related topic so our readers can learn from your opinions, philosophies, and experiences.

If you are interested in commenting on this week's Saturday Coaches Share all you have to do is email your response to dietelgreg@gmail.com before 8:00 AM (CST) Sunday, September 23.  Then look for your response to be posted on Sunday's blog.

Today's Coaches Share question:  Coaches are always making changes with their teams/programs during the off-season; some big, some small.  Some changes are philosophical, some relate to practice, and some with X's and O's.  Which changes are you most excited about with your team/program for this season?

Remember coaches learn from each other.  Share your thoughts on today's question and see it in Sunday's blog post. 

SUPERHERO RIP THROUGH DRILL

Superhero Rip Through Drill is an offensive drill only.  Defense will be asked to do things that you wouldn't normally teach, but it is necessary for them to do it in this drill to teach an aggressive rip through.

1 starts with the ball at the top of the key.  2 starts in the corner.  They are offense.  X is the defense and starts on the wing, just inside the three point line.


2 will cut to the wing where X is located.  1 passes to 2.  On the catch X will attempt to grab and steal the ball from 2.  Be physical, and foul without being too grossly aggressive.  X will NOT stay with the offensive player in the drill.

On the catch 2 will immediately inside pivot as this will keep the ball away from the defense.  They will execute a proper rip through and attack the basket and score.  X does not guard them once the rip through takes place.  Make sure to do this drill from both wings.

Drill Variation
*Have a coach stand at the basket with a football pad and bump the offensive player as they attempt to score.

TRANSITION 3's SHOOTING DRILL

1 starts with the ball at the top of the key area.  The rest of the group forms a single line at the half court line.

The drill starts with 2 sprinting to a spot beyond the three point line (wing area) and 1 passes them the ball.  1 must make a good pass to 2's target area so they are able to catch and shoot.  After making the pass 1 becomes the rebounder.

After shooting the ball 2 will replace 1 at the top of the key area.  1 grabs the rebound and passes to 2.  1 then sprints around the outside of the drill to the end of the line.

As soon as 1 grabbed the rebound then 3 sprints to the shooting spot behind the three point line.  2 passes to 3 for a shot.

COACHING POINTS
*Have a group doing the same drill on the other half of the court.
*Do not have more than five players in a group to ensure high amounts of reps.
*Have your shooters call for the ball with their hands and feet ready.
*Switch sides so players get reps on both sides of the court.

SATURDAY COACHES SHARE 9-8-12

Saturday Coaches Share is a way for YOU to help other coaches.  Each Saturday this blog gives you an opportunity to comment on a different basketball related topic so our readers can learn from your experiences.

If you are interested in commenting on this week's Saturday Coaches Share all you have to do is email your response to dietelgreg@gmail.com before 8:00 AM Sunday, September 9 (tomorrow).  Then look for your response to be posted on Sunday's blog.

Today's Coaches Share question:  What is your philosophy on 5-on-5 scrimmages (full court or half court) in your practices?  Do you do it every day?  Do you have any special ways of running your 5-on-5 time in practices?

Remember coaches learn from each other.  Share your thoughts on today's question and see it in tomorrow's blog post. 

CHECKLIST OF THINGS TO CONSIDER DOING FOR YOUR YOUTH COACHES

Guiding your youth coaches is important to the future success of teams in your basketball program.  These are extremely valuable people that are giving their time to help your program.  Here are ten things to consider that might help them feel more comfortable with what their doing, and in turn will help them be more successful. 

1. Give them a list of skills that each grade level should be (at a minimum) should be working on.
2. Give them access to drills. One idea is to create a booklet of drills for them to use. It can be used as a reference guide throughout their season.
3. Give them a list of basketball coaching websites that is applicable to them.
4. Host a coaching clinic for your youth coaches.  During the clinic you can show them, and have them practice specific skills you want them to teach.  Another idea is to record the clinic and give each youth coach a copy so they can refer back to it throughout their season.
5. Attend a practice of each youth team.  Let the youth coach know ahead of time that you will be stopping in to watch or help out.
6. Give them a playbook of what you want them to implement at their grade level. It is important that they start to build the foundation of what you are doing offensively and defensively throughout your program.  Allow them some freedom to add some of their own ideas but the core principles of your offense and defense should be taught.
7. Invite the youth coaches to your own practices.
8. Keep in touch with them through email, texts, phone calls, or visit in person.  Let them know you are available to them.
9. Teach them the things that are of value to you as a coach and what you want all the players in your basketball program to value. 
10. Let them know what they do is important - because it is.  The youth coaches in your program are helping build your future teams.  They need to know they are appreciated.

BLOB PLAY: FLAT

Flat is a BLOB play that is effective mostly against a man-to-man defense.
ALIGNMENT: The most important spot in the alignment is having a post who can attack off the dribble line up at the block in front of the inbounder. The other post player will line up on the opposite block. 1 will line up in the corner
opposite of the inbounder. 2 will line up in the corner beyond the three point line on the same side as the inbounder.

4 must engage their defender as they line up. Do not stand and allow their defender to play anywhere they like. 4 should try to get their defender pinned on their right or left hip, depending which way they like to face.  To start the play 3 lobs the ball over the top of 4 so 4 catches the ball midway
up the lane. 4's back will be to the basket on the catch.

As the ball is being passed to 4, 5 sets a screen for 1. 1 must get to the top of the key area.  3 will cut to the side away from the ball to clear out the entire ball side.  4 must be in an athletic/strong position with the ball because their back is to the basket or baseline.  When 4 catches the ball, 2 will cut hard around 4 to give the impression of a hand off.  4 fakes the hand off to 2, then takes one dribble to the outside and attacks the basket.

10 QUESTIONS TO DEVELOP A REBOUNDING PHILOSOPHY

Do you have a philosophy when it comes to rebounding?  There are so many things to consider when it comes to developing a philosophy when teaching rebounding to your players.  Below are 10 questions to answer that will help develop your rebounding philosophy.

1. When on defense do you want your players to make contact with their player when a shot is taken?  Or do you want them to just go get the ball?

2. If you want your players to make contact, how do you want them to do it?

3. How do you want your players to grab for the ball?  Two hands?

4. Will you teach your players where most rebounds are attained when the ball is shot from a specific spot on the floor?  How will you teach them to anticipate the spot the ball will be for the rebound?

5. Will you use specific rebounding drills in practice?  Or will you have rebounding be something you work on during team play in practice?

6. In games how many players will you send to the offensive boards?  Do the players know who is supposed to go for offensive rebounds?

7. Are you going to teach rebounding as an attitude?  How will you teach your players to be aggressive with rebounding?

8. How will you teach rebounding during free throw situations, on offense and defense?

9. When on defense, how will you teach your players to get in rebounding position (to blockout) if the offensive players is in between them and the basket?

10. Where do you want your players arms and hands to be during a blockout?

COACHES SHARE RESPONSE: SHOOTING IN PRACTICE

Thank you to the coaches who took the time to submit a response to the Coaches Share.  Every comment submitted has the potential to give other coaches a new idea that could help their team.

This week's Coaches Share question:  What is your philosophy as to how many minutes of shooting you do in one of your practices?  Do you have a set amount of time for each practice?  Do you try to get your players a certain number of shots?  Does it vary from day to day?

"I make sure to dedicate at least 20 minutes of formal shooting drills for practices.  I always have one drill that is specific by position."

~Coach Michael

"We play a style of basketball that gives us a lot of three point opportunities so we shoot plenty of 3's each day in practice.  I don't set a certain number of minutes each practice that is dedicated to shooting.  I would estimate that each of our players shoot at least one hundred 3's a day though."

~Coach B

"Our first fifteen minutes of practice are dedicated to shooting during and loosening up.  Some days we do more at the end of practice as well."

~Coach T.R. (MA)

COACHES SHARE 8-25-12

Coaches help coaches by sharing.  Email your response to today's Coaches Share question and have your response added to Sunday's blog entry.  Your response can be as long or short as you like.  Email your response to  dietelgreg@gmail.com

QUESTION:  What is your philosophy as to how many minutes of shooting you do in one of your practices?  Do you have a set amount of time for each practice?  Do you try to get a certain number of shots?  Does it vary from day to day?


Email your response to dietelgreg@gmail.com and be part of the discussion.  Your response is then posted in tomorrow's blog.

IMPORTANCE OF A PRE-PRACTICE ROUTINE

Does this sound like your gym?  Practice starts at 3:30.  The first of your players start entering the gym at about 3:00.  Little by little your entire roster is in the gym getting ready for practice.  There might be a group of three over in one corner talking about school.  Another pair of players are off by themselves talking about what they are going to do after practice.  Maybe a handful will shoot the ball, lightly jog after it, and then take their time to shoot again.  Is this time being used wisely?  Quite honestly the answer is, no.

Developing a pre-practice routine for your players can be extremely beneficial in the skill development of your players.  A pre-practice routine is a quick series of activities of skill work. Having a pre-practice routine has it's benefits
1. Gets your players in the gym earlier.
2. Helps develop the skill development of your players.
3. Promotes accountability with your players.
4. Eliminates wasted time in the gym.

Coaches can create any type of pre-practice routine they feel fits their team.  You can make them position specific or develop one that will help develop the overall skills of your players.

The following pre-practice routine can be easily completed in 8 minutes.
*Make 20 Mikan shots
*10 Form shooting shots from three feet (hold follow through)
*Four different 2-ball ballhandling drills (30 seconds per drill)
*1 2-ball partner passing/catching drill (1 minute)
*Take 20 game shots (position specific)

If you were to use this pre-practice routine then it would be important for the coaching staff to first teach the players how to do each one of the parts in the routine. Once the players understand what is expected they will then know that the routine must be completed before the official start of practice.

Changing the pre-practice routine throughout the season could be valuable to keep your players from becoming bored with the same thing day after day.  An idea would be to change the routine periodically:  weekly, monthly, or at half point of the season.

Have fun creating the routine for your players.  It can be extremely beneficial for their skill development as it eliminates wasted time in your gym.

FULL COURT BLAZER SHOOTING DRILL

Full Court Blazer shooting combines a variety of skills into one drill as it emphasizes shooting, passing and catching, conditioning, and communication. 

The drill starts with three lines at each baseline (there are only two lines shown in this diagram).  At one end the first player in each line has a basketball.  At the other end of the court the second person in each line has a basketball.

The drill begins with at the three players (4, 5, and 6) sprinting in their lane to the other end of the court.  As 4, 5, and 6 are approaching the three point line area 1, 2, and 3 will make a pass to them.  4, 5, and 6 will catch, get their feet set, and shoot.  Shooters will get their own rebound.  After they get their rebound they will pass their ball to the next 1, 2, and 3 in line.

The 1, 2, and 3 that made the pass will now sprint to the other end of the court in their their lanes.  They will receive a pass from 4, 5, and 6 as they approach the 3 point line and take a shot.  They will get their own rebound and pass the ball to the next players in each line, and then go to the end of that line.

After 4, 5, and 6 made the pass they will then sprint to the other end of the court to be the shooters, and the drill continuously repeats itself.

The coach can determine the general area where the shots should come from.  You can work on three point shots, mid-range jump shots, or even layups.  A drill variation would be to have the players use a shot fake and one hard dribble right or left then pull up for a jump shot.

To add even more focus or competitiveness to your team put time on the clock and count their made baskets.  Keep track of the number of makes and use that as a number to surpass the next time you do the drill.