JAGUAR DRILL: TRANSITION DEFENSE/OFFENSE

The Jaguar drill focuses on transition offense and transition defense in a 3-on-2 setting.  Players get one possession per rep, but it also serves as a good drill to keep your players in shape as they get many reps throughout the duration of the drill.

Players 1-2-3-4-5 start on the baseline.  The middle player (3) starts with the ball.  In this drill players 1, 3, and 5 are on offense.  Players 2 and 4 are on defense.

On the coach's command players 1, 3, and 5 will sprint (3 is dribbling) to the opposite baseline.  Once they get to the opposite baseline they immediately sprint back towards the basket they started at to play offense.  Meanwhile players 4 and 5 sprint to the opposite end elblows at the free throw line.  They will immediately sprint back to play defense.

Defenders must communicate in this drill.  Based on your defensive philosophy in a 3-on-2 situation, you will want your players to communicate your philosophy in this situation.  Who has the first pass?  Who has the second pass?  When do you want the top player to pick up the ball?  These are just a few questions to consider.

Coaches can have their teams work on a variety of things or add particular rules, like:
*Offense can only make two passes before a shot must be taken.
*No shots allowed outside the lane area.  Players must attack the basket.
*Defense must force at least two passes before a shot is taken or they run a sprint.
*Offense cannot use the dribble after the first pass is made.

FULL COURT CATCH UP DRILL

Full Court Catch Up Drill is a 1-on-1 transition defense drill.  The drill puts 
defense at a disadvantage to start and forces them to give maximum effort to
prevent the offense from getting to the other end of the court without having a defender in front of them.  The goal of the defender is to get in between the dribbler and the basket.

1 and 2 are on offense.  X's are defense.  The X's each start on the block,
right in front of the offensive player, and facing the baseline.  Coach stands in the lane with a ball in each hand.  To start the drill Coach will pass a ball to 1, then wait for a count of 2 and pass the other ball to 2.

As soon as 1 and 2 catch the ball they will start their speed dribble down the court.  The defense starts when they see the person they are defending catches the ball.  When their person catches the ball they will sprint to touch the baseline in front of them (which will only be a step or two away) and then sprint down court to get ahead of the person they are defending.  Once they get in front of the dribbler they will try to force them to change directions with the dribble as many times as they can.  When the offensive player gets to the opposite baseline the rep is over.



COACHING POINTS
*Focus on the plant foot when the defender touches the baseline to turn and sprint back on defense.
*The defender should get their entire body in front of the dribbler and square up on them.

DRILL VARIATIONS
*You can make the drill a contest by seeing which player can get totally in front of the ballhandler furthest in the back court.  Make that the standard for the rest of the team the next time you do the drill.
*Split your team into two groups.  Keep track of how many times each group makes the offense turn throughout the entire drill.  The team that makes the dribblers turn the most, wins.

TRANSITION DEFENSE & OFFENSE DRILL

SKILLS COVERED

*Half court defense
*Transition defense
*Offensive execution
*Transition offense

ALIGNMENT

*Set players up on offense and defense (5-on-5) at one basket.
*One player on offense has a ball.
*Coach is along a sideline with a basketball.

EXECUTION OF THE DRILL

*Offense will run through a half court offensive set called by the coach.
*Defense will run the defense called by the coach.
*As the teams are playing 5-on-5 at some point the coach will blow the whistle to alert the teams that there will be a change of possession.
*On that whistle the player with the ball will throw the ball off to the side (off the court) and the offense starts to sprint back on defense (they are now the defensive team).
*Meanwhile the defensive team now becomes offense.  Coach passes the ball to a player in the backcourt as they are transitioning to offense.  The team now on offense will focus on your transition offense, while the team now on defense will execute your transition defense philosophy.
*NOTE:  If the offense scores while running their half court offensive set the drill rep will end there.  Reset at the top  and start the next rep.

VARIATIONS

*If the offense scores while running through their half court offense you can continue the drill by having the new team on offense NOT take the ball out-of-bounds. Simply take the ball out of the hoop and start your transition offense.  This will put more pressure on the defense to get back.

*To put even more pressure on the team transitioning back on defense have each player on that team slap the floor with their hands before they sprint back on defense.  This will give the offense an extra step advantage and force the team on defense to really understand the necessary speed it takes to get back on defense.