Below you will find some great fast break basketball drills that will help you and your team score quickly and easily.
Before we get into those drills, let’s go over some important aspects of the fast break and why it’s so important to your success.
Since, over-all, the game of basketball is one of quick, fast action, it only makes sense for you to become very good at it, wouldn’t you agree?
Both players and fans alike love this fast action style of basketball.
So, coaches, be sure you put the time in to really get your players ready to dominate this part of the game. Fast break basketball drills do more than just get you good at getting the ball up the floor quickly. They help improve quickness and reaction time, help players make quality decisions in the heat of battle and help over-all conditioning.
It must must become second nature for players to look for the fast break opportunity every single time they gain possession of the ball. If the pressure is put on the defense right away, many fast break opportunities will be successful just because of the tendency for a lot of defenses to relax as they get back.
Keep in mind that with this fast-paced style, players must be drilled constantlyon fast break fundamentals. Many mistakes will be made in the beginning and a great deal of patience on the part of the coach is required.
The following fast break basketball drills will help players take quality shots off the fast break, become quicker with their ball handling skills, recognize fast break opportunities better, learn proper footwork, handle ‘3 on 2’ and ‘2 on 1’ situations correctly, etc.
Remember, if players are not schooled to perfection, there will be many problems and mistakes made during actual game action. But if you and your team work incessantly on these basics, you will dominate many teams that don’t work as hard as you!
Fast Break Basketball Drills
The main objective in all of these drills is to keep passing the ball up ahead and dribble only if no one is open.
After making the pass, you want to fill the lane behind the teammate you just passed to.
If that position is blocked, you need to be alert and flexible enough to fill the next logical lane.
If you can get the ball up to the top of the foul line circle with a cutter on each side, a protector and a trailer, your team is in good position to score.
Note #1 – For all the following fast break basketball drills, left & right sides are as if you’re standing with your back against the wall at the rebound end and facing the direction the offense is heading after rebound.
Note #2 – Beginning positions for all the following drills: Player 1 in front of basket. Player 2 in low post to right of basket. Player 3 in low post to left of basket. Player 4 near foul line just right of basket & 5 near foul line to left of basket.
Series #1 – Rebounded in Low Post in Front of Basket
Fast Break Basketball Drill #1) Player 1 rebounds. Player 2 cuts past 1, receives pass, then passes to 4 who has run out to right wing. 5 cuts to left wing, crosses over to middle, receives pass from 4 near half-court, then dribbles to top of foul line (if possible) to make the logical play that’s available.
In the meantime, 1 is slightly to the right of & behind 5 as protector, 2 has filled in trail position behind 5. 3 has crossed from left low post at one end through middle of court and ends up at right low post at opposite end. 4 continues across middle of court after passing to 5 from right wing and ends up in left low post at opposite end.
If 1’s pass goes to 3 instead, this fast break basketball drill can then be run with 2 & 3 exchanging positions as well as 4 & 5 exchanging.
Fast Break Basketball Drill #2) Same exact play as #1 except we omit the pass from 1 to 2. 1 passes directly to 4 as 4 cuts to right wing. The rest is identical to #1 above.
Fast Break Basketball Drill #3) After rebounding, 1 drives straight down the floor with the ball. After cutting to right wing, 4 cuts back to middle in front of 1 near mid-court. 4 receives pass from 1 and drives down middle of floor toward opposite foul line.
In the meantime, 1 has stayed behind and to the right of 4 as trailer. 3 has run from low post starting position to behind & to left of 4 as protector. 2 has run from right low post at one end to right low post at opposite end. 5 has run down to left low post.
If 1 had started the fast break basketball drill by passing to 5 or keeping the ball, other players must adjust.
Series #2 – Rebounded in Low Post to Side of Basket
Fast Break Basketball Drill #4) After rebounding the ball, 2 passes to 4, who has cut to right wing. 5 has cut to left wing, then back to middle and receives pass from 4 near mid-court. 5 then dribbles down middle of floor.
Meanwhile [ back at the ranch 🙂 ], 4 cuts across middle to opposite side & ends up at left low post. 3 cuts from left low post at one end over to fill lane into right low post at opposite end. 1 has trailed behind & to the right of 5 as protector. After initial pass, 2 has cut across behind & to the left of 5 as trailer.
If 3 had grabbed rebound during the fast break basketball drill, 2 & 3 exchange assignments, as do 4 & 5.
Fast Break Basketball Drill #5) 2 rebounds, then passes out to 4 in right wing (just like drill #4). 3 cuts toward corner, then to middle and receives pass from 4 about half-way between foul circle & mid-court circle. 3 then drives toward opposite foul line circle.
Meanwhile (the ranch thing only works once, we thinketh), 4 continues across court after passing & fills lane into left low post. 5 cuts to left wing, runs across middle of floor & ends up in right low post at opposite end. 1 has run behind & to the right of 3 as protector. After the initial pass, 2 has cut through middle and is behind & to the left of 3 as trailer.
If 3 had rebounded, run the fast break basketball drill with 2 & 3 exchanging assignments as well as 4 & 5 exchanging their’s.
Fast Break Basketball Drill #6) If the “D” shuts down the wing pass to 4, then 2 rebounds, 3 cuts to top of foul line & receives 2’s pass. 5 cuts to left wing, then to middle & receives pass from 3 near mid-court. (Both 3 & 5 can look for 4 cutting down right sideline). 5 then drives middle toward foul line.
Meanwhile, 4 continues down right sideline to right low post. After making pass to 5, 3 crosses over to left sideline & ends up in left low post. 1 has trailed behind & to the right of 5 as protector. 2 has trailed behind & to the left of 5 as trailer.
Series #3 – Rebounded in High Post in Front of Basket
Fast Break Basketball Drill #7) 4 rebounds near right foul line. 2 cuts to right wing & receives pass from 4. 5 has run straight down floor to mid-court, turns & receives pass from 2. 5 then drives down middle toward foul line.
After passing, 2 makes a screen for 4, who cuts down right sideline toward right low post. After the screen, 2 fills trail position behind & to the right of 5. 1 has cut from under the basket down middle of floor behind & to the left of 5 as protector. 3 has cut down left sideline to left low post at opposite end.
If 5 got rebound, they’ll exchange assignments with 4 while 2 & 3 exchange their assignments.
Fast Break Basketball Drill #8) 4 rebounds near right foul line. 3 cuts to left wing & receives pass from 4. 5 has run straight down floor to mid-court, turns & receives pass from 3. 5 then drives down middle toward foul line.
After passing, 3 makes a screen for 4, who fills lane down left sideline toward left low post. After the screen, 3 fills trail position behind & to the left of 5. 1 has cut from under the basket down middle of floor behind & to the right of 5 as protector. 2 has cut down right sideline to fill lane into right low post at opposite end.
Note that after 4 passes to 3, the play is identical as #7, but on the opposite side of the court.
Series #4 – After Opponent Score
Fast Break Basketball Drill #9) 1 takes ball out-of-bounds. 2 makes a fake in left low post, receives pass from 1. 4 has cut toward right sideline up near mid-court. 4 then makes a fake to get open & receives 2’s pass.
5 has cut to left sideline, then back to middle & receives pass from 4 near mid-court circle. 5 then drives down middle of floor.
Meanwhile, 2 has filled in lane behind & to the right of 5 as trailer. 1 has run down middle behind & to the left of 5 as protector. 3 cut to left wing, then across court over towards right sideline at opposite end, then finishes with cut to right low post. After passing to 5, 4 cuts behind 5 across the floor & fills lane down left sideline into low post.
If 1 had passed to 3 to begin the play, 2 & 3 exchange assignments as do 4 & 5.
Fast Break Basketball Drill #10) Exact same play as #9, except 1 passes out to 4 near right sideline over 2 to start things. Can also be run from the other side with the first pass going out to 5.
Fast Break Basketball Drill #11) 5 fakes to left wing, cuts across middle to receive long pass from 1 near mid-court, then drives down middle. 4 fills outside lane down right sideline. 3 runs down left sideline to low post. 2 fills lane behind & to right of 5 as trailer. 1 fills lane behind & to the left of 5 as protector.
Series #5 – After Opponent Makes Free Throw
Note #1 – Beginning positions for the following “after free throw” drill: Right side of lane: Player 1 (nearest hoop), opponent, then Player 3. Left side of lane: Player 2 (nearest hoop), opponent, then Player 4. Player 5 is positioned at top of free throw circle.
Note #2 – Remember that for the purpose of this page, left & right sides are as if you’re standing with your back against the wall at the free throw end and facing the direction the offense is heading after the free throw.
Fast Break Basketball Drill #12) Player 1 takes ball out-of-bounds. 3 cuts towards right wing. 5 breaks out to right sideline up near mid-court. 2 gets a screen from 4, breaks through the lane up middle of court & then down left sideline.
1 can pass in to 3 or 5. If 3 gets pass, 3 can pass up to 5, who then looks for 2 near the basket. Or 3 can try to hit 2 directly, who, once again, has cut down left sideline & then into the basket.
After the screen, 4 cuts through middle & fills lane down right sideline towards low post area. After inbounds pass, 1 runs down middle of floor & stays back as protector. After pass to 5 or 2, 3 runs to top of foul line while 5 cuts across court & fills in behind 2 near left high post area.