F-A-S-T

Drill Purpose:

This fun drill is great for developing player skills such as speed dribbling and catching. You also develop some dodging skills.

Instructions

Each person is given a basketball and is in a small circle in the middle of the court. The coach is to stand in the middle. With a soft skin ball in your hands, call the name of a player and throw the ball into the air. The player will then leave their basketball and runs to get the soft skin ball. Every other player then dribbles as fast as they can away from the person in the middle. When the player catches the ball and yells "stop", everyone must stop immediately and set their balls down beside them. The player in the middle with the "soft" ball may take three steps toward the nearest student and attempt to throw the ball at them. If the target is hit with the ball, that person must give their basketball to the player that got them out and go to the center of the court. If the person throwing the ball misses or the ball is caught by the target, the original person stays in the middle. Everyone then returns to the middle and the ball is thrown in the air and a new name is called.

Teaching Tips

Remind players that they must push the ball out in front of their bodies to speed dribble effectively. 

Variations:

• The number of steps taken to get close to the target may be changed depending on the size of the gym.
  
• The circle in the middle can be close to the person throwing the ball or it can be moved away form the middle, depending on the gym size.