Three team defence drills for senior and open teams

At club level, good defence comes mostly from effort and position. These three drills build on each other: guard the ball, help a teammate, then get back to your own player.

Run them in order, about 15 minutes each, early in the session while legs are fresh. Warm up properly first, as there's a lot of sprinting and quick stops.

1. Closeouts

A closeout is how you get from helping in the key to guarding a shooter. Done well, it stops the shot without giving up the drive.

• Sprint the first part of the distance, then take short, quick steps.
• Arrive low and balanced, with one hand up to bother the shot.
• Stop about an arm's length away. Any closer and the attacker drives past you.
• Play to a score or a stop, then attackers and defenders swap lines.

2. Shell drill

Play 4 v 4 in the half court. Attackers stand in four spots outside the three-point line, two at the top and two on the wings. To start, they pass but don't drive.

Every defender moves on every pass. The aim is to stay between your player and the ring, while seeing the ball.

• Point one hand at the ball and one at your player, so you can see both.
• Talk. Call “ball” when you guard the ball and “help” when you're in the key.
• After a few minutes, let the attackers drive. The helpers step in, then get back out.
• Swap attack and defence after three stops in a row.

3. Help and recover

This is where the shell drill gets real. One defender gets beaten, a teammate stops the drive, then everyone recovers.

• The helper stops the ball before it reaches the ring, with feet set and chest square.
• The beaten defender keeps chasing. Get back into the play.
• On the pass out, the helper closes out the same way as drill 1: sprint, then short steps.
• Play to a score or a stop. When the group is ready, add a third pair to make it 3 v 3.

Putting it together

Finish the session with a game where a stop is worth a point to the defending team. It keeps the effort up once the drills are over.