Working on basketball passing drills is important because you’ll get high percentage shots if you have a great passing team.
Passing ranks right up there with basketball shooting as far as being one of the most important basketball fundamentals.
If you’re a good basketball passing team, your scoring will be up.
Good passing skills also lay the foundation for great teamwork.
Players – If you want to become a great passer, work hard on the following basketball passing drills. One skill you need to develop is how well you “see” the floor and the defense.
You need to know how much pressure the defense is applying to your receivers. You need to “recognize” when your teammates are open and also whether they’re ready for the pass.
Coaches – Just about every play and drill your team uses involves passing. Therefore, you’ll need to stress to your team constantly how to execute correctly all the different pass types. Get your team to focus on what makes up a good pass such as Accuracy, Quickness, Timing and Deception.
For additional tips, visit our basketball tips section.
Here we go!
Individual Basketball Passing Drills
1) Wall Target
Find a wall you can paint or tape at least 3 “X” targets on. Position the targets at different heights. Now stand back about 10 feet back from wall and try to hit the targets with the ball. Practice the two-hand overhead pass, two-hand chest pass and two-hand bounce pass.
Practice this basketball passing drill by throwing at each target 10 times and imagining each “X” as your teammate in game-like situations. Keep moving back 5 feet at a time until you can do the drill from 20 feet.
Group Basketball Passing Drills
1) Diagonal Inside Circle
Position 5 players around each circle on court (at the 2 foul line circles and half-court). Make sure they are evenly spaced and one step back from the circle. Make quick passes diagonally across the circle and use all types of passes.
2) Circle Around
Same line up as in #1. Instead of passes being made through the circle, now the players pass around the circle to the person next to them. Each passer can decide to pass in any direction after they receive the ball. Be sure to use a variety of pass types with this basketball passing drill.
3) Moving Circle
Same line up as #1. Pass the ball diagonally across the circle (just like drill #1). The difference here is the players are moving around the circle as they make the passes. At any time, the coach can blow the whistle and the players start moving in opposite direction and continue the passes.
4) Line Passing
Create two lines at half court (vertical to the half court line) with the first player in each line facing the first player in the other line. Position the 2 lines about 10 feet apart from another.
Player 1 in Line 1 makes a two-handed chest pass to Player 2 in Line 2. As Player 1 runs to the end of Line 2, Player 2 makes a two-handed chest pass to the next player in Line 1. Then Player 2 runs to end of Line 1.
After each player in each line has thrown a pass, move the lines back 10 feet and repeat the drill. Then move back another 10 feet and repeat drill again.
Once these 3 basketball passing drills are done using the chest pass, do the same thing at all 3 distances with the two-handed bounce pass and two-handed overhead pass.
5) Triangle
Split players into groups of three standing 15 feet apart and forming a triangle. Drill on various types of passes by moving the ball quickly from one player to the other. Change the direction of the passes often. During this basketball passing drill, the coach should let players know when to change to the next pass type and which type to change to.
6) Double Moving Circle
Line up six players around the foul or center circle. Then have nine players form a circle about 8 feet outside the first circle. Move the circles in opposite directions with two balls moving from one circle to the other. Both circles should change directions when the coach instructs to do so.
7) Three-Man Weave
Spread three lines of players evenly across one end of the court. The middle player (Player 1) passes to the player on the right (Player 2), who crosses over to the center as Player 1 crosses behind Player 2 to the right side. Player 2 passes to the player who started on the left (Player 3) who crosses over to the center in front of Player 2. Player 2 moves over to the left and keeps running downcourt. Player 3 is in the middle and starts the drill all over again as all 3 players keep running downcourt. Don’t let the ball hit the ground. As the players reach the end of the court, the last player in the middle shoots a lay-up and then heads back up the left or right side. Repeat the drill going in the opposite direction until the players end where they started. The next three players in line now start the drill again.
8) Four Corners Bounce Drill
Use half the court for this basketball passing drill. Place an equal number of players in each corner with the front players in corners 1 & 2 holding a ball. Each player with a ball makes a bounce pass to the line facing them and then moves to the end of the line to the right. The player receiving the pass in each line steps forward to receive and then passes right back to the line opposite them. Since the players need to keep the balls from colliding, this drill works on developing good judgement and fakes.
9) Defender in the Middle
Position six players around the foul or center circle about one step back from the circle. One players stands in the middle as a defender. As passes are made across the circle, the defender tries to deflect or intercept. Any passes who has a pass end up incomplete must replace the defender in the middle.
10) 2 Defenders in the Middle
Same as basketball passing drill #8 except that now the circle gets a little larger and there are two defenders inside it.
11) Fast Break
Form one line under the basket and a second to the right or left of the foul line extending to the sideline. Have the coach or another player
take a shot with the first two players in line under the hoop ready for the rebound. Whoever rebounds then throws a two-handed overhead pass to the first player in the line near the foul line and runs behind that player downcourt. The other player should fill the opposite lane. The player dribbling downcourt stops at the foul line and throws a two-handed bounce pass to one of the players on the side for a lay-up. Keep the drill going until all players are at the other end and repeat the drill.
Check out our fast break drills and fast break tips pages for more fast break stuff.