BASKETBALL SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES

i. Introduction
a. Main objective: score more points than the opponent by putting the ball in
the hoop
b. More complicated than what it seems
c. Important skills:
 Shooting
 Dribbling
 Passing
 Rebounding
 Defense
d. Outside of basketball-specific skills:
 the need for athleticism (strength, fitness, and agility)
 jumping ability
 speed
 stamina
e. Basketball skills were developed through training and practice.
 Drills
‣ Basketball drills help players become better by practicing
the same skills over and over. Players develop muscle
memory and good habits that they can benefit from come
game time, but only if they're practicing basketball drills
consistently and with the right form.
‣ Good basketball practice drills can help improve your ball
control, footwork, and shooting, as well as defensive and
offensive movement.
‣ Basketball drills help improve hand-eye coordination,
dribbling, passing techniques, muscle memory, speed, and
conditioning.
 Techniques: a way of carrying out a particular task, especially the
execution or performance of an artistic work or a scientific
procedure.
ii. 5 Basic skills of basketball
a. Dribbling
 Dribbling is easily the most important skill for any basketball player
to master. Without good dribbling and ball handling skills you won't
be able to move down the court with the ball, which could mean
you'll end up with moving violations instead of points.
 To dribble, a player pushes the ball down towards the ground with
the fingertips rather than patting it; this ensures greater control.
 A skilled player can dribble without watching the ball, using the
dribbling motion or peripheral vision to keep track of the ball's
location. By not having to focus on the ball, a player can look for
teammates or scoring opportunities, as well as avoid the danger of
having someone steal the ball away from him/her.
b. Shooting
 Shooting is the main skill that directly involves scoring points.
 Shooting a basketball involves the most specific technique of any of
the five basic skills and also may require the most practice to
master this skill.
 5 common type of basketball shooting
‣ Jump shot
 This is the most common and frequently used shot in
basketball. It involves making an explosive leap
upwards and shooting the ball when you’re at the
highest point of your leap.
 When you release the ball, keep your elbow straight
so that the ball is carried forward by the momentum of
your elbow. You also want to concentrate on flicking
your wrist while releasing the ball. This will provide
the ball with momentum and spin, allowing it to travel
smoothly towards the basket.
‣ Layup
 This dynamic shot is used by basketball players all
the time, and while it’s a little difficult to master, it can
be extremely helpful during tight situations in the
game.
 If you dribble with your right hand, then stay on the
right flank of the court. Dribble the ball and move
towards the basket at the same time. When you get to
the three-point line, take two long strides and stop
dribbling. Once you get there, attempt to score a
basket by throwing the ball into the top corner of the
board.
‣ Floater
 This shot is quite similar to the jump shot, the only
difference being the way the ball is thrown. Here,
instead of flicking your wrist, you need to lift or gently
push the ball into the air in a higher arc than normal.
There is no spin added to the ball, and it is simply
propelled forward using your palm.
 This shot is perfect for when you’re surrounded by
defenders or facing a really tall opponent.
 The floater can be shot during a run while dribbling, or
even right after a catch. As there is no specific way to
shoot a floater, it’s best to watch a few videos to
better understand how this shot works.
‣ Free throw
 This is perhaps the easiest shot in basketball and is
usually taken when a foul is committed against your
team.
 The wrist and arm action are similar to that used in
the jump shot. The only difference here is that there
are no defenders to stop you from shooting, and you
should stay on the ground while making the shot.
‣ Slam dunk
 Perhaps one of the hardest shots in basketball, the
slam dunk can only be performed by those with an
explosive upward jump. You need to launch yourself
into the air and extend your entire arm so that the ball
goes up and over the rim, allowing you to safely make
the dunk.
 One-handed dunks are a lot easier as it takes a lot
more effort to get both your hands to the rim.
However, if you aren’t able to grip the ball in one
hand, you can always teach yourself to dunk with two
hands.
c. Defense and Offense
 A defense refers to the defensive strategies, alignments, and
position to prevent the opposing team from scoring a basket.
 Without proper defense a team will never win basketball games,
making it a very essential skill for all to learn. To play defense,
players need to be able to stay in front of their opponent and restrict
their path to the hoop without fouling.
 2 main defensive strategies
‣ Zone defense
 Each player is assigned to guard a specific area of
the court.
 Zone defenses often allow the defense to double
team the ball, a manoeuver known as a trap.
‣ Man-to-Man defense
 Each defensive player guards a specific opponent.
 An offense is a series of cuts, passes, and screens that are
designed to create a particular shot for particular player. Their main
goal is to maintain possession of the ball, to move the ball on the
court, and to score points on a basket.
 An offense is needed for the purpose of providing organization and
singleness amongst the players.
 Main offensive strategies
‣ Set Offense in basketball is a general term that describes
an offensive strategy where the coach creates multiple pre-
planned set plays.
‣ Motion Offense is a type of offense strategy that heavily
focuses on movement of players. Motion offense focus on
the offensive moves like spacing, screens, cuts, and passes.
‣ Zone Offense- players on the offensive side are assigned in
different areas around the court. It relies on perimeter plays,
as well as moving in between the gaps of the defensive
zones.
‣ Transition Offense- focuses on the transition from the
defense to offense when the team gets possession of the
ball. It relies on fast breaks and excel when they give the
defense little time to position.
d. Rebounding
 Rebounding is the process of controlling missed shots on both the
offensive and defensive ends.
 Rebounding is a key facet of acquiring and maintaining possession
which can subsequently give your team more offensive chances.
 Securing the most missed shots leads to more offensive
opportunities and generally allows a team to score more points.
 The objective of rebounding is to successfully gain possession of
the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw, as it rebounds
from the hoop or backboard. This plays a major role in the game,
as most possessions end when a team misses a shot.
 Two categories of rebounds:
‣ Offensive rebound
 the ball is recovered by the offensive side and does
not change possession
‣ Defensive rebound
 the defending team gains possession of the loose ball
 important skill: boxing out- a technique by which
players use their bodies to shield the opposing team
from grabbing the ball
‣ The majority of rebounds are defensive, as the team on
defense tends to be in better position to recover missed
shots.
e. Passing
 Passing is the other option to move the ball around the court
outside of dribbling. A team that has good passers can create good
scoring chances to help their team to win more games and score
more points. While great passers may not be scoring the most
points in any given game, they are nonetheless an integral part of
offensive strategies.
 a method of moving the ball between players. Most passes are
accompanied by a step forward to increase power and are followed
through with the hands to ensure accuracy.
 Types of Passing
‣ Chest pass
 A staple pass is the chest pass. The ball is passed
directly from the passer's chest to the receiver's
chest. A proper chest pass involves an outward snap
of the thumbs to add velocity and leaves the defense
little time to react
‣ Bounce pass
 the passer bounces the ball crisply about two-thirds of
the way from his own chest to the receiver. The ball
strikes the court and bounces up toward the receiver.
The bounce pass takes longer to complete than the
chest pass, but it is also harder for the opposing team
to intercept (kicking the ball deliberately is a violation).
Thus, players often use the bounce pass in crowded
moments, or to pass around a defender.
‣ Overhead pass
 used to pass the ball over a defender
 the ball is released while over the passer's head.
‣ Outlet pass
 occurs after a team gets a defensive rebound
 the next pass after the rebound is the outlet pass
‣ No-look pass
‣ Behind-the-back pass