Small Sided Games

As a coach I am always looking for ways to have my kids improve as basketball players.  I try to find time in practice to do as much skill work as I possibly can but the one question that I always have is "Are my kids getting better by going 1v0 all the time?"  The answer to that question is no.  Don't get me wrong there is plenty of room for skill work without a defender but playing against resistance is the best way to apply what you have learned during skill work.  This is why I always try to incorporate Small Sided Games (SSG) into as many practices as I can.  Before I get into the numerous possibilities in incorporating SSG into practice, I want to explain some of the great benefits involved in using SSG.

  1. It forces players to apply the skills they have acquired in a competitive environment.
  2. It allows players who normally don't get many touches 5v5 to get involved and evolve their game.
  3. It allows coaches to better control games by tailoring the games to emphasize elements they want to focus on.
  4. It is a great way to improve the conditioning of your players.
  5. It allows coaches to better view elements that they want to focus on.
  6. It's a great way to teach kids how to play man to man defense.
  7. It's a great way to teach kids how to use screens (off ball and on ball) to get open and create mismatches.
  8. It shows kids how to keep moving with and without the ball.
The number of SSG games you can run are endless.  SSG games can be:
  • 1v1-to work on individual skills
  • 2v2-ideal for pick and rolls/pops
  • 3v3-my favorite in terms of applying team concept but in a much more controlled setting.
  • 2v1-a must learn for both the offense and how to defend it.
  • 3v2-a must learn for both the offense and how to defend it.
  • 4v3-love using this drill as a way to stress the overload principal against a zone.  Players tend to see what we are trying to do with this lineup a lot better than 5v5.
There can be other combinations as well, but the above are the ones I like to work with. I will be posting some of my favorite SSG drills in the next few posts.

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