Ball-Gap-Help Drill

Make closing out more difficult, and more game-like, by having defenders not knowing where the ball is going until a catch is made

WHY USE THIS DEFENSIVE BASKETBALL DRILL
Too often close-out drills revolve around one defender knowing exactly where and to whom to close out. This drill forces players to react quickly.

SET UP
You stand, with a ball, on the baseline under the hoop. The three defenders are low in the lane. There are three offensive players on the perimeter outside the 3-point line [1]. Assign numbers 1-3 to the offensive players and same to the defenders. The defender is to guard the corresponding numbered offensive player.

HOW TO PLA Y
The defenders are facing their offensive counterparts. You throw a pass to an offensive player. In this example, the ball is passed to the left wing and the highest defender has been assigned to cover that person. He closes out while the defender assigned to the top player gets in the gap. The final defender provides help [2]. Players now are in a position to defend and rotate if/when a pass is made [3].

TECHNIQUE

Players have to communicate during this drill with the on-ball defender screaming, “Ball!” as the gap defender yells, “Gap!” and the help defender screams “Help!” to indicate all areas are covered.