A closeout is a sprint to a shooter followed by a controlled stance to contest without fouling. This drill teaches the sprint and the transition into defensive stance.
Equipment needed: One basketball, cones to mark three-point spots, 6 kids (3 shooters in rotation, 3 defenders in rotation).
Setup: Mark three three-point spots on the court (left wing, right wing, top). Shooters stand at these spots with the ball. Defenders start in the paint, 30 feet away.
How to run it:
- Coach points to a shooter. Defender sprints toward them.
- Defender must sprint hard, then plant and transition into defensive stance within 2-3 feet of the shooter (no fouling).
- Shooter passes back to coach or makes a shot attempt (defender contests but doesn’t block).
- Defender resets and goes to the next spot as directed.
- Do 15 closeouts per defender.
What to look for: Sprint effort and stance transition. The sprint should be hard, then a controlled plant to avoid fouling (no hand-checking, no running through).
Variation: For younger kids (11), start closer (three-point line) and slower. For older kids (12), add a shot attempt after the closeout so the defender must contest.